The Blessed Trinity Titans were without their best player and the Marist War Eagles took advantage, claiming a 28-13 road win on Friday in Roswell and giving longtime coach Alan Chadwick 400 career victories in the process.
The Class 4A defending-champion War Eagles (2-0), ranked No. 3, fell into a 7-0 hole early but rallied for 28 unanswered points to seize control in a rivalry of private Catholic schools.
The Titans (1-1), ranked No. 1 in 5A, played without 4-star junior running back Justice Haynes. Sources close to the Titans program said Haynes suffered a minor leg injury and was being held out of the non-region contest as a precaution.
Chadwick becomes the country’s 35th high school coach to reach the 400-win milestone and is now second to Larry Campbell’s 477 wins on Georgia’s all-time victory list.
“It’s a great accomplishment but it speaks to our program, our players and our coaches,” said Chadwick, who took over the War Eagles in 1985. “The support we get from our administration, the effort our players give us 365 days a year — all we ask of them is all they’ve got and that’s what they give us.”
Now in his 37th season, Chadwick — who has three state titles — said roaming the sidelines every fall never gets old.
“Friday nights are special and that’s what keeps you going,” Chadwick said. “It’s the competition and the joy of seeing kids be successful and give everything they got.”
The War Eagles trailed 7-0 on the first play of the second quarter when Blessed Trinity’s Evan Dickens picked off Marist and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown.
However the War Eagles, whose previous possessions ended in three punts and the interception, stormed 76 yards down the field on eight plays in four minutes, scoring on Quinn Gooding’s 9-yard run with 7:51 left in the half, tying the game.
“That sparked us a little bit and got us going,” Chadwick said. “We weren’t sure how we’d play tonight. We’re so young and we saw some early jitters and mistakes. But to comeback and settle down and execute the way we did is a big plus for us.”
After a Titans three-and-out their following possession, Marist went on a five-minute scoring drive that spanned 56 yards and ended on a wild play in which the War Eagles caught a lucky break. Marist’s Will Gerrick was charging toward the goal line with the ball when he fumbled into the end zone. Players for both the Titans and War Eagles had a chance at the loose ball, but it was Marist lineman Steven Nahmias who fell on it for the touchdown to make it 14-7 with 32 seconds left in the half.
Marist would take that 14-7 lead into halftime and extend it with 7:50 left in the third, when Andrew Mannelly rushed for a 50-yard touchdown on the first play of the drive.
With 8:35 left in the game, the War Eagles got their final touchdown on a Jackson Hughes 5-yard run to make it 28-7.
The Titans would tack on one last score, another Dickens touchdown — this an 80-yard run with 4:52 left. Dickens served as Haynes’ replacement at running back, carrying the ball 12 times to lead all rushers with 109 yards.
The War Eagles were led by Mannelly’s 98 yards on 14 carries, and quarterback Champ Davis rushed 12 times for 48 yards and completed 4 of his 8 passes for 69 yards.
Marist 0 14 7 7 — 28
Blessed Trinity 0 7 0 6 — 13
B — Evan Dickens 40 INT return (HB Todd kick)
M — Quinn Gooding 9 run (Dawson Jones kick)
M — Steven Nahmias 0 fumble recovery (Jones kick)
M — Andrew Mannelly 50 run (Jones kick)
M — Jackson Hughes 5 run (Jones kick)
B — Dickens 80 run (kick failed)
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