Marist finds new opponent for first football game

Marist School kicks off its high school football season with a home game against Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m.

Marist was originally scheduled to play Blessed Trinity, but Blessed Trinity canceled the game and Marist made the addition of Holy Innocents’ Sept. 9.

Holy Innocents’ is coming off a 14-7 loss at Pace Academy in week one after going 12-1 last season. Holy Innocents’ is expected to compete at the state level again, coming into the game against Marist as the No. 7 school in Georgia 1A Private.

Marist is ranked No. 2 in 4A, and will face many of the same challenges against Holy Innocents’ as it would have against Blessed Trinity.

According to Marist Head Coach Alan Chadwick, Marist is tasked with breaking in two new quarterbacks in week one after Connor Cigelske graduated and signed with Georgia Southern.

“We’re an experienced team in a lot of positions,” said Chadwick. “The most critical position is quarterback, and that’s the one we’re not experienced at.”

Chadwick said Marist is using two quarterbacks for now and depending on the team’s overall talent to make the new quarterbacks’ jobs easier.

“We haven’t determined which one is going to be starting,” said Chadwick. “We just hope the people around them make their jobs easier. In our offense, the quarterback has to make a lot of decisions.”

Chadwick said the quarterbacks will have to “be on top of their game for [Marist] to be successful.”

Even though Marist is starting its season with a good Holy Innocents’ team, Marist’s schedule won’t get much easier. Based on preseason rankings, Marist will face 5A’s No. 3 Woodward Academy and three other top 10 teams in its region in Stephenson High School, Mays High School and Hapeville Charter.

Marist School officials said spectator attendance for the Holy Innocents’ game will be limited to parents of participants, but the game will be streamed live at: NFHS Network with kickoff scheduled for Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m.