The Raiders are coming off of a losing season and it ended against region opponent the Etowah Eagles. But as they meet tonight for the first time this year, things are different. Both teams are undefeated. Etowah has been stellar offensively, but don’t look now… so have the Raiders. Let’s get to know the quarterbacks commanding the offenses, because their 2015 track record indicates we could be in for a high-scoring showdown.

NEWS AND NOTES...

History: Walton holds an 8-3 record over Etowah.

Coaching: Walton- Mo Dixon is in his second season with the Radiers. Etowah- Dave Svehla is in his fourth season with the Eagles.

Last meeting: November 7, 2014.

Final score: 40-13 Etowah

QB QUARREL...

WALTON- QB Addison Shoup (#14), junior. 

At 6’1’’ and 180 pounds, Shoup is an exceptional leader on the field. After watching his film from last season, it’s hard to zone in on one major aspect of his game because he’s pretty good at everything. He has the poise and patience of the traditional quarterback. Good timing on his throws, an intuitive sense of the defense makes him earn the trust of his targets. He isn’t afraid to make a risky throw, even if it’s in triple coverage. That being said, he’ll learn if the risk is always worth the reward. 

Shoup is not afraid to run the ball, either. I think sometimes he forgets he’s a quarterback. In three games so far this season, he’s accumulated 175 rushing yards. He’s good at faking the handoff and then bursting straight through the defense. He won’t go down easily either; he’ll make the defense work for it. 

OVERVIEW- Overall, Shoup is an extremely versatile quarterback. This will serve him well as he finishes out his high school career. In tonight’s contest he’ll look to build on his 2015 resume. His season stats so far: 703 passing yards, 6 touchdowns and one interception.

ETOWAH- QB Patrick Ferris (#8), sophomore.

Ferris checks in at 6’1’’, 170 pounds and has an impressive skillset for a sophomore. It seems as though he likes to stay in the pocket, however he will commit to running the ball without hesitation. When he does invest in running the ball, he does it aggressively and can find the holes pretty easily. Perhaps that’s because he’s smooth in tricking the defense with a faked handoff. 

The one constant I saw in every passing play was his quick release and he isn’t afraid to throw the long ball. He wasn’t easily shaken and could escape the defense comfortably. He earned “player of the week” honors at Etowah for their week one 51-24 victory over Marietta. There’s a lot of upside to what he can do as he continues to finish out his sophomore season and build his high school stats. 

Etowah is the home team tonight and we’re broadcasting the game LIVE on GPB. Our All Access Pass pre-game show starts at 7:00 PM, kick-off is at 7:30. Don’t miss it!