Etowah will try to bounce back from last week's devastating loss at McEachern when the Eagles host Kennesaw Mountain in a Region 5AAAAA game tonight at Eagle Stadium.

After getting the season off to a strong start with a 21-14 victory over Starr's Mill in the Corky Kell Classic, Etowah (1-1, 0-1) was blindsided by its 49-10 loss last week at McEachern.

Etowah coach Bill Stewart said the Eagles have put last week's game behind them and the team is looking ahead to Kennesaw Mountain.

"It was a tough loss for us, but we're looking forward to (tonight)."

Stewart also said that the loss to McEachern showed that Etowah still has plenty of work to do.

"We need to improve in every phase of the game," he said. "We were sloppy on special teams and defense. We made mistakes that kept us out of the end zone."

The Eagles also need quarterback Braden Nolan and running backs Jason Holdway and Jake Jones to produce.

Nolan was 7-of-18 for 111 yards in the air, while he also rushed for 55 yards on 19 carries at McEachern. Holdway ran for 59 yards on nine carries and Jones gained 46 yards on seven carries.

Taylor Majors is another key factor for Etowah - offensively at wide receiver and defensively in the secondary.

Now, Etowah is focused on its next region game as it hosts a Kennesaw Mountain (0-2, 0-1) that has struggled with losses in its first two games, including a 21-0 loss to South Cobb last week.

Despite the Mustangs' struggles, Stewart said he isn't taking them lightly.

"Every year that we play them, it is a hard-fought, physical game," he said. "It's usually a hard-nosed football game and I don't expect to be any different this year."

Kennesaw Mountain coach Scott Jones is expecting a tough challenge from Etowah, especially from its strong defensive line.

"Coach Stewart does a good job with that program," Jones said. "Etowah has some big, strong defensive linemen. Our kids on our offensive line are young and not as big, but I told them they are going to have to fight tooth-and-nail to stay in the ball game."

Running back Diamond Stewart, who rushed for 123 yards on 26 carries last week, will be the primary focus of attention for Etowah's defense.