Bowdon’s Kaiden Prothro breaks down ‘emotional’ legacy state championship win

Prothro made several impressive catches throughout the 35-31 win over Lincoln County. But the University of Georgia signee’s most impressive moment arguably came on defense.

Prothro had exited the game with a cramp on Bowdon’s go-ahead touchdown drive minutes before. He was being treated on the sideline when fellow senior receiver Berkley Perkins snagged a 32-yard touchdown pass on third-and-14 for the lead with 2:39 remaining.

“I was trying to do everything I could,” Prothro said. “I didn’t want to let my teammates down on the field, and I just wanted to go out with a bang. I felt like I needed to be on the field with them.”

Prothro limped back on the field to his cornerback position. He held down his side of the secondary as Lincoln County slowly worked its way down the field.

Lincoln County struggled to find explosive plays, and the clock kept running. Prothro and the Red Devil secondary stood just strong enough as Lincoln County came four yards short of the end zone as time expired.

“I just feel very emotional right now,” Prothro said. “My teammates backed me up when I went down, and I’m just glad he made the play when I wasn’t there.”

Coaches and players found and hugged the 6-foot-7 receiver, standing on the tips of their toes to share a private message in the middle of the celebration.

“They were just saying that they’re just glad that we can go out with a bang,” Prothro said. “They’re just very glad that the senior class that we had has left it better than we found it.”

That’s exactly the kind of legacy that Bowdon coach Rich Fendley said Prothro will leave.

Many will highlight Prothro’s eye-popping touchdown catch against double coverage Monday night. Fendley pointed to the humility he showed afterward, the same humility that he’s become known for.

“When your best player is your best all-around kid, that helps your football team,” Fendley said. “He’s meant a lot just setting the standard for all the young guys coming up and watching him and wanting to be like him.”

Prothro faced double coverage for most of the game, limiting the amount of passes thrown his way.

A less mature blue-chip recruit might have voiced frustration on the sidelines, but Fendley said Prothro never flinched. The massive mismatch was content playing decoy, creating more opportunities for other receivers.

Perkins, Mike Patterson and Jonah Wilson combined for six catches for 137 yards and three touchdowns. Prothro still led the team with four catches for 71 yards and a score.

“It opens it up for our other guys, and they know that,” Fendley said. “They all have to work really hard because they have to take advantage of the opportunities they get when it’s their turn to catch and run.”

Prothro has earned plenty of opportunities against single coverage in his near future. He plans to enroll early at Georgia and will start practicing with the team in January.

The Bowdon native will leave his hometown with an elite four-year stretch that it can brag about for decades.

“He’s a humble kid,” Fendley said. “He’s going to go do great things on Saturday for the Bulldogs, and then he’s going to go do great things on Sunday for an NFL team before it’s all said and done.”