November 6th - McEachern vs. Cherokee

Results: McEachern 48 - Cherokee 13

Recap: (by the Marietta Daily Journal)

In a game where McEachern had little to play for, and Cherokee had nothing to lose, the homestanding Warriors smacked the seventh-ranked Indians across the mouth early in Friday's regular-season finale.

Talk about waking a sleeping giant.

Cherokee scored on its opening possession and led, 13-7, at one point before McEachern scored 41 unanswered points to wrap up the school's first undefeated season since 1999 with a 48-13 victory at Tommy Baker Field.

It was a subdued celebration for the Indians (10-0, 9-0), who had wrapped up the Region 5AAAAA crown the week before.

"None of it means anything, and none of the rankings are justified until we do something in the playoffs," said McEachern coach Kyle Hockman, who capped a perfect season in just his second year at the Powder Springs school. "We just have to earn it all on the field. Obviously, going undefeated is a special moment, but I think the kids see this as a beginning."

McEachern will move on to the state playoffs as a No. 1 seed and will play host to Brookwood in the first round next week. It will be the second meeting with the Broncos this season for the Indians, who won, 42-32, in the season-opening Corky Kell Classic at the Georgia Dome.

Cherokee looked as if it might be able to take advantage of an unfocused McEachern team to start the game when Dylan Haynes scored from the 11 for the game's first points. McEachern answered on its next possession as Rajaan Bennett went over the goal line from the 1.

The Warriors caught a break on their next possession when the Indians muffed a punt, giving Cherokee the ball at the Indians' 18. Two plays later, A.J. Redwine scored from 16 yards out on an option pitch. Cherokee (4-6, 4-5) missed the extra point, but still led, 13-7, at the end of the first quarter.

But from there, Bennett took over the show.

He had all three carries on a three-play 54-yard drive that ended with a 9-yard scoring run that saw him plow over a Cherokee defensive back at the goal line. Troy Postell's kick then gave McEachern a lead it would never relinquish.

On the Indians' next possession, Bennett again did most of the damage with three carries for 51 yards, including a 3-yard scoring run for a 21-13 lead.

Quarterback Dondre Purnell got in on the scoring act late in the first half, driving the Indians 60 yards down the field and scoring on a 16-yard scamper for a 28-13 lead at the end of the half.

Purnell did even more damage to start the second half, rolling left and then scrambling back to the right and bobbing and weaving for a 64-yard scoring run that put the game out of reach for the Warriors.

"I knew it would be like a tennis match," Cherokee coach Brian Dameron said. "We just got into a situation where we couldn't hold serve a couple of times and keep up with them."

To Hockman, Cherokee's early success wasn't a surprise, even with the Warriors' early-season woes.

"They are a much-improved team, and it took a couple of series for us to adjust," Hockman said. "They run the midline and the veer as good as any team we have seen all season."

Bennett finished with 158 yards on 13 carries as the Indians rolled up more than 300 yards on the ground. Defensively, the Indians held Cherokee to fewer than 150 yards of total offense and dominated the time of possession.

October 30th - McEachern vs. Kennesaw Mountain

Results: McEachern 42 - Kennesaw Mountain 14

Recap: (by the Marietta Daily Journal)

McEachern clinched its first region championship in 10 years, and moved one step closer to an undefeated regular season, with a 42-14 victory over Kennesaw Mountain on Friday at Walter Cantrell Stadium.

The win secured a Region 5AAAAA title and a top seed in the playoffs for seventh-ranked McEachern (9-0, 8-0).

"I told the kids that there are only eight region champions in the state (in each classification) and, by winning a region championship, you're one of the best teams in the state," Indians coach Kyle Hockman said. "This was a total team effort and everyone did their part. I am very, very proud of the kids and what they accomplished."

The win didn't come easily for McEachern, which trailed Kennesaw Mountain (1-8, 1-7), 14-7, in the second quarter and was tied, 14-all, at halftime before outscoring the Mustangs, 28-0, in the second half.

Propelling the McEachern attack was Rajaan Bennett, who rushed for 256 yards on 23 carries and scored a career-high five touchdowns. Bennett scored on runs of 21, 61, 4, 32 and 47 yards.

"I really thank my offensive line," Bennett said. "They make me a better running back, so all the credit goes to them. Everybody did a great job."

Bennett got McEachern on the scoreboard first when he slipped through a number of Kennesaw Mountain defenders and rumbled 21 yards into the end zone with 33 seconds left in the first quarter. Troy Postell added the extra point to give the Indians a 7-0 lead.

Kennesaw Mountain then ran the ball to the McEachern 37 on the ensuing kickoff and took only four plays to score, with Will Campbell entering the end zone on a 2-yard quarterback-keeper with 10:24 remaining in the first half. Devon Stookey kicked the extra point to tie the game 7-all.

Kennesaw Mountain got a big break when it recovered a McEachern fumble on the kickoff at the Indians' 28 with 10:18 left in the first half.

The Mustangs scored two plays laster, with Rashaud Moore scampering 25 yards into the end zone with 9:33 left. Stookey's extra point gave Kennesaw Mountain a 14-7 lead.

The Mustangs' lead didn't last into halftime, however, as Bennett ran up the middle of the field 61 yards for the touchdown. Postell then made the extra point to even the score at 14-all with 39 seconds left.

"Kennesaw Mountain played a very aggressive game in the first half," Hockman said. "They took it right at us. We gave them a short field a few times, and they took advantage of it. I told the kids at halftime not to panic - just keep playing hard."

McEachern scored on its second offensive series of the second half as it went on a 10-play, 78-yard drive that culminated with a 4-yard touchdown run by Bennett with 4:12 remaining in the third quarter. Postell added the extra point to give the Indians a 21-14 lead.

Kennesaw Mountain was forced to punt on the next offensive series and McEachern took possession on the Mustangs' 35. On the second play of the drive, Bennett ran 32 yards for his fourth touchdown of the game at the 1:52 mark of the third quarter. Postell converted the extra point, for a 28-14 Indian advantage.

McEachern scored twice more as Dondre Purnell threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Chris Okpala with 7:18 remaining and Bennett burst up the middle for a 47-yard touchdown run with 5:59 left to give the Indians their final margin of victory.

October 2nd - McEachern vs. Marietta

Results: McEachern 42 - Marietta 28

Recap: (by the Marietta Daily Journal)

September 25th - McEachern vs. South Cobb

Results: McEachern 48 - South Cobb 7

Recap: (by the Marietta Daily Journal)

McEachern didn't let a slow start keep it from picking up its fifth win of the season as it rumbled past South Cobb, 48-7, on Saturday in a battle of Region 5AAAAA foes.

After finding themselves down, 7-0, when South Cobb's Gregg Bostic blocked an Indian punt, and Jaleel Jackson picked up the loose ball and returned it 18 yards for a touchdown, the Indians responded with 48 unanswered points over the final 36 minutes of the game.

McEachern coach Kyle Hockman praised the work of his defense, which often gave the team good field position.

"We are overcoming some special teams things, but I am really proud," he said. "They are working hard and are real disciplined. It's starting to show."

With just over a minute left in the first quarter, Luis Alverez added the extra point to give South Cobb a 7-0 lead, but the Eagles would do very little after that. The team totaled just 63 yards of offense and a total of six fumbles cost the team 26 yards and one turnover.

It didn't take the Indians long to even the score. With Rajaan Bennett taking the ball most of the way, McEachern picked up four first downs on a 69-yard march down the field. Bennett capped the drive with a 4-yard run and Troy Postell's extra point attempt was good.

The Eagles (1-4, 1-3) weren't able to move the ball on their next series and Al Davis punted the ball to the McEachern 43. The Indians needed just seven plays to punch the ball into the end zone again. The drive, which included a 20-yard pass from Dondre Purnell to Rory Anderson, was capped with a 9-yard run by Bennett.

After another short series by the Eagles, McEachern (5-0, 4-0) regained possession on its own 42 following a punt. The South Cobb defense stepped up and, with the help of a few penalties, backed the Indians up to the 35 for a first-and-26.

The long situation didn't faze McEachern as Bennett picked up 15 yards on the ground before Trent Thompson's 25-yard pass to Anderson gave the team a first down on the South Cobb 25. A pass from Thompson to Tra Fletcher moved the ball to the 6-yard line before McEachern spiked the ball to stop the clock with 16 seconds left in the first half.

After a 5-yard penalty set the Indians back to the 11, they wasted little time before Thompson and Anderson teamed up for the 11-yard touchdown. Postell's point-after attempt failed and McEachern led, 20-7, at halftime.

McEachern's scoring fiesta continued in the second half. On their second drive of the third quarter, the Indians needed just four plays to cover 46 yards. This time, it was Purnell who teamed with Anderson for the 8-yard touchdown completion.

Meanwhile, South Cobb's offense continued to struggle. After a 7-yard gain by Kenneth Wilson on the Eagles' next series, the offense stalled and fumbled the ball twice before turning the ball over on downs after a loss.

McEachern took possession on the South Cobb 37 and scored on its first play from scrimmage as Thompson's pass found an open Amba Etta-Tawo near the end zone for a quick touchdown.

In the fourth quarter, it was more of the same. Despite starting at their own 1-yard line, and committing a pair of penalties during the drive, the Indians drove the field in nine plays. South Cobb had a chance to stop the drive early on, but rather than decline a penalty that would have given McEachern fourth-and-1 from its own 10, the Eagles accepted the penalty and set the Indians back to the 7-yard line and repeated third down. On the repeat down, Bennett, who finished the night with 203 yards and two touchdown on 29 carries, ran 14 yards for the first down to spark the Indians' final drive.

Purnell completed the drive with a 60-yard pass to Chris Davis with 4:19 left in the game.

Thompson and Purnell combine for 234 passing yards and four, completing 11 of 16 passes between them. Purnell, who was a perfect 6-for-6 for 133 yards and two scores, also ran for 20 yards on four carries.

Hockman said the two-quarterback system worked well for the Indians on Saturday.

"I'd love to see that every game," he said. "Some is exactly by design. Some is a little bit random. They are both doing some great things and it takes the pressure off either one. And they are both out there having fun and they are routing for each other. They are doing a great job and I am very proud of them."

The defense recorded the final score for the Indians. With the clock winding down, South Cobb looked to make something on offense. Quarterback Marlon Patterson dropped back to the Eagles' 12 and was hit hard from behind. The ball flew from Patterson's hand and bounced into the end zone where Robert Smith fell on it for a McEachern touchdown.

South Cobb picked up 26 yards on 24 carries, but all of it was negated by a series of fumbles that set the Eagles back 26 yards. Patterson was 4-of-11 for 63 yards, while E.J. Woody made three catches for 51 yards.

"I tell the kids that, some days, hard work doesn't pay off and (Saturday) it didn't pay off," South Cobb coach Ed Koester said. "We just have to bounce back."

September 18th - McEachern vs. East Paulding

Results: McEachern 31 - Etowah 21

Recap: (by the Marietta Daily Journal)

Last year, in his first season at McEachern, coach Kyle Hockman knew his team would take their lumps, but would learn from their mistakes.

Those lessons are paying off in waves now.

After three straight big wins to start the season, the 10th-ranked Indians didn't panic when bad things happened Friday night at Walter Cantrell Stadium and showed their poise for a 31-21 win over East Paulding.

The Raiders had cut McEachern's lead to a field goal, and had a chance to take the lead after a gift fumble, but the Indians forced a turnover of their own and drove 97 yards for the clinching score to remain undefeated on the year.

"No one has panicked when something goes wrong," Hockman said of his team's ability to come up with big play after big play. "They are very much confident in each other and what we can do."

That confidence is well-earned, both offensively and defensively, and as a result, McEachern is 4-0 overall and 3-0 in Region 5AAAAA. East Paulding suffered its first loss of the year to fall to 2-1 (1-1).

The Indians racked up 594 yards of total offense against an East Paulding team that has been known for its defensive strength in recent years. On the other side of the ball, McEachern's defense gave up an early touchdown on a short field, thanks to a long punt return for the Raiders, before holding East Paulding scoreless until the fourth.

McEachern held East Paulding to 299 yards in total offense.

Leading, 10-7, at the half, the Indians made it clear early in the second half that they planned to ride the back of tailback Rajaan Bennett. The 5-foot-11, 205-pound senior didn't disappoint, finishing with 182 yards on 25 carries - 17 of those runs coming in the second half.

"I told (the coaches) that I wanted the ball in the second half," said Bennett, who had touchdown runs of 2 and 35 yards. "Finally, in the second half, we just pounded the ball. This win showed what we are capable of and, when we go to the playoffs, we are going to go deep."

McEachern got on the board midway through the second quarter when quarterback Dondre Purnell hit a streaking Amba Etta-Tawo on a 69-yard scoring pass. Troy Postell's 32-yard field goal gave the Indians a 10-7 lead at the half.

Purnell, generally thought of as McEachern's "running" quarterback in the two-man system with Trent Thompson, highlighted his arm against the Raiders. Only attempting six passes Friday, Purnell connected on four of them for 215 yards and two scores.

In the third quarter, it was all Bennett. The quick and physical tailback had nine carries for 49 yards in an 80-yard scoring drive that Bennett capped off with his first score of the night, which have McEachern an 17-7 lead.

The two teams traded scores and Bennett almost went from hero to goat with a phantom fumble he dropped in the open field without a defender within 5 yards. McEachern led, 24-21, but the Raiders were at the Indians' 35 with all of the momentum.

Three plays later, a jarring hit popped the ball into the air and into the arms of seemingly the entire McEachern secondary.

Bennett then atoned for his fumble with a 35-yard scoring run after Purnell busted off a 56-yard scramble. Purnell accounted for 293 yards of total offense, adding 78 on the ground to go with his air attack.

After starting their region slate with defending champion Etowah, Woodstock and East Paulding, and with Harrison down from its usual spot in the standings, the Indians now have a seemingly easy path to the region crown and a possible undefeated season.

It's talk Hockman is quick to diminish.

"Last year, we didn't handle things well in the middle of the year," he said. "We are just trying not to focus on anyone else's hype."

September 11th - McEachern vs. Woodstock

Results: McEachern 37 - Etowah 31

Recap: (by the Marietta Daily Journal)

McEachern may have been down, but it certainly wasn't out Friday night at Woodstock.

The Indians scored 21 unanswered points to come back to beat the 10th-ranked Wolverines, 37-31, in overtime and improve to 2-0 in Region 5AAAAA.

Woodstock led, 16-0, at halftime and maintained a 31-16 advantage until McEachern scored with just more than 8 minutes remaining in the game.

"It easily could have been 30- or 28-nothing," McEachern coach Kyle Hockman said of the Indians' halftime deficit. "Our defense hung in there and hung in there and we were only down two scores at the half playing as bad as I can imagine playing. I think our guys fed off that a little bit.

"You never know how you are going to play when you get down and I think we answered that a little bit (Friday)."

The Indians (3-0) punted the ball away on their first possession of the fourth quarter, but Marquis Robertson quickly got it back by stripping the Wolverines' ball-carrier. Robertson returned the ball 41 yards to close the gap to 31-23.

On the ensuing kickoff Woodstock (1-1, 0-1) received the ball on McEachern's 38, but couldn't manage a first down as the Wolverines were twice set back by penalties. Faced with fourth-and-21, Woodstock punted the ball away and the Indians took possession on the 19-yard line.

A 27-yard run by quarterback Dondre Purnell gave the Indians a first down near midfield. McEachern then began to pick its way down field with Trent Thompson completing passes to Tra Fletcher and Rory Anderson for first downs. Trailing by eight, the Indians sat on the 9-yard line after a pass interference call against Woodstock gave McEachern a first down with 22 seconds remaining.

On his third attempt at the end zone after the penalty - and his sixth consecutive pass to the same area - Thompson finally connected with Amba Etta-Tawo for the 9-yard score.

The Indians, who had earlier failed on a 2-point conversion attempt, prevailed this time as Purnell's jump-shot pass over the line of scrimmage landed in the arms of Etta-Tawo to tie the game at 31-all with 4 seconds on the clock.

Woodstock took one final play - a pitch to Tanner Skogen that picked up 18 yards - before time expired.

In overtime, the Indians had the first crack at scoring. After Bennett was stopped for no gain on first down, Purnell completed a 7-yard pass to Marquis Robertson. Bennett then picked up the first down on the ground and, two plays later, scored for McEachern with a 1-yard carry.

The 2-point conversion attempt, a pass intended for Anderson, failed and the Indians led, 37-31.

McEachern's defense was then able to - finally - hold the Wolverines when they got their turn with the ball. Carlos Davis was stopped at the line of scrimmage on first down and quarterback Kevin Bolak gained just a yard on second down. Bolak then made two attempts at the end zone through the air - doubling his passing-attempt total for the game.

Late in the game, Hockman shifted his strategy on defense and began to focus solely on the run as Bolak had thrown the ball just twice all night.

"When we were down a bunch late in the game, we said, 'Hey, they haven't been throwing the ball. Let's not cover then much,'" Hockman said. "We were still covering them, but just sold out againt the run, probably the last four drives.

"We just dared them to throw it and, when they did, we were ready for it."

Early in the game, every thing seemed to be working in Wolverines' favor.

Woodstock opened the game with Skogen returning an interception 55 yards and marched to its first touchdown, a 5-yard run by Davis. The snap on the extra-point attempt was low and the pass attempt failed to keep the score 6-0.

After holding McEachern to a short possession, the Wolverines scored once more when Bolak finishing the drive with a 3-yard run. Brad Sullivan's kick was good.

The lead grew to 16-0 on Sullivan's 22-yard field goal with 4:04 left in the first half. Woodstock had a chance to add another field goal before the half wrapped up, but Sullivan's attempt fell short.

McEachern then stormed back in the third quarter. Scoring first on a 42-yard run by Bennett, the Indians cut the lead to 16-6, but the 2-point conversion failed.

Kicker Troy Postell added a field goal to make it 16-9 with 5:28 left in the third.

The teams then traded scored with Bolak and Bennett each scoring from 1 yard out to make it 24-16 entering the fourth.

Skogen stretched Woodstock's led to 31-16 with a 2-yard touchdown before McEachern mounted its comeback.

Skogen led the Wolverines with 185 yards on 13 carries, while Davis picked up 148 yards on 26 carries.

Only three Woodstock players touched the ball on offense.

McEachern, meanwhile, spread the wealth around. Bennett led the team with 160 yards on 22 carries, while Purnell completed all three of this passes for 25 yards.

Thompson, who was just 6-for-17 in the air, picked up 123 yards, including a 67-yard completion to Demarius Matthews.

The Indians also overcame a pair of punts blocked by Woodstock's Jonathan Bermudez. Poor special teams play allowed the Wolverines to open each possession within striking distance.

"We didn't give up," Woodstock coach Mike O'Brien sais. "We just gave it to (McEachern). You've got to give it to them. They are a great football team, but we just gave them too many things and you can do that to a team of their caliber."

September 4th - McEachern vs. Etowah

Results: McEachern 49 - Etowah 10

Recap: (by the Marietta Daily Journal)

McEachern scored a touchdown in almost every way imaginable, and Etowah seemed powerless to stop it, Friday night at Walter Cantrell Stadium.

The Indians scored on the ground, through the air, on a punt return and on a fake punt en route to a 49-10 victory over the defending Region 5AAAAA champion Eagles.

Rajaan Bennett, the star of the Indians' season-opening win over Brookwood two weeks ago, continued to add to his season total. The senior running back carried the ball 18 times for 97 yards and two touchdowns. This time, however, he had a full supporting cast as five different players scored for McEachern (2-0, 1-0).

"We have a lot of good players," McEachern coach Kyle Hockman said. "We have speed and power, but there are still a lot of things we can get better at.

"Both quarterbacks (Trent Thompson and Dondre Parnell) can play well and we can put them in whatever situation. Wideouts are throwing and catching and the line did a great job blocking. Obviously, Rajaan is special, and they were keying on him, and we were able to use him as a decoy some."

Demarius Matthews shared star billing with Bennett after his two-touchdown performance, although his statistics on offense may be a bit deceiving. Matthews, a senior, carried the ball just twice, but gained 84 yards. He made his first trip to the end zone by returning a punt 73 yards for a touchdown that put the Indians up, 7-0, midway through the first quarter.

For an encore, Matthews added a third-quarter touchdown on a fake punt. The play, which was set up by an illegal blocking penalty and a delay-of-game call, came with the Indians just outside their own 20 on a fourth-and-28. Matthews took the snap in punt formation and, when the right side of the field was clear, he shot his way through the Eagles' coverage team.

Matthews cut across midfield and broke a tackle on his way to a 79-yard touchdown run.

Junior running backs Jerrell Robertson and Zarold Wilder also broke away from long runs. Robertson, who carried twice for 32 yards, scored a second quarter touchdown with his 17-yard scamper through Etowah's spotty defense. Robertson's touchdown came after Bennett scored on a nearly identical play, also from 17 yards out, on the first play for the second quarter.

While Wilder didn't reach the end zone Friday night, he certainly came close. Wilder, who finished with four carries for 73 yards, made some noise with his 57-yard rush, which set up McEachern's final score from inside the 10-yard line. Bennett finished that drive with a 1-yard carry.

With all the McEachern offense, there was little room for Etowah (1-1, 0-1) to break through. The Eagles managed a field goal in the second quarter and chipped away for a touchdown during a third-quarter drive. First-year Etowah quarterback Braden Nolan, who led his team to victory two weeks ago against Starr's Mill, couldn't replicate the feat. Rather, he settled for a 7-for-18, 111-yard passing performance and 19 carries for 55 yards on the ground.

Etowah's only touchdown of the night came with 7:48 left in the third quarter when Ryan Wilborn broke away from the Indians' defense for a 8-yard touchdown, making the score 21-10.

After McEachern answered with the fake-punt touchdown, the Eagles' held little spirit left - as the Etowah fans began a mass exodus back to Woodstock.

The Indians continued to score at will, with backup quarterback Dondre Purnell making a trip to the end zone on a 46-yard run with 1:09 left in the third.

The Indians scored oncee more early in the fourth quarter - on a 50-yard pass from starter Thompson to Tra Fletcher - before Bennett's 1-yard touchdown. Thompson was 6-of-11 for 83 yards and threw one interception.

Troy Postell was a perfect 7-for-7 on extra points as McEachern tallied its highest point total since scoring 61 against Sprayberry on Oct. 29, 2004.

After the game, Etowah coach Bill Stewart said simply that McEachern was a great football team that outplayed his Eagles.

"Did we have some complete mental breakdowns out there? Yeah," said Stewart. "But on the other hand, we just got whipped. There is nothing else to it. They whipped us. Defensively, we couldn't come close to stopping them."

As for the Indians' 2-0 start, Hockman said not much has changed from where he stands.

"I'm still the same coach," he said. "I've just got better players."

August 22nd - McEachern vs. Brookwood in the Corky Kell Classic at the Georgia Dome

Results: McEachern 42 - Brookwood 32

Recap: (by the Marietta Daily Journal)

With his sophomore quarterback getting his first varsity start Saturday against Brookwood at the Georgia Dome, McEachern coach Kyle Hockman wanted to play it safe on the opening drive.

He suggested the Indians run the football on the first five plays, but running back Rajaan Bennett encouraged Hockman to let the young signal-caller make a play. Trent Thompson completed a 46-yard slant pass to tight end Rory Anderson on McEachern's first play from scrimmage, and the Indians went on to win, 42-32, in a game that wasn't as close as the score indicated.

McEachern (1-0) took advantage of a young Brookwood defense that returned just three starters by accumulating 418 total yards. Using a veteran offensive line as protection, Thompson completed 10 of 13 passes for 174 yards and two touchdown tosses as he got little pressure from Brookwood's defensive front.

McEachern's offensive line also created running room for Bennett, who finished with 187 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries.
Like Thompson, sophomore receiver Amba Etta-Tawo also shined in his first varsity start. He led the Indians with 67 receving yards and caught a pair of touchdown passes.

"I knew our offense was good, but this kind of shocked me," said Damarius Matthews, who had 47 receiving yards of his own, plus an interception in the defensive secondary. "Trent, I don't know what to say. He's young, but he plays like a senior. Our receivers were also stepping up and making plays."

Thompson's 46-yard completion to Anderson to begin McEachern's opening drive culminated in a 1-yard plunge by Bennett. McEachern's offense was back in business 2 minutes later when linebacker Marquis Roberts recovered a fumble and Bennett scored from 3 yards out to give McEachern a 13-0 lead.

Brookwood stayed in the game until late in the first half when Thompson found Etta-Tawo deep in the end zone for a 29-yard strike for a 26-6 halftime lead. The Indians put the game away early in the third quarter when Matthews' interception led to another 29-yard pass from Thompson to Etta Tawo.

"We knew (our young quarterbacks and receivers) were talented, but we weren't sure how they would handle this environment," Hockman said. "They handled it with flying colors."

A Brookwood comeback would have taken a miracle, but the Broncos made stellar plays to keep the game from being a blowout. They scored two touchdowns in a 2-minute span late in the third to cut McEachern's lead to 36-20, but couldn't get help from their struggling defense.
The Indians responded with a 15-play drive that took up more than half of the fourth quarter, ending with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Dondre Purnell to Bennett. With his sophomore quarterback getting his first varsity start Saturday against Brookwood at the Georgia Dome, McEachern coach Kyle Hockman wanted to be play it safe on the opening drive.

He suggested the Indians run the football on the first five plays, but running back Rajaan Bennett encouraged Hockman to let the young signal-caller make a play.

Trent Thompson completed a 46-yard slant pass to tight end Rory Anderson on McEachern's first play from scrimmage, and the Indians went on to win, 42-32, in a game that wasn't as close as the score indicated.

McEachern (1-0) took advantage of a young Brookwood defense that returned just three starters by accumulating 418 total yards. Using a veteran offensive line as protection, Thompson completed 10 of 13 passes for 174 yards and two touchdown tosses as he got little pressure from Brookwood's defensive front.

McEachern's offensive line also created running room for Bennett, who finished with 187 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries.
Like Thompson, sophomore receiver Amba Etta-Tawo also shined in his first varsity start. He led the Indians with 67 receving yards and caught a pair of touchdown passes.

"I knew our offense was good, but this kind of shocked me," said Damarius Matthews, who had 47 receiving yards of his own, plus an interception in the defensive secondary. "Trent, I don't know what to say. He's young, but he plays like a senior. Our receivers were also stepping up and making plays."

Thompson's 46-yard completion to Anderson to begin McEachern's opening drive culminated in a 1-yard plunge by Bennett. McEachern's offense was back in business 2 minutes later when linebacker Marquis Roberts recovered a fumble and Bennett scored from 3 yards out to give McEachern a 13-0 lead.

Brookwood stayed in the game until late in the first half when Thompson found Etta-Tawo deep in the end zone for a 29-yard strike for a 26-6 halftime lead. The Indians put the game away early in the third quarter when Matthews' interception led to another 29-yard pass from Thompson to Etta Tawo.

"We knew (our young quarterbacks and receivers) were talented, but we weren't sure how they would handle this environment," Hockman said. "They handled it with flying colors."

A Brookwood comeback would have taken a miracle, but the Broncos made stellar plays to keep the game from being a blowout. They scored two touchdowns in a 2-minute span late in the third to cut McEachern's lead to 36-20, but couldn't get help from their struggling defense.
The Indians responded with a 15-play drive that took up more than half of the fourth quarter, ending with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Dondre Purnell to Bennett.