With high expectations coming into this season, the North Cobb Warriors were devastated by a first-game loss at home against the Buford Wolves last week. Head Coach Shane Queen took the opportunity to be a wake-up for his team, rather than a reason to lose hope.
With a national audience watching thanks to ESPN-2 being onsite, the Warriors welcomed the preseason top-ranked Milton Eagles to Emory Sewell Stadium last night for what could be a postseason preview. The rosters of both teams are filled with Division 1 commits, which put this game on everyone's radar as one to watch.
Due to storms in Cobb County, nearly every game in the area experienced a lightning delay. North Cobb was no different, taking an hour-long break to wait out the storm in the second quarter. Three rushing TDs from 4-star QB Malachi Singleton gave the Warriors a big lead at halftime, 21-7.
If any Milton fans were wondering if North Cobb was really that good after 24 minutes of play, the Warriors proceeded to erase all doubt in the second half. North Cobb's offensive line moved Milton defenders wherever they pleased, opening up holes for Singleton and the Warrior offensive attack.
Early in the third quarter, Singleton started under center and took off for a 60-yard run down the left sideline. On the next play, Singleton carried the ball the remaining two yards for his fourth rushing TD of the game. He went on to add a fifth early in the final quarter, giving his team a 20-point lead, 34-14. Singleton would finish the night with more than 200 yards on the ground and nearly 100 through the air. It was the Malachi Singleton show in Acworth.
For the final North Cobb offensive possession, Singleton and Coach Queen gave the spotlight to junior running back Ben Hall, who took advantage of the upfront dominance and ran through holes in the Milton defense. Hall scored another North Cobb TD, extending the Warrior lead to 40-14.
North Cobb ran out the clock with 2 minutes left as the home crowd cheered incessantly. With a final score of 40-21, the Warriors made it clear that they are now fully awake and ready to play to their full potential. This team will be a serious force in 7A this season. Keep your eye on them in weeks to come.
The Warriors will take a much-needed week off before they host Alpharetta at home on Sept 10 and begin their region schedule at Etowah on Sept 17. In mid-October, they travel across the county to face Walton in what should be a very important regional contest; circle Oct 15 on your calendar for this one!
(Photos by David Vaughn)
