The Calhoun Yellow Jackets will get one final test before stepping into subregion play as they travel to Chatsworth on Friday to take on the North Murray Mountaineers in a Region 6-AAA crossover matchup.
The Jackets (2-2) enter the game coming off a bounce back performance against Coahulla Creek last Friday in which they fell behind 6-0 before reeling off 57 straight points to roll to a Homecoming victory. The win was much needed after a lopsided loss to Cartersville in Week 3, but head coach Hal Lamb said his team came back and used the off week well before getting back on the winning side of things against the Colts.
“I was very pleased with how we handled the game,” said Lamb. “We needed to get back on the field after the Cartersville game, but it was good also to have the off week. We had a great two weeks of practice and preparation, and we came out on Friday and took care of business.”
The Jackets racked up 446 total yards, including 281 on the ground. They were led by Olico Dennis who rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns, and Zach Fuller was close to breaking the 100-yard mark as well with 92 yards on the ground. Gavin Gray made his first start at quarterback for an injured Baylon Spector and performed quite well, going 9-for-10 with three touchdowns and one interception. Lamb said Spector should be back healthy and ready to go on Friday, but he isn’t sure yet how the quarterback situation will play out as they could use both guys against the Mountaineers.
Calhoun now turns their attention to North Murray (3-1) who look to have be and up and coming team under a new head coach. Preston Poag took over the Mountaineers program this past offseason after four years at Christian Heritage, and he has the team playing well with three convincing wins and a close loss in the early season.
“North Murray is a very good team, and they have 15 or 16 starters back from last year,” said Lamb. “The new staff is doing a tremendous job. They’ve got good skill guys, good size and a good defense. And we’ve got to go up there so we know they’ll be excited and ready for us
“We need a good showing and go up there and play well. We’ve got to get ready for the real season in the subregion that starts next week. But our goal is to win every football game we go into.”
North Murray is coming off a 50-0 win over Haralson County last Friday and also scored 49 and 56 in wins over Christian Heritage and Coosa earlier in the season so their offense has the ability to put up big numbers. The Jackets’ defense will be the toughest they’ve faced so far in 2016, however.
Calhoun has won all four previous meetings with the Mountaineers, scoring 54 or more in all of those game, including a 55-17 victory at North Murray last season. Lamb said his team needs to continue employing the same strategy and intensity they used last Friday night against Coahulla Creek.
“We’ve got to go out and play like we did last Friday,” said Lamb. “We need to be physical and aggressive. (North Murray) is a good offensive team. We’ve got to contain their quarterback and running back, and we obviously can’t turn the ball over. This is going to be a test, but if we play like we’re capable of, I think we’ll be fine.”
Calhoun got back on track last Friday, and this week’s game will give them another chance to tune things up before heading into subregion play. The Mountaineers are an improved team with a different attitude and style from previous years, but the Jackets still have the talent and depth advantage by a fairly big margin.
Despite it being on the road, Calhoun should earn a big victory against a team on the rise, but not quite there yet.
Calhoun wins,
Score:
45-17.
Prediction: