Creekside came up just short or winning the 5A State championship last season falling to Coffee in the final. While the Langston Hughes Panthers won state two years ago and were shocked in the 6A second round last season. The two played out a thrilling spring game with many takeaways so here are a few I noticed

Langston Hughes will be fine without Air Noland. Christian Langford is next under center for the panthers and the 3 star who holds offers from UCF, Liberty, and more, played a solid game slinging it around.

Xavier Tiller is a different breed. The 2nd ranked Tight End in the 2026 class is a freak of nature and was dominant when the ball was in his hands. His stature is enough to make any coach go crazy listed at 6’4 205, however, he looked much bigger then that and given that he is only a sophomore in high school it is very likely he has grown.

Eric Paul Jr is one of the most underrated wide outs in his class. Paul had an amazing game including haling in an amazing catch to score a TD for Creekside to tie it up. He is a rising senior who is in a loaded wide out core for Creekside and yet he caught more eye throughout the game making plays.

Gary Walker is going to be ranked by the end of his sophomore year. Gary Walker junior has had a big offseason picking up his first power 4 offer after just his freshman year. He is a dynamic running back who is big enough to run you over while being able lap in a one lap race. He is difficult to take down on the field and will be in an increased role this season for Creekside.

Game review:

Game MVP- Carsyn Baker (Langston Hughes ’26) The 4 star Running back was everywhere on that offense scoring a TD and provided an all around dominate performed for the Panthers and was a big reason they won.

Defensive Player of the game- Daniel “Tank” Holt (Creekside ’26) To say that he played like he was a tank would be an understatement, he wouldn’t let anyone get passed him and was everywhere on the D-line and helped get some key stops for Creekside.

Underclassman of the game- Gary Walker (Creekside ’27) The previously mentioned Running Back dominated and fought throughout the entire game helping keep Creekside in the game.

Most Underrated player- Zarian Jones ( Creekside ’25) The rising senior started off by getting a big time INT on the first drive of the game and helped the defense against an great offense in the Panthers

Overall it was a great game for both teams and even though Langston Hughes won 21-14 both learned a lot which is unlimitedly what spring ball is about.

I would like to thank Coach Dixon and Creekside for helping set up this experience.