No one can say the Rome Wolves ducked an opponent. Coach John Reid’s team will open the season on Thursday night against a loaded Marietta team that’s ranked No. 1 in Class AAAAAAA.
The game is part of the Corky Kell Kickoff Classic and will be played at Barron Stadium in Rome as the second game of a doubleheader. The Wolves won a 51-41 shootout a year ago in a game that wasn’t completed until well after midnight.
There are plenty of unknowns for Rome this year. The No. 2-ranked Wolves fell short of their quest to win a third straight state championship in 2018, losing to Warner Robins in the semifinals, and they graduated Georgia Player of the Year Jamious Griffin (now at Georgia Tech) and four-year starting quarterback Knox Kadum (Virginia Tech).
Caleb Ellard, a junior, is expected to start at quarterback and senior Trey Lawrence will get his chance to play a prominent role at tailback. The Rome defense is led by a stout defensive line that features Rayquan Jones (Coastal Carolina), Bryant Wilkinson and Jorden Neal.
“It’s a tough early game, but it’s non-region, so it’s just throw it out there and do the best that you can,” Reid told the Rome News Tribune. “It has no playoff implications. It’s just to see how much we’ve got in us. I’m sure it’s going to be a big heavyweight prize fight, hopefully.”
Here are some of the other top games this week in Class AAAAA:
Milton at Buford (Coolray Field), Friday, 8:30 p.m.: New Buford coach Bryant Appling, the program's longtime defensive coordinator, makes his debut as head man against the reigning Class AAAAAAA champions on a baseball field. The Wolves have four Division I prospects on the team, but must select a quarterback from Jarvis Evans or Amari Wansley, another in a long line of Wansleys who have been through the school. Buford is expected to move back toward its roots of power football, once that rewarded former coach Jess Simpson and Dexter Wood with ten state championships from 2001-14. Milton leads the series 4-0, but the teams haven't played since 1983, when Buford was Class A and Milton was AAA.
Kell at Mays (Mercedes-Benz Stadium), Saturday, 9 a.m.: Kell will be playing in the Corky Kell Classic for the 10th straight season and has spent time trying to become accustomed to the early tee time. Kell beat East Coweta at the Benz a year ago in one of the day's more exciting games. The Longhorns return 10 starters on offense and seven on defense from last year's young 9-3 team. The spotlight will fall on talented running back Ebony Jackson (a Maryland commit) and a pair of defensive stalwarts, end Vincent Dinkins and linebacker Branson Hall. Mays will be a handful; the Raiders feature Georgia Tech commit JaQuari Wiggles on the defensive line and UAB commit Durante Jones in the secondary, as well as breakaway running back Tyree Nelson. This will be the second meeting between the two schools; Kell won 26-15 in second round of the playoffs in 2013.
Woodland vs. Southwest DeKalb (Godfrey Stadium), Friday, 7:30 p.m.: Antonio Andrews will make his debut at Woodland, a program trying to regain its footing after back-to-back three-win seasons. Andrews had great success at Griffin, where his teams were 28-8 in three seasons and produced five all-state players. Andrews said, "We have come a long way in a short period of time. We think we can have a really good season." Southwest DeKalb finished a perfect regular season last year and brings a solid group of returners, among them all-county wide receiver Akil Muhammad, cornerback Tommy Wright and quarterback Rion White. The Panthers are the big favorite in Region 5. Southwest won last year's game 18-0, which was the firsts meeting between the two schools.
Arabia Mountain vs. Carver Atlanta (Lakewood Stadium), Saturday, 3 p.m.: Carver looks to rebound from a 5-6 season behind a strong offense led by Mississippi State commit JoQuavious Marks. He ran for 1,500 yards as a junior and 2,127 as a sophomore. Arabia Mountain suffered big graduation losses but returns linebacker Chandler Martin (84 tackles, three caused fumbles) and tailback Jaylen White, who led the team with 602 rushing yards. Arabia Mountain won 28-14 in 2018 in the first meeting between the two schools.
New Hampstead vs. Jenkins (Savannah Memorial Stadium), Thursday, 7 p.m.: The Kyle Hockman Era begins as the Phoenix open against Jenkins, one of Chatham County's top teams. New Hampstead went 5-6 last year in a turmoil-filled season that saw coach Michael Moore replaced in midstream. New Hampstead features first-year quarterback Randy Jarrell, who has a couple of top receivers in Justin McKithen (a Florida Atlantic commit) and Anthony Thomas. Jenkins counters with a defense that features nine returning starters, including four future collegians. Jenkins also brings Damozzio Harris, an All-Savannah running back who transferred from Windsor Forest. New Hampstead won 25-8 last season. Jenkins leads the series 2-1.
Griffin vs. Spalding (Griffin Memorial Stadium), Friday, 7:30 p.m.: The Iris City Showdown between the two schools in Spalding County features two new coaches – Kareem Reid from Griffin and Jeffrey Hammond. Reid will try to ensure the Bears remain in control of the series, which they lead 10-1. The Bears were impressive in their scrimmage against East Coweta, with quarterback Darshavious Foster and receiver Terrell Jester hooking up six times.
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