Pee Dee football team finishes with undefeated season

Mullins – Pee Dee Academy won its second SCISA football title in three years, claiming the AA

crown with a 52-14 victory over Bethesda Academy in November. The Golden Eagles won the AAA

championship in 2022.

This one was a little different though. PDA went 12-1 in ’22, but went undefeated in 12 games to

claim the second one.

“It’s a great sense of accomplishment to be able to cap off an undefeated season,” said head coach

Jonathan King, who was in charge of both title teams. “This team is a special group that showed up in

the summer, preseason practice, in-season practice and Friday nights with the attitude they were going to

get the job done.

“It wasn’t always easy for us, but their belief in their team was always there. They saw an

opportunity to be special and they took it.”

It was a dominant season for PDA as it outscored the opposition 530-197. It won all of its games

by at least 20 points with one exception. Pee Dee edged Bethesda, which was the defending AA

champion, 25-22 a month before the championship demolition.

The Eagles had eight players selected to the All-Region 1-AA team. They were led by Player of

the Year Colby Richardson. As a quarterback, the senior completed 121 of 162 passes for 2,178 yards

and 27 touchdowns against just two interceptions. He rushed for 663 yards and 12 touchdowns on 83

carries. As a safety on defense, Richardson had 38 tackles and an interception.

Tristan Heckman, a junior, rushed for 1,023 yards and 23 touchdowns while catching eight

passes for 195 yards and two TDs. As a linebacker, he had a team high 102 tackles and five tackles for

loss and two interceptions.

Miles Trussell was Richardson’s top target with 56 catches for 1,214 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Trussell had 15 tackles and an interception as a linebacker.

Three of the offensive linemen were selected All-Region in senior center Hayden Spivey, senior

right guard Storm Garris and senior right tackle Keeton Cribbs. Cribbs also had 34 tackles and one TFL

on the defensive line.

The other All-Region selections are junior Ryan Small and sophomore Judson Martin. Small

rushed for 378 yards and three TDs on 30 carries to go with 76 tackles and two interceptions at safety.

Martin had 65 tackles at linebacker while running for 171 yards and one touchdown on 30 carries.

All eight were selected to play in the two SCISA North-South All-Star games. Also selected to

the all-star games were senior O’Maury McKelvy and junior Cole Pursley.

King said Pee Dee has much to be proud of in claiming two titles in three seasons

“To win two out of three is an accomplishment that happens because of buy-in from players,

coaches, parents and our entire school community,” King said. “Very proud to be a Golden Eagle!”