August 19, 2025—Playing the second-to-last game in the 2025 Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic, the Walton Raiders and the McEachern Indians took their teams to the heart of Atlanta. The final four games of the Classic are held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (MBS) on the Saturday of Georgia's high school football kickoff weekend, which actually lasts four days. Walton and McEachern were the third of the Saturday games.

After both teams were knocked out of the GHSA playoffs in the first round last year, both were looking to make a statement and get their seasons off on the right foot. There are few stages bigger than this one for a high school football game: a professional football stadium on a Saturday evening before the college season begins, and broadcast to a large television audience. 

Walton and McEachern both have a history of playing the Classic, but playing each other is a unique gift for Cobb football fans. It's Cobb vs. Cobb; East vs. West; Raider vs. Indian; and it promised to be a matchup for the record books.

The game started slowly, and the teams looked evenly matched heading into halftime. McEachern scored first with a TD in the first quarter, and Walton answered with a FG and then a TD of their own thanks to a recovered onside kick. The Raiders led 10-7 with 5:13 left in the first half, but it was short-lived. McEachern returned the Raider kickoff 90 yards for a go-ahead TD with 5 minutes left and then added a FG right before the half to take a 16-10 lead into the locker room.

Whatever speech Head Coach Kareem Reid gave to his Indian players at halftime proved to be scoreboard juice. The Indians outscored the Raiders 34-7 in the second half to seal the victory and showcase their offensive talent. The final score was 50-17, and had many fans clearing their schedules for August 22, when McEachern will host the #6-ranked North Cobb Warriors at Dorsey Field.

"This game validated my message that great practices are the key to our success," said Coach Reid. "It’s not what we do, it’s how intentional we are with our preparation."

That preparation will be necessary when the Warriors come to Walter Cantrell Stadium in four days. Coach Reid said his game plan will remain the same, regardless of opponent. "It will be the same as always. It’s about us mastering our scheme and executing the fundamentals and details," he said.

As expected for any first game of the season, the MBS Cobb vs. Cobb contest revealed both strengths and weaknesses.

"We were very physical and played with great energy and effort," Coach Reid said about his team's performance. "But we missed some scoring opportunities offensively and gave up a couple of explosive plays through the air on defense. So we want to get that cleaned up."

Get ready for Friday Night Lights, Cobb! The Indians and Warriors will play at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, August 22. The Walton Raiders will travel to Lambert on Friday for their second game of the season.