Jackets stay atop Region 7 win Blessed Trinity win
Calhoun took a big step towards a 5A Region 7 championship Friday night with a rousing 32-27 win over Blessed Trinity close to Atlanta.
For the first time in a while, the Yellow Jackets found themselves in a tight game, but they handled the pressure with no problem to run to 2-0 in the league and drop the Titans a game behind them in the standings.
With their five-point lead in the final two minutes, the Yellow Jackets had to first recover an onside kick and then make a defensive stand to get the victory. They recovered that crucial kick after the home team had closed the gap to 32-27 and then a Quin Smith interception in the final 30 seconds sealed the deal.
The win was Calhoun’s fifth in a row and they will look to remain unbeaten in Region play when they are back home Friday night to take on Woodland.
The teams traded punts to start the game, but Blessed Trinity’s boot was just 18 yards, giving the Yellow Jackets the ball at the BT 35-yard-line.
With senior Gage Leonard carrying three times and a critical BT offsides penalty once the visitors got inside the 10, senior quarterback Christian Lewis powered ahead for a 2-yard touchdown run. After the PAT, the Jackets were up 7-0 with 3:26 left in the first period.
The Titans busted off a 62-yard run on its next possession, setting up a 1-yard touchdown run that tied the game at 7 less than 90 seconds later.
But senior Cole Speer took the ensuing kickoff back 62 yards and Leonard followed it with a 21-yard touchdown
run to put them in front 13-7 as the first quarter came to an end.
The first drive of the second period was a thing of beauty for Calhoun. Using over six minutes, they went 71 yards on 13 plays with seven runs and six passes before Leonard’s 6-yard dash capped it off. Carlos Orozco added the extra-point and the Jackets were up 20-7 with 3:32 showing until halftime.
But the Titans would use the rest of the time to answer that score with Justin Haynes scoring from 8 yards out to close the gap to 20-14 at the break.
Calhoun would build on its lead on their first drive of the third quarter, which took just 45 seconds. A long kickoff return got them to
midfield and three plays later, Lewis hooked up with Cole Speer on a 26-yard touchdown pass. The try for two failed and Calhoun led 26-14 with 11:15 left in the third.
Blessed Trinity cut it to a one-score game with Haynes going up the middle for a 85-yard touchdown run later in the period, but Calhoun got its final touchdown of the night midway through the fourth.
Sparked by a 34-yard pass from Lewis to tight end Amari Winston, the Jackets went from their own 30 to the BT 35. Two plays after that, Lewis found Smith with an 18-yard touchdown pass for the visitors’ final points.
BT scored with just over three minutes remaining to
close within five and then forced a Calhoun punt. But they could not move the ball and then Smith got the pick.
With the defeat, Blessed Trinity dropped to 1-1 in the league and 3-3 overall.
With the win, Calhoun
also avenged one of its two league losses last year and they will look to go 3-0 this Friday night.