Jackets’ defense leads team to state title game

As his players celebrated on the turf Friday night at Barron Stadium, Rome head coach John Reid could only stand among them and smile, unable to produce words.

The Rome Wolves had not only taken down one of the top programs in the state, they had done it in impressive fashion.

Buford was held to five first downs the entire game and Rome quarterback Knox Kadum accounted for four touchdowns as Rome won 45-7 in the Class 5A state semifinals. The rematch of last year’s state championship game led to the largest loss for Buford since 1973.

“I don’t even know what to say about this. We just took everything one down at a time,” Reid said. “We talked all week about breaking the team’s will, and at halftime that’s all we told them to do. Just keep coming after them and break their spirits.”

No. 1 Rome (14-0) now heads to its second consecutive state championship game, where it will play No. 6 Warner Robins at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta next Friday at 4:30 p.m.

Kadum racked up 250 t otal yards and f our t ouchdowns, i ncluding 143 rushing yards and two rushing scores, both coming in the second half. Wide receiver Xavier Roberts-Donaldson accounted for three touchdowns, including two touchdown receptions in the first half.

Rome ran where it wanted and when it wanted, recording 404 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. The offensive line bullied Buford’s defensive front, and Kadum fooled the opponents routinely with the read option.

Up 17- 7 at halftime, Kadum scored on a 50yard touchdown run on Rome’s second offensive play of the second half. After each team traded fumbles, Rome rolled down the field again and scored on a 15-yard run from Roberts-Donaldson.

In t he f ourth, Kadum scored on a 32-yard touchdown run and Nick Burge scored on 22-yard run. It didn’t matter if it was Kadum, Burge, Jamious Griffin, Marquez Kirby or Jalynn Sykes, Rome was going to get the yards it wanted.

“Our coaches prepare us every week, and our scout team gives us a great look in practice,” senior center Jackson Norton said. “For the line, it was just about playing the next play. Every play matters, so we execute the one in front of us and move on to the next one.”

The Wolves of Buford had no success on offense either, getting beaten at the line of scrimmage on that side as well.

Senior running back Christian Turner led the team on offense with a mere 45 rushing yards on seven carries.

No. 3-ranked Buford (112) scored its only touchdown after Griffin fumbled the ball in the second quarter, with Rome already up 10-0. Quarterback Aaron McLaughlin completed a 27-yard pass to Isaiah Isaac, then scored himself on a 5-yard touchdown run.

Rome countered on the next drive with a 19-yard Kadum touchdown pass to Roberts-Donaldson to go up 17-7, and Buford got two first downs the rest of the game.

A front seven featuring guys like Ja’Quon Griffin, Adam Anderson, K. J. Hicks and Jamarcus Chatman swarmed McLaughlin all night, leading to 16 incompletions.

“We said we were going to dominate this team, and when we put our minds to something, then that’s what we are going to do,” Ja’Quon Griffin said. “We can’t let our city down. There was no doubt in our mind we could beat this team how we did.”

More than anything, Rome dominated possession, having the ball for more than 31 minutes in the 48- minute game. The biggest difference was Rome’s third-down defense, which forced Buford to go 0-for-12 on third-down conversions.

Now Rome takes on fellow undefeated squad Warner Robins, which is coming off a 31-7 win against Carver-Atlanta on Friday night.

But the Wolves haven’t won their second state championship yet, and Reid is going to make sure his team is just as ready for next week.

“This was not the state championship, and we are keeping that in mind all next week,” Reid said. “The state championship is next Friday, and we have to rally again to play good football.”

It was last year in the Georgia Dome when Knox Kadum, the then sophomore quarterback for Rome High, scored a pair of touchdowns against Buford in the Class 5A state championship game.

For the second meeting between the two schools on Friday, Kadum showed he hadn’t lost a step, and he was thankful for his offensive line in helping make that happen.

“Just our pullers, our oline had just a great night all around. They were making big holes for us in the backfield,” Kadum said after running for two TD’s and passing for another two in the 45-7 victory.

“They were pounding that front line and we were just blowing them off the ball. Once we hit our hole it was just oneon- one with the safety and we had to make it happen from there.”

With an offensive line including senior leaders like Jackson Norton and Tyler Lovingood, Rome was able to get 511 yards of offense compared to Buford’s 91.

“We’ve got great kids. They come to work every day and we knew they were going to come out with a plan,” Rome offensive line coach Barry Hall said. “Our kids have been together all year and they’re growing and getting better every day, every week.”

Hall said it wasn’t a matter of his guys beating down Buford’s defensive front or things getting easier as the game went on. It was just adjusting to what they were facing in the trenches.

DECATUR — Calhoun’s defense has been consistently stifling all season so in the team’s biggest game and against one of their biggest challenges of the year, why would anyone expect any different?

The Jackets’ defense made life extremely hard on Cedar Grove’s highpowered offense in Friday’s Final Four matchup at Buck Godfrey Stadium, and the result was allowing six points and forcing four turnovers while helping Calhoun punch their ticket to the Class 3A state championship game next Friday with a 14-6 victory.

It is the first appearance in the finals for Calhoun (13-1) since they won the state title in 2014. The Jackets will take on Peach County for the Class 3A crown next Friday at 1 p.m. at MercedesBenz stadium.

The Calhoun defense held Cedar Grove (13-1) to just 172 yards on the night, and junior defensive back Bralin Barton came up with three huge interceptions.

“I thought our defense had a good plan tonight, and they executed it,” said Calhoun coach Hal Lamb.

“We knew we had to double team No. 2 (Jadon Haselwood) because he is a great player. Our defense was sound all night, and they executed to perfection.

“I knew we had to get on the board first because I don’t think (Cedar Grove) has been behind all season. And we kept making play after play in big situations after that. I can’t say enough about our defense and our team. These kids buy into everything, whether that’s at practice or in the weight room. I’m so proud of them.”

After the Calhoun defense forced multiple three- and- outs to start the game, the Jackets’ s pecial t eams came through with a blocked punt late in the first quarter, which they recovered at the Cedar Grove 12.

A few plays later, Calhoun quarterback Gavin Gray found Davis Allen on a perfectly- executed throwback screen to the tight end for a 6-yard touchdown pass to make it 7-0. Gray finished with 198 yards on 19- of- 30 passing with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Calhoun’s defense came up with another turnover on the ensuing Saints’ drive as Bralin Barton picked off a Cedar Grove pass at the 36 in their opponents’ territory.

The Jackets’ defense got their third turnover when Barton picked off a long pass inside the 10 midway through the fourth quarter.