Marietta rallies past North Cobb, nears first region title in 20 years
The Marietta football team had already proved it could handle a little adversity.
After all, the Blue Devils had overcome an 0-4 start in nonregion play with a three-game winning streak that put them in position to play for first place in Region 5-6A.
So it was little surprise that, despite trailing 35-17 early in the fourth quarter against North Cobb at home Friday night, Marietta wasn’t out of the fight.
The Blue Devils scored 19 points in the final 10 minutes, including a 22–yard touchdown pass from Jayden Whiteside to Brody Archie and the game-winning extra point by Cole Baumgartner with less than two minutes to play, for a 36-35 victory over the reigning region champions.
“I learned that these guys’ heart is special,” first-year Marietta coach Cameron Duke said. “Perseverance, man, it’s the real test of a man. For a team that started 0-4 … a lot of teams shut it down. These guys did not. They decided to renew their mind daily and focus on that which is good, and we learned and grew. I’m so happy for our seniors. That’s a great ballclub we beat.”
Marietta emerged as the only remaining unbeaten team in Region 5-6A play, at 4-0 in the region and 4-4 overall. Regardless of the outcome of the Blue Devils’ next game against Cherokee on Oct. 24, Marietta can clinch its first region title since 2005 if it beats North Paulding in the Oct. 31 regular-season finale. The school’s 2019 state championship team finished as a region runner-up behind McEachern.
North Cobb fell to 4-3 overall and 2-1 in the region. The Warriors still have a mathematical shot of winning their fifth region title in six years, but they’ll need a lot of help, primarily from North Paulding.
Marietta took possession for its final scoring drive at the North Cobb 46-yard line after stopping the Warriors 4 yards short of a first down on a fake punt with 3:33 left. After a 4-yard loss on first down, two penalties against North Cobb moved the ball to the 25-yard line. Titus Grant gained 3 yards on the next play, setting the stage for the winning touchdown pass on second-and-7.
North Cobb had one last chance to answer. The Warriors gained 23 yards in two plays but fumbled at the end of a 34-yard pass completion. Marietta recovered at its 25-yard line with 43 seconds left and ran out the clock.
Grant got the comeback going with a 6-yard touchdown run with 9:58 remaining in the game, capping off an 11-play, 80-yard drive to cut North Cobb’s lead to 35-23. Whiteside threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Green on the second play of the Blue Devils’ next possession to get within 35-29 with 6:02 left.
It was perhaps the best game of the year for Whiteside, who passed for a season-high 331 yards and three touchdowns.
“He did it last week. He threw two big touchdowns in overtime (in a 41-38 victory) at Walton,” Duke said. “He was able to regain his composure, and I’m so proud of that. When things get shaky, he’s able to regain it now. He’s a leader, and he’s an awesome young man. Great parents, great kid, great student. For him to go make those plays late was awesome. He’s been doing it, and he did it tonight on a big stage.”
Grant finished with 60 yards rushing and two touchdowns, and Green caught five passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns.
Running back Zach Belyeu and quarterback Teddy Jarrard led the way for North Cobb, which finished with a 475-415 advantage in total yards. Belyeu ran for 124 yards and four touchdowns on 21 carries. Jarrard passed for 265 yards and threw an 82-yard touchdown pass to Quavy Echols that put the Warriors ahead 21-14 late in the second quarter.
North Cobb - 7-14-14-0 - 35
Marietta - 7-10-0-19 - 36
First quarter
NC - Zach Belyeu 2 run (Michael Hill kick)
M - Titus Grant 4 run (Cole Baumgartner kick)
Second quarter
NC - Belyeu 25 run (Hill kick)
M - Elijah Green 26 pass from Jayden Whiteside (Baumgartner kick)
NC - Quavy Echols 82 pass from Teddy Jarrard (Hill kick)
M - Baumgartner 38 field goal
Third quarter
NC - Belyeu 5 run (Hill kick)
NC - Belyeu 8 run (Hill kick), 3:46
Fourth quarter
M - Grant 6 run (pass failed)
M - Green 46 pass from Whiteside (pass failed)
M - Brody Archie 22 pass from Whiteside (Baumgartner kick)
About the Author
Chip Saye is a former writer and editor at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and remains a regular contributor to the AJC. In 2009 he helped start Georgia High School Football Daily. He previously worked for the Athens Banner-Herald, Anderson (S.C.) Independent-Mail and Gwinnett Daily News.
