Gamecocks’ five-star commit Gunner Stockton outduels blue chip Georgia commit
Some day down the line, Gunner Stockton and Brock Vandagriff might find themselves facing off again, one in South Carolina garnet, the other Georgia Bulldog red.
But Friday night, Stockton’s Rabun County team got the best of Vandagriff’s Prince Avenue Christian team on national TV. And they did it in dramatic fashion.
Stockton ran for three touchdowns and threw for two more, including the game-winner to Adrial Clark in the fourth quarter to give Rabun County a 38-31 win.
“Adrial, he’s awesome,” Stockton said. “I know he had him beat on the show. He just went up there and got it.”
That moves the Wildcats to 2-0 on the season and drops the Wolverines to 1-1.
Rabun led 31-7 in the third quarter before Prince Avenue tied the game on a field goal with 4:32 left.
But Stockton answered with a 32-yard touchdown pass with 2:18 left to put Rabun up 38-31. A a Rabun interception on the next possession sealed the win.
“When we needed it the most and we needed a huge drive with about three minutes ago, maybe four minutes to go, he delivered,” Rabun County coach Jaybo Shaw said. “We knew we had that shot for a touchdown, it was just when we wanted to call it.”
Stockton finished with 173 yards rushing and 173 yards passing in the game.
And Stockton pulled off the comeback with Gamecock great Connor Shaw, whose No. 14 he wears, in the building.
“He’s my role model,” Stockton said. “It was pretty cool having him (here).”
Stockton committed to the Gamecocks this summer — if his ranking holds, he’ll be the highest-rated quarterback to join the team in program history. Coach Will Muschamp’s staff has already added two five-star recruits in Zacch Pickens and Jordan Burch.
Stockton’s connections to the current Gamecocks staff run deep. He grew up idolizing Connor Shaw, wearing his No. 14. Stockton played for Shaw’s father, Lee, and now for his brother, Jaybo. Stockton was also taught to throw by George Bobo, a respected local coach who is also the father of current Gamecocks offensive coordinator Mike Bobo.
This story was originally published September 11, 2020 at 11:13 PM.
