Cobb County Powers Walton and McEachern Set to Open Their Seasons in the Corky Kell & Dave Hunter Classic

The two Cobb county rivals take a short drive down Interstate I-75 to kickoff the season at Mercedes-Benz Stadium

The Walton Raiders celebrating at Mercedes-Benz Stadium / Cecil Copeland

The Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic annually showcases some of Georgia's premier programs squaring off on the opening week of the high school football season.

In 2025, Cobb County AAAAAA rivals McEachern and Walton draw the final game on Saturday, August 14. Both schools are perennial playoff teams in Georgia's highest classification, but have traditionally played in separate regions. McEachern represents 3-AAAAAA and Walton 5-AAAAAA. Five things to know before kickoff.

The Coaches

McEachern is led by Kareem Reid. Reid, in his third year at the Powder Springs school, has a 58-27 record in Georgia including time at Griffin and Westlake. His teams have won four region titles. Most recently, Reid worked in the college ranks on the staffsg at UCF under Gus Malzan and Florida under Billy Napier. The Indians finished 6-5 in 2024.

Walton is led by Daniel Brunner. Brunner is 73-27 since ascending from assistant to head coach. Only four coaches in AAAAAA have a longer tenure. He is 1-0 vs. the Indians, having defeated them 49-9 in the first round of the 2020 playoffs. The Raiders reached the state championship in 2023 where they lost to Milton inside Mercedes-Benz, and finished 7-4 in 2024.

The Quarterbacks

Both schools enter 2025 with less experience than they would like behind center. Walton has two quarterbacks likely to share snaps this fall. McEachern’s Calvin Pittman gained traction towards the end of last season. He’s a dual-threat QB who protected the ball well, throwing for 883 yards with six touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Sophomores Christian Peacock (a North Cobb transfer) and Pierson Degala both have the potential to help Walton, but experience is a real consideration. They’ll be taking their cues from new offensive coordinator Levi Brown. 

Too Close for Comfort

When fans think of blue blood football programs in Cobb, the Indians and Raiders certainly come to mind. But, they’re not alone. Two other powerhouses come to mind just as quickly, the Marietta Blue Devils and the North Cobb Warriors.

McEachern is the lone team among the bunch in Region 3-AAAAAA. Walton, North Cobb, and Marietta represent 5-AAAAAA. In addition to the Raiders, the Indians play both the Blue Devils and Warriors before the start of region play. How the four Cobb powers finish off their de facto round robin will give a glimpse into which squads are capable of making a playoff run outside of Cobb in November.

Offensive Playmakers

With a quarterback rotation likely, Walton will rely heavily on the their top leading rusher Noriega Thompson to keep the offense churning, Thompson averaged 5.9 per carry and rushed for five touchdowns in 2024. A wild card will be tight end CJ Jordan who grew out his position last year, backup quarterback.

Running back Jayreon Campbell will get plenty of opportunity when the Indians run the football. Last season the Indiana commit racked up 900-plus rushing yards and 18 touchdowns. Wide receiver Nalin Smith is big receiver at 6-foot-3. He’s certain to improve upon lat year’s 541 yards and two touchdowns. 

Defensive Playmakers

McEachern’s defensive front looks to be the envy of just about any program in Georgia in large part to transfers and an emerging talent on the edge. Defensive end Darryl Rivers formerly of Pebblebrook will line up with North Paulding transfer nose guard Courtney Elkins. Behind or beside those two will be returning all-region 6-foot-4, 230 pound edge Zakir Abdul-Salaam. Another transfer, sophomore safety Casey Barner from Douglass already holds offers from SEC and Big 10 powerhouses. 

While Walton may not have big names among the defenders putting their hand in the ground, the pack end supplies the playmakers. Senior Linebacker Noah Lavallee leads the second level.  He’s accepted an offer to Florida State where he will join his older brother, Caleb, next fall. Junior safety MJ Burnett adds playmaking ability and pedigree to the defense. He’s the son of former Georgia Tech star, decade-long NFL veteran Morgan Burnett, who coincidentally is also Walton’s safeties coach.