Etowah Eagles, Marietta Blue Devils Set for High-Scoring Showdown

Scouting the Blue Devils

The Marietta Blue Devils opened region play with a statement win over rival Wheeler, avenging last year’s seven-point loss. It was a breakthrough performance for Marietta, which had been competitive against McEachern, Gainesville and West Forsyth but hadn’t put it all together until last week. The offense hit season highs in both passing (298 yards) and rushing (216 yards).

Junior QB Jayden Whiteside has thrown for 567 yards and 3 TDs but also 4 interceptions. The ground game features Titus Grant (40 carries, 165 yards, 6 TDs) and Landon Mannery (34 carries, 176 yards, 1 TD). On the perimeter, juniors Samaj Anderson and Isaac Copeland have combined for 28 receptions, 341 yards and 3 TDs.

Defensively, Marietta allows 25.6 points per game. Jamine Solomon leads with 35 tackles, while Merrick Ham has 7.5 tackles for loss and a team-high 4 sacks. The Blue Devils have forced four turnovers on the season.

Scouting the Eagles

Etowah comes off a bye week after a confidence-boosting win its last time out. Junior QB Zeke Douglass has been the engine of the offense, leading in both passing (708 yards, 6 TDs, 4 INTs) and rushing (291 yards, 4 TDs on 50 carries). Senior RB Mike Goins is coming off a career night with 143 yards on 19 carries and has 224 yards on 43 carries overall. His emergence adds balance and makes Etowah even tougher to defend.

Junior WR Walker Hughes has been Douglass’ top target with 12 catches for 274 yards and a score. The Eagles average 30.5 points per game with a near-even split of 177 passing yards and 184.5 rushing yards per contest.

Defensively, Etowah gives up 29.7 points per game. Senior safety Oliver Creigh leads with 42 tackles, while Cooper Hendrix paces the pass rush with 5 sacks.

🔑 Keys to Victory

Marietta Blue Devils

• Stay Balanced: Replicate last week’s mix of run and pass to keep Etowah’s defense guessing.

• Limit Douglass’ Dual Threat: Assign a spy or use disciplined rush lanes to prevent his scramble yards.

• Win the Turnover Battle: Whiteside must protect the football against an opportunistic defense.

• Red Zone Efficiency: Finish drives with touchdowns, not field goals, in what could be a high-scoring game.

Etowah Eagles

• Control the Clock: Ride Goins and Douglass on the ground to shorten the game and limit Marietta’s possessions.

• Contain Marietta’s Receivers: Don’t let Anderson and Copeland create chunk plays downfield.

• Capitalize on Marietta Mistakes: Force turnovers and set up short fields for the offense.

• Start Fast on the Road: Quiet the home crowd with an early score or takeaway.

Pundit's Pick

This has the makings of a high-scoring, back-and-forth game between two evenly matched teams. Marietta’s breakthrough performance last week and home-field advantage give the Blue Devils a slight edge.

Prediction: Marietta by 7.