POWDER SPRINGS - On a frigid night at Walter H. Cantrell Stadium, McEachern's offense ran hot, overwhelming Benedictine 56-12 in the first round of the Class AAAAA state playoffs.

"I was really pleased that we focused all week," McEachern coach Kyle Hockman said. "We came out and performed up to our level, that's all we can ask."

Indians quarterback Trent Thompson connected for 10 of his 16 passes with two touchdowns, but it was the McEachern backfield that was active Friday night with 240 yards split between nine rushers.

The win moved the Indians to 10-1 on the season and they will host Lassiter - which won 17-16 over Alpharetta in overtime - next week in Powder Springs.

Benedictine fell to 5-6 on the season, but Cadets coach Danny Britt said his team turned in a valiant effort.

"My kids have done great," he said. "I am proud of them this year. From where we have come, to win five games and get into the playoffs was huge for us. It was actually even beyond our goals, so we are very proud of them. We had a very young team and we are very proud of them."

After forcing a Benedictine punt to open the game, McEachern got on the move with a seven-play drive. Jaloni Wells drove the ball 13 yards before teammate Jujan Dulaney recovered Wells' fumble in the end zone to get the Indians on the board 7-0.

After a Cadet punt attempt was foiled by a high snap, McEachern set up its next scoring drive at the Benedictine 41. It only took four plays as Thompson hit Amba Etta-Tawo on a 26-yard pass play. Kell Parham finished the drive with a 7-yard score to make it 14-0. On the night, Parham scored three touchdowns on three carries with 21 yards.

McEachern forced another three-and-out on the next possession, and Thompson sparked a four-play drive with a 30-yard completion to Victor Brannon. Parham hit pay dirt on the next play, racing in from 10 yards out to make it 21-0.

Misfortune struck the Cadets on the next series as a fumble gave the Indians the ball at the Benedictine 35. Thompson found Etta-Tawo for 21 yards before connecting Malik Williams in the end zone on a 6-yard play.

A Cadet three-and-out later, McEachern mounted six-play drive with Parham scoring from 4 yards outs to make it 35-0.

McEachern tacked on two more scores before the half, with Wells notching a 14-yard touchdown run and Thompson connecting with Tray Fletcher for 16 yards on the next possession.

Benedictine found some luck to open the third quarter when Ben Wright scooped up a McEachern fumble and raced back 72 yards to the Indian 9, giving the Cadets their first red possession of the night. Casey Hughes chewed 9 yards on three carries to get Benedictine on the board at 49-6.

Ty Clemons closed out McEachern's last scoring drive with a 11-yard toss to Antoine Jones in the fourth quarter, making it 56-6.

Copyright 2011 The Marietta Daily Journal. All rights reserved.

KENNESAW - McEachern won't get any style points for beating Harrison on Friday night, but the Indians will gladly take another victory that locked up second place in Region 4AAAAA.

After 12 minutes of scoreless play on a soggy night at Cobleigh Stadium, Tray Fletcher returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown early in the second quarter. He then caught a touchdown pass from Trent Thompson later in the half as the Indians scored 21 straight points in 7 minutes and never trailed in a 31-14 win, their third straight.

The lead was just 21-14 entering the fourth quarter, but the Indians forced two turnovers by Harrison quarterback Clay Chastain down the stretch and put the game away with a late 1-yard touchdown sneak by Thompson.

"Harrison has a good program and they never give an inch, and we didn't expect them to," said McEachern coach Kyle Hockman. "We figured we'd be in a battle right down to the wire."

One week after scoring four touchdowns in a 56-17 rout of North Cobb, Fletcher's big play on special teams got the Indians going. He caught a line drive kick at his 25, got a great block, cut to the middle of the field and won the race to the end zone.

It was a good play on a tough night for football. The Indians (8-1, 5-1) committed 11 penalties and two turnovers. The Hoyas (3-6, 2-4) turned the ball over three times, including two critical miscues in the fourth quarter.

"The rain - we ain't used to this," Fletcher said. "We got the win, that's all that matters."

After Fletcher's return, McEachern got the ball back at the Harrison 35 after a shanked punt and scored in three plays, finishing with a 14-yard touchdown pass by Thompson to Malik Williams.

After stopping the Hoyas again, McEachern took 11 plays to go 58 yards, capped by Fletcher's 3-yard touchdown catch in the front of the end zone.

Jaloni Wells rushed 14 times for 97 yards, and Thompson completed 17 of 35 throws for 176 yards and two scores.

But the Hoyas didn't go quietly with their home crowd urging them on in the rain. They went three-and-out on their first six possessions but finally put together a good drive before halftime, aided by a fake punt.

Judd Haley took a short snap on fourth-and-three and rushed five yards for a first down, Harrison's first of the night with less than four minutes left in the first half, to the Hoya 43. Then Chastain, who threw for 204 yards but was plagued all night by dropped passes, hit Subby Adetujoye for 16 yards, Kyle Holmes for 36 and then Justin Myricks for a 10-yard score with 59 seconds left to make it 21-7 at halftime.

The Hoyas kept up the pressure in the third quarter, cutting the lead to 21-14 on a methodical 71-yard drive that ended with a four-yard touchdown run by Zach Moore.

The Indians responded, though, driving to the Harrison 1 on the backs of Mike Sherman and Wells before settling for a 19-yard field goal by Nicholas St. Germain and a 24-14 lead. Chastain then had a tipped pass intercepted, and after getting the ball back with 9 minutes left, lost a fumble on a sack.

Thompson's 1-yard sneak with 4:27 remaining erased any doubt.

Read more: The Marietta Daily Journal - McEachern plugs away in win at Harrison

Indians smother region opponent after air attack

AUSTELL — Trent Thompson passed for 254 yards and three touchdowns as McEachern dominated South Cobb in a 45-7 victory in a Region 4AAAAA game at Clay Stadium.

The top-ranked Indians (5-0, 2-0) led 21-0 after the first quarter, and they looked well-deserving of their accolades. Mike Sherman ran for a game-high 132 yards on 16 carries.

“There are still some execution things we need to work on as a team,” McEachern coach Kyle Hockman said. “But, any time you play in a tough region like this, and you can get out in front the way you have, you’re going to feel good.”

Not only has McEachern jumped out in front in the region standings, but it jumped out to a quick lead Friday.

After the teams traded quick turnovers on their first possessions, the Indians found the end zone on their second series. Thompson connected with receiver Tray Fletcher for a 35-yard touchdown, putting the Indians ahead 7-0 with just over 9 minutes left in the first quarter. The play was the first of two scoring passes in the game to Fletcher, who led McEachern with five catches for 91 yards.

Facing fourth-and-5 on the ensuing possession, South Cobb (3-2, 0-2) mishandled a snap on the punt, and McEachern had first-and-goal at the Eagles’ 4-yard line. Three plays later, Thompson threw his second scoring pass of the night when he found Jeloni Wells in the near corner of the end zone, extending the Indians’ lead to 14-0.

South Cobb looked to be back in the game on its next possession, when Chauncey Ingram returned McEachern’s kickoff to the Indians’ 27-yard line. But on first-and-goal at the 2, the Eagles fumbled the ball through the end zone, resulting in a touchback and possession for McEachern.

The Indians then embarked on a 10-play, 80-yard drive, culminating in a 2-yard touchdown dive by Sherman to put McEachern up 21-0 just 10 minutes into the game.

South Cobb, after starting the season 3-0, was left to fall to its second straight lopsided loss. The Eagles, who were coming off their bye week, lost 40-7 at Hillgrove on Sept. 16.

“We’re disappointed” South Cobb coach Ed Koester said. “Last time, at Hillgrove, I think we came out flat. And then, (on Friday), I think we played tight. Sometimes, when you make some errors, and you need to fight back, you fight back so hard that it causes other errors.”

The Eagles’ fans didn’t go home without something to cheer about, however. Late in the third quarter, quarterback Stephon Masha dropped back and found a wide-open Gary Jones streaking down the right sideline for a 72-yard touchdown pass, spoiling McEachern’s shutout bid.

The Indians had their way for the rest of the night, though, as Thompson added a third touchdown pass, and place-kicker Nick St. Germain converted a 42-yard field goal. Thompson finished the night 17-for-33 passing, while St. Germain connected on all six of his extra-point attempts.

McEachern found time to get backup quarterback Ty Clemons in the game late in the fourth quarter, and the sophomore made good on the opportunity. Clemons was 3-for-3 for 57 yards on the Indians’ final drive, including a 14-yard touchdown to Xavier Jackson.

“There are definitely some things we can get better on,” Hockman said. “Sometimes, as a coach, you don’t want to see your team playing perfectly in the middle of the season, because players can get complacent. So, right now, we have some things we can keep harping on.”

Whatever things Hockman wants to improve on, he better do it quickly. McEachern hosts its fellow unbeaten, sixth-ranked Hillgrove, next week at Walter Cantrell Stadium.

As for South Cobb, it will continue looking for its first region win next week at Harrison.

“I think we’ve got some kids that are going to show their skills down this stretch run,” Koester said. “When you look at the back-to-back games against Hillgrove and McEachern, they are great teams, and you obviously play to win, but in reality, you’re hoping for a split. We didn’t get that, so now we have to quit worrying about ‘now’ and worry about playing at Harrison.”

POWDER SPRINGS - Maybe there were some doubters after McEachern's ho-hum win against Marietta last week. If there were, the Indians erased all doubts with a 55-0 victory over Campbell on Friday at Walter Cantrell Stadium.

After failing to score an offensive touchdown in last week's 20-7 win over Marietta, the Indians, ranked No. 1 in Class AAAAA, exploded for 35 first quarter points. Trent Thompson was near flawless, throwing for four touchdowns in just one half of play while the defense produced five turnovers, and blocked a punt for a touchdown for the second consecutive week. The Indians protected Thompson in the pocket, ran the ball better and handled Campbell's physical play, McEachern coach Kyle Hockman said.

"We wanted to tighten some things up and just get better and I think we did that," Hockman said. "We strive to play the perfect game. We know we'll never reach that, but we strive for it on a consistent basis."

Less than 8 minutes into the first quarter, McEachern already was up 21-0, thanks to three touchdown passes from Thompson to Tray Fletcher, Amba Etta-Tawo and Victor Brannon. Thompson, who completed 10 of 13 passes for 170 yards, saved his best for last with a 56-yard bomb to a streaking Fletcher just before halftime. Nick St. Germain kicked one of his seven extra points to give McEachern a 42-0 lead.

"Trent is really is a talented kid," Hockman said of the senior signal caller. "If he can get some time, we're going to throw the ball successfully with the receivers that we've got."

Meanwhile, the defense turned in its most dominant performance of the season, holding the Spartans to 111 total yards and just six first downs (one of those coming via penalty). Late in the second period, Kell Parham picked up a blocked punt and returned it for a 10-yard touchdown and just 10 seconds later Keenan Starnes returned a fumble for a 10-yard score. The punt was blocked by Darius English, who also blocked a punt that resulted in a touchdown last week.

"Special teams is a big part of the game and we put out best players on special teams and I think it's showing," Hockman said.

The fourth-year coach said his team has a long way to go before it is satisfied. McEachern (4-0) has a bye next week and plays at South Cobb on Sept. 30. Hockman said he and his staff will continue to harp on details, watch film and the players "will get an earful" not matter what their record is. "We've got to keep the blinders on and focus on getting better at one thing each day and I think the kids are doing a pretty good job of that," he said.

Hockman also commended Campbell (0-4) and said in a couple of years, the Spartans will be a very good team. "Coach (Harris) Rainbow is doing a great job over there and they're going to get better and better."

Indians get test from Devils

POWDER SPRINGS — It wasn’t an easy game for McEachern, but it was an effective one for the Indians, who recorded a 20-7 victory over Marietta on Friday at Walter Cantrell Stadium.

In its first defense as the top-ranked team in Class AAAAA, McEachern (3-0) scored 10 points off two blocked punts, and the defense nearly posted a shutout in helping the Indians’ sporadic offense maintain a cushion against the Blue Devils (0-3) throughout the night.

“No question, our special teams blocked some punts, and they’ve been working hard on that,” McEachern coach Kyle Hockman said. “We downed them down near the end zone really tight one time and our punter, Tyler Smith, did an outstanding job all night trying to kick away or over the heads of the returners, who are really dangerous.

“Special teams did really well, and our defense played well, too. I’m proud of them. Offensively, we’ll just keep working at it.”

The Indians’ offense worked well on the first play from scrimmage as Trent Thompson found Victor Brannon open in the middle of the field for a 39-yard reception. A Marietta defender prevented the play from resulting in a touchdown, and it was those types of tackles, and solid defensive coverage, that kept McEachern off the scoreboard for lengthy periods of time.

“Marietta’s defense was running around,” Hockman said. “They had been giving up a lot of big plays until they really worked hard on not allowing those plays. They did a nice job of keeping us from getting those big plays. We got a couple, but we didn’t get those explosive plays that we normally get to move the ball down the field. Obviously, we have to work harder at that and get better.”

The touchdown stop Marietta made resulted in a 32-yard field goal from Nicholas St. Germain that gave McEachern a 3-0 lead with 10:17 left in the first quarter.

Offensively, the Indians would not score again for the next five possessions, but they found solace in Darius English blocking and recovering a punt in the end zone for a 10-0 advantage with 12.4 remaining in the first quarter.

Trey Fletcher’s 46-yard punt return for a McEachern touchdown in the second quarter was called back for holding, while St. Germain missed a 56-yard field-goal attempt in the second quarter as well.

Marietta tried to get on the board in the final seconds of the first half, but Lawton Ward’s 28-yard field-goal also missed wide, as the Indians held a 10-0 margin at halftime.

Marietta moved the ball into McEachern territory to begin the second half, but the drive stalled. Da’Quavious Lewis recovered a blocked punt from Yohannas Mathyas, and St. Germain connected on a 31-yard field goal seven plays later to put the Indians in front 13-0 with 6:29 remaining in the third.

McEachern’s offense finally got on the board in the fourth quarter behind a seven-play, 67-yard drive, capped by a 15-yard touchdown run from Alizee Chubbs with 8:33 left in the game.

A 68-yard kickoff return from Khallid Wallace led to Marietta driving the ball down to the Indians’ 5-yard line. The Blue Devils failed to score though when Antoine Jones recovered a fumble at 10.

Marietta forced a turnover on downs, and the Blue Devils drove 69 yards on seven plays before scoring with 1:22 on the clock on their final possession of the game. Marcus Bennett caught a 15-yard touchdown reception from Anthony Jennings on fourth-and-7 to cap the drive and prevent McEachern from posting the shutout.

Marietta outgained McEachern 296-205 in total yards. The Blue Devils held a 263-85 edge in the first half.

“You can throw the records out in this game because you know it’s going to be a tough battle,” Hockman said.

Thompson completed 14 of 27 passes for 174 yards to lead McEachern, while Chubbs rushed nine times for 30 yards and a touchdown. Mike Sherman had nine carries for 17 yards, and Amba Etta-Tawo caught four passes for 54 yards. Fletcher had three receptions for 46 yards.

Jennings was 27-of-38 for 267 passing yards and a touchdown to pace Marietta. Kenny Norwood caught four passes for 73 yards, and Bennett had five receptions for 44 yards and a touchdown. Tyree Harris totaled six catches for 46 yards.

Ro’Mello Porter led the rushing attack with 20 carries for 45 yards. Jennings also ran 11 times for 37 yards.

“We also tell our kids that anybody can play hard, and I think our kids played exceptionally hard (Friday),” Marietta coach Scott Burton said. “That’s the hardest I think I’ve ever seen our kids play. We came up a little short due to some mistakes, but (McEachern) is the No. 1 team in the state for a reason. You can’t make mistakes and expect to come out on top.”

VALDOSTA — When the new Class AAAAA rankings come out Tuesday, McEachern will likely find itself as the hunted instead of the hunter.

For the second time in three weeks, a Cobb County team has dispatched the No. 1 team in the state after third-ranked McEachern knocked off Lowndes 20-13 on Friday in front of a packed house at Martin Stadium.

Mike Sherman came off the bench in relief of starter Chris Nwagbara and rushed 17 times for 69 yards and two touchdowns, while place-kicker Nicholas St. Germain converted field goals of 38 and 42 yards to lead the Indians (2-0) to the impressive road win.

According to McEachern coach Kyle Hockman, Nwagbara appeared to have injured his ACL early in the first quarter and did not return.

But, in true McEachern fashion, it was the next man up, and Sherman came through when his team needed him.

“I give all the credit to God first, and my (offensive) line,” Sherman said. “They did a heck of a job blocking, and we just kept going. We didn’t give up, no matter what happened in the game. We kept our heads up for ‘5 Alive’ that’s all. That’s what we do.”

The term “5 Alive” is in reference to former McEachern running back Rajaan Bennett, who was fatally shot in February 2010. Last season, the Indians squeaked out an emotional 23-22 victory over Lowndes at Walter Cantrell Stadium following an emotional pregame tribute to Bennett and his family, in which the late McEachern star’s No. 5 jersey was retired.

That same emotion was evident again Friday night.

“There’s no question (Rajaan Bennett’s) presence is with us all of the time,” Hockman said. “I think that calm at the end of the game is him. There’s no question.”

The calm Hockman referred to allowed the Indians to march 69 yards on nine plays in their final possession of the fourth quarter to score the game-winning touchdown — a 1-yard dive over the line of scrimmage from Sherman — to give McEachern its 20-13 lead with 4:34 left in the game.

After the Indians’ defense halted a nine-play Vikings drive, which included an 8-yard sack from Azar Wilson that resulted in a punt, quarterback Trent Thompson converted three of five passes to put McEachern at first-and-goal at the 7-yard line. That set up Sherman’s game-winning score.

The two biggest plays of the drive were an 11-yard reception for Amba Etta-Tawo on third-and-10, and a 30-yard completion to Xavier Jackson which put the ball on the 18. Chased out of the pocket to the left by a Vikings defender, Thompson threw a bullet to Jackson on first-and-10 to extend the drive.

After Sherman’s touchdown, Jordan Williams returned the kickoff 46 yards to the McEachern 49 to set up the Vikings’ drive. With time running out and Lowndes (2-1) situated at the Indians’ 21, McEachern’s defense forced three straight incompletions, including a pass deflection in the end zone on fourth down, and forced a turnover on downs with 38.5 seconds left in the game.

With the Vikings out of timeouts, Thompson kneeled down twice to seal the victory.

“I think our kids know that, at the end of the game we, have such a good plan and they’ve practiced it so hard,” Hockman said. “Offensively, we kind of gave things away and did some goofy things, but it seems like, when the pressure is on, Trent can really find and see some things down field. Our receivers and line did a great job, and our defense did a great job all game. They had a couple of short fields on long kick returns and turnovers, but they held up strong. I was really proud.”

Lowndes turned the ball over on its first two possessions. C.J. Cody intercepted Lance Jarriel on the first drive and recovered a fumble on the next. The second turnover resulted in St. Germain’s 38-yard field goal with 7:07 left in the first quarter.

Lowndes finally got on the scoreboard with 7:32 remaining the in second on Matthew Mackenstein’s 19-yard field goal, tying the contest at 3-all.

On the Indians’ next possession, Sherman capped a nine-play, 83-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown run for a 10-3 advantage with 4:39 left until halftime. Thompson found Etta-Tawo for a 46-yard reception during the drive.

Josh Clemons intercepted Thompson on McEachern’s first play from scrimmage at the start of the second half. The miscue led to an 11-play, 59-yard scoring drive for Lowndes, capped by Nicholas Bergman’s 3-yard touchdown run to tie the contest at 10-all with 6:47 left in the third.

Lowndes forced a three-and-out for McEachern on its next possession, and a 50-yard punt return for Tiquan Lang gave the Vikings first-and-10 at the Indians’ 20. McEachern’s defense gave up only 2 yards on the drive, but Mackenstein’s 36-yard field goal put the Vikings in front 13-10 with 2:46 left in the third quarter.

The Indians answered, using a 10-play drive on their ensuing possession. The result was St. Germain’s 42-yard field goal to tie the game again at 13-all with 11:07 remaining in the contest, which eventually led to Sherman’s game-winning score.

“Mike’s a really tough kid who’s been through a lot in his life,” Hockman said. “To see him excel when he gets his opportunity is really neat.”

Thompson was 16-of-30 for 188 yards and an interception.

“It’s great, especially for the younger guys,” Thompson said. “To come down here and play in this environment, it’s like a playoff atmosphere. It’s just awesome.”

Etta-Tawo caught six passes for 82 yards, while Tray Fletcher had six receptions for 66 yards.

Mike Moore rushed 17 times for 74 yards to lead Lowndes. Jarriel, who was 7-of-11 for 57 yards and an interception, rushed 10 times for 69 yards. Burgman carried the ball nine times for 39 yards and a touchdown, while Dee Daniels rushed nine times for 55 yards.