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And the defense might be even better.

The unbeaten Blue Eagles will host Roane County’s Raiders on Friday in New Martinsville for the opening round of the Class AA football playoffs. Magnolia is 10-0 and ranked No. 2 in the state. Roane rebounded from an 0-3 start to win six of its final seven games. The 6-4 record earned the No. 15 spot.

“Their defense might be what makes them tick,” Raider head coach Tom Hardman said. “And that’s really saying something as good as their offense is.”

Coach Mark Batton’s team pitched four shutouts this season on the way to outscoring foes by an average of 36.3-5.2.

Magnolia’s perfect slate includes wins over Tolsia (61-0), Williamstown (14-12), Tyler Consolidated (54-0), River, Ohio (44-3), Monroe Central, Ohio (13-0), Weir (54-0), Lincoln County (53-14), Barnesville, Ohio (14-7), Oak Glen (31-13) and Grafton (25-3).

The victory at Grafton last week avenged a 56-25 loss in last year’s state championship game. In the common opponent comparison, Roane fell 50-28 to Tyler Consolidated.

“Their defense is very hard to pinpoint,” Hardman said after watching five game Blue Eagles’ game films. “They really gamble with their linebackers and they have skill people on the front line.”

Those diverse linemen include Jared Blatt, a 6-5, 220 senior who also plays tight end, and Matt Riggs, a 6-0, 235 junior.

“One thing you can count on is that they’ll have a lot of guys coming between the tackles,” Hardman said. “They’re very unconventional in what they’re doing.”

Hardman noted that he has seen Magnolia line up with all 11 defenders in a standing position. Sometimes there are seven people within a yard of the ball, and other times as few as three.

“We have to answer that with zone blocking schemes and keep our heads on swivel to see where they’re coming from,” he said. “They’re a hard nut to crack. We have to pick and choose what’s going to work.”

Magnolia has an irresistible force on offense to go along with its nearly immovable defense.

“They have a ton of good players on offense,” Hardman said.

The highest flying Blue Eagles include junior quarterback Justin Fox, a Kennedy Award candidate, along with senior running backs Stingray Bates and Dillon Jackson.

Fox, a three-year starter, is 56-of-109 passing this season for 990 yards, with seven touchdowns and eight interceptions. The 5-11, 175-pounder has also run for five scores, kicked 40 PATs and three field goals. He is also an outstanding punter and defensive back.

“Fox runs the show,” Hardman said. “They make very few mistakes and he does a good job of running the game.”

Along with Blatt, junior Cameron Benson (6-2, 205) and freshman Stephen Rogalski (5-10, 150) are top receivers.

Magnolia’s balanced running game features Bates (786 rushing yards and 11 TDs) and Jackson (756 yards, 11 scores), running behind the blocking of junior fullback Traeh Keller (5-10, 180).

“Bates really gets after it and Jackson brings the leather,” Hardman said. “They’re a pounding type of team. They have a lot of bells and whistles, but it comes down to about three plays.”

Those plays from the I-formation are off-tackle, weak side isolation and a fullback trap, Hardman noted.

The offensive line for the Blue Eagles is also solid, Hardman said, with a collection of tall, rangy players opening holes for the backs.

As a decided underdog, Hardman said his team would have to play a nearly perfect game to have a chance on Friday.

“We have to play with confidence,” he said. “We have to understand that we’re in the playoffs and raise our level of play. It’s quite a challenge, but we should relish it. Why not?

“We have nothing to lose and everything to gain. At 7:30 on Friday night we have to be ready to play, and who knows what’ll happen.”

RAIDER RAP: Magnolia finished 10-4 last season. Batton is in his 11th year as head coach of the Blue Eagles after serving 10 years as an assistant with the program. His overall record is 77-44…

Despite finishing at No. 2 in the SSAC ratings behind Wayne, Magnolia is an overwhelming No. 1 in the Charleston Daily Mail poll of sports writers, receiving 19 of a possible 20 votes…

Stingray (his real name) Bates is not the only Magnolia player with a unique moniker. Treah Keller’s first name is heart spelled backward…

Magnolia, a member of the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference, won the state championship in 1964…

The Blue Eagles had a different nickname before 1933. That year, the school switched from the Blue Blizzard to honor the symbol of FDR’s National Recovery Act…

Probably the most famous Magnolia alum? WVU head football coach Bill Stewart…

Nathan Reynolds leads the Raiders in scoring with 60 points and in rushing with 891 yards on 167 carries. Rhett Atkinson has completed 62-of-122 pass attempts for 835 yards, with 10 TDs and six picks. Alex Mace tops Roane receivers with 21 catches for 311 yards and four scores. Cody Hersman is the team’s top tackler with 72…

Roane has lost to the eventual state champ in each of its two previous playoff appearances, Wayne in 2006 and Bluefield in 2008…

The Raiders just completed their third winning season in the school’s 17-year history. The 2003 team went 6-4 and the 2006 squad was 7-4…

Roane was 2-3 on the road this season…

The Magnolia-Roane winner will face the winner of the game between No. 7 Keyser and No. 10 Point Pleasant in the quarterfinals…

Roane will depart on a charter bus at 2 p.m. Friday, with a stop for a pre-game meal planned in Parkersburg.