December 3, 2025 — As the only Cobb team remaining in the 2025 GHSA Playoffs, the Kell Longhorns are considered one of Georgia’s top football programs. This year's team is loaded with veteran talent and has only gotten better since the first game in August. The Longhorns dismantled Cartersville last week, 48-21, in a Black Friday game that the unbeaten Canes were highly favored to win. Kell now faces the top-ranked team in Class 4A, Creekside, in the semifinals.

To keep their momentum and eight-game win streak going, the Longhorns will need another top-notch performance from senior standout Brayden Rouse. Recognized as one of the top players in the nation, Rouse recently signed his commitment letter to attend the University of Tennessee in 2026. The four-star talent plays wide receiver, linebacker, and kick returner. Rouse had an outstanding game against Cartersville with four catches for 78 yards, two touchdowns, 12 tackles, and an interception. His performance earned him the Player of the Week Award from Georgia High School Football Daily.

"Brayden is an incredible person first," said Longhorn Head Coach Bobby May. "He is one of the most disciplined, hardworking, and focused players I have ever coached. Combined with his exceptional talent, those qualities make him one of the best players in the country. He showed that with a dominant performance in all three phases [of the game]."

Alfa Insurance sponsors the GHSF Daily Player of the Week. Brayden was formally recognized in a presentation at Kell led by GHSF's Ted Langford.

"Our editors review all the games from the previous weekend to determine which player had the biggest and best game. It's a long process; they're reviewing stats, strength of schedule, and talking to coaches," explained Langford. "There were a lot of great individual performances last week, and it was a tough decision, but one name kept coming up in every discussion. That name was Brayden Rouse."

Brayden's teammates cheered and clapped as he came forward to accept the award. He also took the opportunity to thank them for making it possible.

"I appreciate all of you," Brayden said with a smile. "This award has my name on it, but it's for all of us. I couldn't have done any of it without the rest of you."

Gary Nelson of Alfa Insurance expressed admiration for Brayden and for Kell’s program as a whole. He emphasized how the team has excelled late in the season when the competition is toughest. He praised Brayden's Player of the Week performance and commended the team for their effort and resilience, and encouraged them to keep pushing forward in their playoff run.

"We have a good chance," Brayden said about the Longhorns' upcoming matchup with Creekside. "We need to have a good week of practice, stay focused, and stay humble about the whole situation. If we do what we can do, we can beat Creekside."

Memories of last year's second-round elimination still linger in the team's collective memory. 

"Yeah, we definitely got to get some redemption on that. We know them really well. They didn't have a lot of people leave last year, so it's kind of the same team; they have gotten better, and we have gotten better. It's gonna be a good rematch," Brayden concluded with confidence.

"We've got to show up and play to our best ability," agreed Coach May about Friday's game. "They're a really good team; they're talented and well-coached. But so are we. So we'll see who shows up and we'll see who plays the best game."

Congratulations to Brayden and the entire Longhorn team for a great game against Cartersville. Best of luck in your semifinal game this Friday. Hook 'em, Horns!