When Class 4A No. 5 Sequoyah and No. 2 Marist meet this Friday in Dunwoody, it will be a matchup of 10-1 teams that have won at least seven games in row. For Marist, such a successful regular season and trip to the second round of the playoffs is expected. For Sequoyah, at least this year, it was not.
Head coach Sid Maxwell has certainly done his fair share of winning at the Canton school (he’s 97-66 in his 15 years there), but the Chiefs have been one of the biggest surprises of the year. On its recent seven-game winning streak, the team has established itself as a state contender by blowing out most everyone in its path. Last Friday, Sequoyah routed Clarke Central, the No. 2 seed from Region 8, by the score of 34-13. Running backs Dalton Trevino, a junior, and Dominique Swope, a sophomore, make up one of the best backfield units in the state; Swope rushed for a career-high 220 yards in the win over Clarke Central, and Trevino went for 98. Each one can break the big one at any time.
An emphasis on the running game is something Marist shares with the Chiefs. The War Eagles have two capable quarterbacks in Sam McNearny and Kyle Farmer, and both can run the football. Fullback Matt Connors is a touchdown machine, and the defense isn’t bad either; the team shut out Northgate 42-0 in the first round. Marist has been one of the hottest teams in the state since losing the season opener to St. Pius X, winning the next 10 games including a shocking 38-0 victory over then-No. 1 Tucker. Head coach Alan Chadwick has two state titles under his belt as leader of the Marist program (1989, 2003), and this team, if it gets a few breaks, could challenge for one this year.
This should be one of the top matchups this week in the playoffs, regardless of classification. Both of these top-5 teams are peaking at the right time, but only one of them can move on to the quarterfinals.
Ewalt can be reached at aewalt@scoreatl.com.
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