‘Canes beat Jackets for region crown
Calhoun traveled 30 miles south Friday night to face Cartersville with both teams 4-0 in 5A Region 7, and the title and playoff positioning on the line.
The Jackets were fresh off a 35-14 home win over Cass last week, while the Purple Hurricanes beat Woodland 49-7 on the road.
The Jackets (8-2) fell behind early, and ran out of time in a fourth quarter comeback effort, falling 21-14 to the Canes (9-0).
It was a rainy, cold night at Weinman Stadium, but things got heated up early as Calhoun recovered a game opening onside kick to start their offense in Cartersville territory.
The Canes, however, recovered a Gage Leonard fumble on the Jackets’ second play from scrimmage. Calhoun’s defense was able to get a stop and force a Cartersville punt.
Calhoun was also forced to punt on their next possession, and a 15-yard late hit penalty gave the Canes good field position.
On that possession,
Cartersville hit paydirt at the 2:53 mark on a 16-yard Jake Parker to Amari White passing touchdown to go up 7-0 with the extra point.
After trading punts, Calhoun gave the ball back to the Canes with a failed fourth down attempt early in the second quarter.
Cartersville went for it on fourth-and-17 from the 30-yard line on their next
possession, but the pass was broken up by Dustin Kerns in the end zone, giving the ball back to the Jackets with around 5:00 left in the half.
The Jackets weren’t able to get anything going either on their next drive, leaving the Canes 1:51 before halftime.
Wet weather was an obvious factor in both calling and executing plays, as both teams kept the ball mainly
on the ground, but the Canes would go up 14-0 with 0:20 left in the half on a long Parker to Jacob Ray touchdown through the air.
Calhoun would take a knee and go into halftime down two scores.
The Jackets finished the first half with 70 total yards, with 62 of those coming on the ground. They also had six penalties for 65 yards and a
turnover, but kept the time of possession about even with the Canes.
“We played a bad half of football on both sides of the ball,” Calhoun Head Coach Clay Stephenson said at halftime.
Calhoun got the ball to start the second half. A big pass play from Christian Lewis to Cole Speer set up a threeyard Caden Williams touchdown run for the Jackets’ first points to make it 14-7 with the extra point.
Cole Speer ended Cartersville’s first drive of the second half with an interception of Parker near the endzone. It was his third pick on the year.
Calhoun couldn’t get any momentum, starting the drive backed up against their own endzone, narrowly avoiding
a safety and an interception before punting.
The Canes capped their next drive with a short rushing score from Malachi Jeffries to go up 21-7 with the point after at the 1:38 mark in the third.
After blocking a Christopher Lewis punt, Cartersville bled nearly 5:00 off the clock before missing a field goal.
The Jackets would be forced to go for it on fourth down at 5:44 when Lewis connected with Speer for a 67-yard touchdown pass. The point after made it 21-14.
Calhoun’s comeback would fall short in the end, handing Cartersville it’s 10th straight region title.
With next Friday night off, the Jackets begin state playoff play in two weeks.