GAMEDAY
GUIDE
FRIDAY, SEPT 18
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7:30PM
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FRIDAY, SEPT 18 — 7:30PM —
PAULDING COUNTY PATRIOTS
AT NORTH COBB WARRIORS
ALBERT MATTHEWS FIELD
at EMORY SEWELL STADIUM
PARKING & CHOP SHOP
Premium parking is available for $5 in the Scoops Ice Cream ORANGE Lot which is located at the intersection of Blue Springs Road and Old 41 Highway NW. All proceeds benefit North Cobb Wrestling.
Handicap Accessible Parking is also located at the intersection of Blue Springs Road and Old 41 Highway NW. Please show the attendant your permit upon arriving in order to access this lot.
General Parking is available in several lots around the school as well as across the street at the Cobb Public Library and at NorthStar Church.
CHOP SHOP
The CHOP SHOP is presented by Floria Izadi State Farm and features a wonderful meal from some of our best local restaurants before each home game. The CHOP SHOP opens at 6:15PM and offers service until 7:15PM.
SERIES HISTORY
North Cobb and Paulding County meet Friday night at Emory Sewell Stadium in a rematch of last season’s opening round of the state playoffs. The programs have rarely crossed paths historically, making this a relatively new matchup between two neighboring programs. Their most recent meeting came just 10 months ago, when the Patriots traveled to Kennesaw for the first round of the 2025 GHSA State Playoffs. North Cobb took control early that night, building a 43-8 halftime advantage on its way to a dominant 64-20 victory and a spot in the second round.
This time around, Paulding County returns to Emory Sewell Stadium with a much different start to its season. After finishing 4-7 a year ago, the Patriots have opened 2026 a perfect 3-0, earning victories over South Paulding (27-14), Alexander (26-7) and Hiram (19-14). Through three games, Paulding County has allowed just 35 total points and enters the matchup looking to avenge last season’s playoff loss.
North Cobb enters the bye week at 2-1 following consecutive home victories over Hillgrove and East Coweta. After falling just one point short in a 30-29 season-opening loss at nationally ranked Milton, the Warriors responded with a 29-15 victory over Hillgrove before pulling away from East Coweta for a 38-27 win Thursday night. North Cobb has now scored 96 points through its first three games and will look to carry that momentum into its first game following the bye.
With an undefeated Paulding County team looking for redemption and North Cobb looking to continue the momentum of back-to-back victories, Friday night provides an intriguing early-season test—and a quick postseason rematch between two programs that now find themselves on the same regular-season schedule.
Highlights from the 1974 matchup between Coach Roscoe Carden’s Warriors and the Patriots.
THREE FOREVER WARRIORS INDUCTED INTO NCHS ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME
Friday, September 18, will be about more than the current generation of Warriors taking the field at Emory Sewell Stadium. As part of Hall of Fame Night, North Cobb will welcome three former Warrior football players into the North Cobb Athletic Hall of Fame: Kyle Reese, Donte Sawyer and Chandler Wooten.
The three inductees represent different generations of North Cobb Football, but share a common story—each took what began in orange and white and carried it well beyond Friday nights in Kennesaw.
Kyle Reese, Class of 1983, represents an earlier generation of Warrior Athletics. A multi-sport standout at North Cobb, Reese was selected directly out of high school by the hometown Atlanta Braves in the 15th round of the 1983 Major League Baseball Draft. He went on to play professionally from 1983 through 1991, reaching the Double-A level and beginning a lifetime in athletics that eventually included an extensive coaching career.
Donte Sawyer, Class of 2009, was a standout receiver for the Warriors before continuing his career at Morehead State University, where he became one of the most accomplished receivers in program history. Sawyer finished his career as Morehead State's all-time leading receiver and was later honored with induction into the university's Athletic Hall of Fame. His story eventually came full circle as Sawyer returned to North Cobb and poured back into the program as a coach—going from Warrior standout to college record-setter and Hall of Famer, then returning home to help develop the next generation.
Chandler Wooten, Class of 2017, became one of the most highly recruited players in North Cobb history after recording 124 tackles and 15 tackles for loss as a senior. The Region Defensive Player of the Year and Class 7A All-State selection became the first North Cobb player invited to the Under Armour All-America Game before signing with Auburn University. At Auburn, Wooten became a team captain and finished his career with 140 tackles in 43 games before making the jump to the NFL and playing linebacker for the Carolina Panthers.
Their stories span more than three decades of North Cobb Football. Their paths after leaving Emory Sewell Stadium were different, but each began in the same place—representing their school, their community and the orange and white.
That's what makes Hall of Fame Night special. Before the college uniforms, professional opportunities, records and accolades, they were Warriors.
Kyle Reese (1983)
Donte Sawyer (2008)
Chandler Wooten (2016)