Top 25 Games Of 2015: No. 23, Atlanta At Gladewater

It was for all the District 6-4A Division II marbles the last time Atlanta and Gladewater met. It easily could be the same circumstance when the Rabbits travel to the Bears' place on Oct. 16.

The showdown at Gladewater's Jack V. Murphy Stadium checks in as the No. 23 game as ETSN.fm counts down the top 25 regular season football meetings of 2015.

The game in Atlanta last season started out great for the Rabbits. Quarterback Chase Musgrove and company drove down for two early scored and a 14-0 lead with 2:17 left in the opening quarter.

But it unraveled. Fast.

Gladewater put up 36 unanswered points, hopped into the driver's seat of the district and never looked back. The team thundered into the Class 4A Division II regional semifinals, only derailed by ultimate state champion Gilmer's winning touchdown with nine seconds to play.

Atlanta made its own noise in the playoffs though. It lost to Gilmer in the next round to close the year at 12-2 overall.

Why bring all that up?

Both teams have a decent number of carryovers.

Musgrove and Gladewater defensive tackle Daylon Mack, now at Texas A&M, are both major losses, but the Rabbits return 12 players and the Bears will have a respectable nine.

Mack and now-senior defensive tackle Quanterius Turner helped make up one of the best defensive lines last season. Now it might be Atlanta with the best line period.

Defensive ends Keyuntae Kinney and Tristan Allen combined for 155 tackles and 20 sacks last season.

Gladewater ought to fair better than most against Atlanta's line, however. Running backs Darnell McKnight, Marcello Jackson and Justice Centers all are back from last year's monster team.

Bad blood, immense talent and playoff seeding highlight the No. 23 game of the year.

ETSN.fm's Top 25 Games of 2015

• No. 23: Atlanta at Gladewater
• No. 24: Lufkin at Tyler Lee
• No. 25: Tatum at Newton