The
Walton (Marietta, Ga.) Raiders have made a name for themselves on the football field this season in going 14-0, but several of the players on this year's team already own familiar surnames.
The Raiders have seven players whose fathers earned acclaim as either professional athletes or as a part of college athletics.
Zack Blaylock and
Daron Blaylock play defensive back for Walton and are among the top three tacklers on the team, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. They are the sons of former Atlanta Hawks guard Mookie Blaylock. Zack has been particularly impressive this year, returning five interceptions for touchdowns. He also had an interception in last week's 30-24 win over Lassiter.
Nakai Poole, the team's punter, is the son of former NFL cornerback Tyrone Poole, who played for the New England Patriots in the 2003 and the 2004 Super Bowls.
Meanwhile
Harrison Davis is an all-state candidate for the Raiders. His father, John, was a Super Bowl participant with the Buffalo Bills and was a standout offensive tackle for Georgia Tech in the 1980s.
Tyren Jones, Walton
File photo by Dennis Carter
, a running back for Walton, is the son of Arena Football League wide receiver Tyrone Jones. Tyren upped his rushing total on the season to 2,298 yards and scored his 37th and 38th touchdowns of the season in the win over Lassiter, his former school.
Two more linemen, center
Grant Radakovich and tackle
Michael Lord, are the son of college administrators. Dan Radakovich is the athletics director at Georgia Tech and Dr. Daniel Papp, Lord's father, is the president of Kennesaw State University.
Walton will be attempting to win the first state title by a Cobb County school in 44 years when it takes the field in Saturday's
Georgia AAAAA state championship game. The 14-0 Raiders take on Grayson, which is also 14-0 and ranked No. 6 in the
Xcellent 25 National Football Rankings presented by the Army National Guard.
