Washington (5–1, 3–0) travels to Marlow (5–0, 3–0) on Thursday night with control of Class 2A-I District 2 on the line at Outlaw Stadium. It’s a rematch of last year’s instant classic — a 35–28 overtime win for the Warriors at Reed Field.
Washington has dominated district play so far, rolling past Dickson 53–6 and back-to-back 55–0 wins over Marietta and Little Axe. Marlow has been equally sharp, posting three straight blowouts including a 52–0 victory at Crossings Christian to stay unbeaten.
“More experience from our young players has allowed us to be more efficient on both sides of the ball,” said Washington head coach Brad Beller. “Creed has made the offense his own. He knows the entire playbook inside and out.”
Beller praised Marlow’s physicality and defensive discipline heading into Thursday night.
“There are a lot of similarities between ‘24 Marlow and ‘25 Marlow. They’re well coached and very physical,” he said. “They have a good balance of speed and size that allows them to be multiple with their fronts and coverages. Games like this reveal your habits — and if our habits are good, they’ll show in high-stakes games like this.”
For the Outlaws, head coach Matt Weber said his team has regained its stride after an uneven start caused by a long early-season break.
“Last week was better — our shape was so poor in our first district game due to 21 days off because of a cancellation,” Weber said. “We understand with their talent and execution, they’re going to make plays. Hopefully we tackle well and don’t give up a ton of big plays.”
Weber called last year’s game a defining moment in a rivalry that has become one of Class 2A’s most respected matchups.
“That was just a classic Marlow/Washington game,” he said. “Our series is level since 2018. Washington did the things needed to be done to win that game and proved they had the best team in the state by winning the state championship.”
Weber also credited his current senior class for building the program’s culture.
“This group is fun because they all like each other and do so many things together,” he said. “What’s neat is this senior group only won one game as seventh graders and two in eighth grade. I’m proud they’ve stuck it out, developed, and became a pretty good football team. We respect the heck out of Washington and all their programs.”
Both teams enter Thursday night tied atop the district standings. With postseason positioning on the line, it’s another chapter in a rivalry defined by defense, discipline, and championship pedigree.
Canadian Valley Sports 
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