ROME — The Marietta Blue Devils flexed their national ranking while avenging a season-opening loss from a year ago, beating the Rome Wolves 48-14 on Thursday night as part of the 28th edition of the Corky Kell Classic.
The Blue Devils (1-0), ranked No. 1 in Class AAAAAAA and No. 9 in the USA Today Super 25 poll, used their plethora of D-I weapons — led by five-star tight end Arik Gilbert — to pull away early, leading 20-0 after the first quarter and 27-0 at halftime.
Gilbert, who’s being recruited at tight end but lined up at receiver, finished with 205 yards and two scores on nine catches despite being double-teamed all game. Any time the Blue Devils needed a big play they turned to him. The biggest instance came inside the final two minutes of the third quarter, when Marietta faced third-and-22 from the from the Rome 33 and he caught a 24-yard pass. Two plays later, he caught his second touchdown to put Marietta ahead 34-14, ending a 14-0 Rome run and dashing any comeback hopes the Wolves had.
“I feel like like, in critical moments, the team needs me so I’ve got to step up,” said Gilbert, a 6-foot-5, 248-pound senior with nearly 30 offers including Alabama, Clemson and Georgia. “I didn’t even notice (the double teams) to be honest.”
The Blue Devils jumped on Rome early, scoring first on Kimani Vidal’s 5-yard run with 8:24 left in the first. Twenty-one seconds later, they scored again after recovering the ensuing kickoff and capitalizing with a Gilbert 18-yard reception — a highlight-reel one-handed grab in the corner of the end zone.
“Arik one of the best football players I’ve ever had the chance to coach,” said fourth-year Marietta coach Richard Morgan, who is hoping to guide the program to its first state title since 1967. “He’s got so many gifts and talents and he’s worked so hard to get to this point. His ball skills are excellent, he’s got great speed and he runs great routes — he’s the total package. So, somebody’s going to get a great player.”
With the win, the Blue Devils got revenge on the Wolves (0-1), who are ranked No. 2 in AAAAA and beat them 51-41 in last year's Corky Kell Classic. It doesn't get any easier for Marietta, who next week will host St. Joseph's Prep (Pa.), ranked No. 9 in the USA Today poll. That game will be nationally televised on ESPN.
Four-star senior quarterback and Tennessee commit Harrison Bailey, who was 19-of-30 passing for 367 yards and five touchdown passes, said the team’s focused solely on its play and not any outside perceptions.
“We don’t really pay too much attention to the rankings because last year it kind of bit us in the butt a little bitt” said Bailey of 2018, when the Blue Devils finished 5-6. “This year our focus is each week going 1-0 and if we can do that, we’ll win a state championship.”
Though tough challenges are ahead, Morgan pointed out Thursday’s win was big.
“I think we played about as good as we could against that quality of an opponent,” Morgan said. “For the first game to be against Rome — that’s one of the winningest teams in the state over the last four or five years. To play like that against them is a credit to our program and I’m happy for our kids.”
In all, the Blue Devils have 10 seniors rated as three-stars or higher, and a class of ‘22 defensive back, Andre Stewart, committed to Auburn. He batted down a would-be touchdown pass in the first quarter that would have brought the score to 13-7. It was one of two deep-pass breakups for the sophomore.
In addition, the Blue Devils were led by Vidal, who rushed 23 times for 109 yards and two touchdowns and caught two passes for 56 yards and another score. Rickey White had six receptions for 92 yards and two touchdowns. Rashad Torrence had 8.5 tackles, followed by Carlos Cervante (seven) and BJ Ojulari (6.5).
The Wolves, who won back-to-back AAAAA titles in ‘16 and ‘17 and reached the semifinals last season, are working through the loss of running back Jamious Griffin and quarterback Knox Kadum, both of whom graduated. Thursday marked the program’s first regular season loss since Sept. 9, 2016.
Knox’s replacement, Caleb Ellard, was 11-for-22 for 144 yards and two touchdowns and his main target was Jaquavious Wise, who had four catches for 95 yards and both touchdowns. Alijah Blackwell, who replaces Griffin, rushed 21 times for 132 yards. Nic Burge and Bryson Hill each had 7.5 tackles.
Marietta 20 7 7 14 — 48
Rome 0 0 14 0 — 14
M — Kimani Vidal 5 run (Cooper Kipp kick)
M — Arik Gilbert 18 pass from Harrison Bailey (kick blocked)
M — Vidal 31 pass from Bailey (Kipp kick)
M — Rickey White 16 pass from Bailey (Kipp kick)
R — Jaquavious Wise 19 pass from Caleb Ellard (Alonzo Rodriguez kick)
R — Wise 53 pass from Ellard (Rodriguez kick)
M — Gilbert 9 pass from Bailey (Kipp kick)
M — White 20 pass from Bailey (Kipp kick)
M — Vidal 2 rush (Kipp kick)
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