Football Preview: Wheeler Wildcats vs. Marietta Blue Devils
The Wheeler Wildcats will head out on the road to challenge the Marietta Blue Devils at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Wheeler is looking for their season?s first victory.
Wheeler lost 43-21 to Walton on Friday. While losing is never fun, the Wildcats can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Georgia football rankings (they are ranked 127th, while the Raiders are ranked 38th).
Wheeler might have lost, but man, Josiah Allen was a machine: he rushed for 169 yards and a touchdown on only 14 carries. Allen really tore up the turf during one magnificent 70-yard run. The team also got some help courtesy of Marcus Romain, who threw for 194 yards and a touchdown on only 18 passes.
Even though they lost, Wheeler was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 209 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 177 rushing yards in four consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, while Marietta put up plenty of points on Friday, the same can't be said for Etowah. Marietta claimed a resounding 34-0 win over Etowah on the road. The victory was some much needed relief for the Blue Devils as it spelled an end to their six-game losing streak dating back to last season.
Marietta got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Anthony Kruah out in front who rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown, and also picked up 39 receiving yards. Kruah didn't just play on offense: he also made two total tackles and defended a pass in addition to snagging an interception which he returned one-yard for a touchdown. Marietta also got a significant boost from Landon Mannery, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 110 yards.
Marietta's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged four passes before it was all said and done. Caleb Graham led the group effort, picking up two of those interceptions all by himself.
Wheeler's defeat dropped their record down to 0-5. As for Marietta, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-4.
Friday's game might be decided in the trenches. Wheeler has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 201.2 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Marietta, though, as they've been averaging only 97. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Wheeler might still be hurting after the 35-14 loss they got from Marietta in their previous meeting back in September of 2020. Can Wheeler avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
