A successful night for both offense and defense led to another win for this year’s squad. The Chiefs now have a home game winning streak of 6, combining this season and last.  

            The Chiefs kicked off the night with a lengthy run, eventually leading to a 4th down conversion. During the conversion, junior running back Ean Marria scored for the Chiefs. 

            After the first touchdown, the offense moved the ball quickly down the field on their second drive. The ball was caught in the redzone for a receiving touchdown by senior wide receiver Jackson Hancock, thrown by sophomore quarterback Kolby Martin. Hancock continued to make impact plays for the offense and took an outside handoff 67 yards for another touchdown, keeping the Chiefs’ lead over Etowah. 

            The defense had their highs and lows but did not break all night. In the first half, the defense put pressure on junior Etowah quarterback Xavier Mahoney. The pressure from the defensive line led to a shutout at halftime, putting the Chiefs up 14-0. In the 2nd half, the defense produced several important turnovers to prevent an Etowah comeback. 

            The first Eagles turnover was early in the 3rd quarter. Junior linebacker Taiwo Ogundele forced a fumble in the redzone, which was recovered by senior safety Bretton Darling. Trailing by nine points, Etowah was determined to win against the Chiefs. This resulted in a drive down the field from the Eagles when senior cornerback Cam Walker intercepted Mahoney’s final throw of the game, resulting in a 21-12 victory for the Chiefs.  

           The Chiefs will look to continue their winning streak as the team takes on the River Ridge Knights in a region game this upcoming Friday. 

            Offensive Player(s) of the Game: Jackson Hancock/Ean Marria – Senior wide receiver and Missouri commit Jackson Hancock made a strong impact in the run game as he rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown. He also made a positive impact on the passing game, where he caught 4 balls for 61 yards and a touchdown. In the backfield, junior running back Ean Marria carried the ball for 52 yards and a touchdown, as he averaged 17.33 yards per carry. 

            Defensive Player(s) of the Game: Taiwo Ogundele/Drew Zablotny – Junior linebacker Taiwo Ogundele made strong plays for the Chiefs Friday night, totaling 19 tackles as well as 3 tackles for loss and a caused fumble. On the back end of the defense, senior safety Drew Zablotny had his highest total tackles yet, with 13 tackles and a sack.