Calhoun prepares for rival Adairsville; Sonoraville returns home to face Haralson County.
Jackets look to continue strong subregion start vs. improved Adairsville
Two rivals just down the road from each other will get together on Friday night at Phil Reeve Stadium as both look to take a step toward the top spot in Region 6-AAA South.
Calhoun hosts Adairsville at 7:30 p.m. in an important game not just for bragging rights, but for subregion positioning.
“It’s a good, clean rivalry between two programs that respect each other,” said Calhoun coach Hal Lamb. “They would like nothing more than to come in here and knock us off, but it’s the same for us. We want to win this one just as bad. With the proximity of the two schools, it’s really a built-in rivalry not just in football, but all sports. There’s a lot of respect there, but it’s definitely a big game for both teams and they both want to win it.”
The Jackets (4-2, 1-0 subregion) head into Friday’s matchup with a bit of momentum, winning three straight, including last week’s 44-7 victory at Haralson County to open subregion play. It was a stellar night for Calhoun’s passing game as sophomore quarterback Gavin Gray threw for 229 yard and four touchdowns, including two to Ryan Randall. Seven different players carried the ball as the Jackets try to replace the production of starting running back Olico Dennis, who was lost to a season-ending knee injury against North Murray.
The Calhoun defense also had a good night, allowing just one score on 151 yards. Rhett Abernathy had an interception, and, Andrew Clements, Bailey Lester, Baylon Spector and Owen Williams all had five or more solo tackles. Lamb said he was pleased with how his team performed after the long road trip to a new place.
“I thought we handled it well going to a new place and not knowing what to expect,” said Lamb. “We went out and did what we needed to do. We put 44 points up in the first half and got the younger kids in to play in the second half. Overall, it was a good start to the subregion.”
Adairsville (2-3) heads into their subregion opener following an off week last week. The Tigers have rebounded from an 0-3 start and have looked much-improved in their two straight victories over Ringgold (48-34) and Murray County (35-21). Lamb said his team is preparing for Adairsville’s best effort on Friday.
“They have improved tremendously,” said Lamb. “Coach (Eric) Bishop does a great job there, and they are a very good team. There’s no doubt they are going to be ready to go on Friday. It’s a big game for both teams and should be a great atmosphere. It’s big for the subregion also.”
Calhoun has had the advantage of late in the series that dates back to 1968. The Jackets have won 11 in a row against Adairsville with the margin being double digits in all but one of those matchups. The Tigers last win in the series came in 1998.
Lamb said his team must be prepared for the challenges that Adairsville’s offense pose as well as keeping other keys in mind.
“We’ve got to contain their offense,” said Lamb. “They run a complex offense with some difficult schemes. We’ve got to be on top of that, especially with our young defense still learning.
“We’ve also got to focus on not turning the ball over. Winning the turnover battle always plays a major role in games like this.”
Lamb said they hope to get back linebacker James Prater this week after an injury forced him to miss some time.
Prediction:
Calhoun could take another big step toward the No. 1 spot in the subregion with a win on Friday, but Adairsville has their sights set on that same goal. And the Tigers would love nothing more than to go through the Jackets to get there.
The Jackets’ offense has looked good going with a two-quarterback system between Gray and Spector in recent weeks as they have used both their strengths to put points on the board. Adairsville will also score some points, but Calhoun’s defense has been opportunistic with turnovers, and they should be able to force some on Friday to make the difference. Score: Calhoun wins 34-20.