South Carolina football: Gunner Stockton throws game winning touchdown
By Jacob Elsey
South Carolina football commit Gunner Stockton took down a five-star foe on Friday.
Five-star Gamecock commit Gunner Stockton played the second contest of his junior season this past weekend, which ended with a win over Prince Avenue Christian School in a battle of talented Georgia signal callers. Stockton, a member of the 2022 recruiting class, is viewed as the top dual threat quarterback, and the nation’s 24th best player regardless of position.
His opponent also had a five-star player under center in Georgia Bulldog commit Brock Vandagriff. Vandagriff, a member of the 2021 class, is rated as the nation’s 13th best player, as well as the second-best dual threat passer in his senior class.
Rabun County, led by Stockton, entered the matchup as the top ranked team in Georgia’s 2A classification after getting off to a 1-0 start. Prince Avenue, also undefeated, was ranked third among the Peach State’s 1A private class. The game itself went down to the wire, with the teams being tied at 31 with just over two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. That’s when Stockton pulled off some late heroics.
https://twitter.com/WhosNextHS/status/1304617963862061057
A 32-yard touchdown pass to the corner of the endzone ended up being the difference as Rabun County escaped with a 38-31 victory. Stockton finished the game with 173 yards through the air and two touchdowns. He also ran for another 173 yards and added three more scores on the ground.
Should his commitment stand firm, Stockton will be the highest-rated quarterback to sign with the Gamecocks in program history, surpassing Stephen Garcia. Garcia, a former four-star recruit, is the only South Carolina signal caller to lead his team to the SEC championship game. Stockton believes that he can replicate that.
“I believe championships can be won in South Carolina,” Stockton told 247Sports in an interview prior to his commitment. “The facilities are in place, the support is there, and it’s ready to take off.”
Stockton’s season continues next week when Rabun County takes on undefeated Jefferson High.