Jackets head to 2nd round of 7-5A event
The Calhoun High School basketball team is headed to the 5A state playoffs next week.
Despite a rough finish to the year that saw them lose their last four games, the Yellow Jackets put all of that behind them Monday night and pulled out an impressive 75-67 victory over Cass in the fist round of the 7-5A tournament at Cartersville High School.
The win means the Jackets have clinched at least one of the four available playoff berths out of the league and have a chance to get into Friday night’s 7-5A finals when they face top seed and defending Region champ Hiram 8:30 p.m. Wednesday night in the semifinals.
After so many close, hardfought losses this season in the Region, the Jackets, who was the fifth seed in the event, finally got one to go their way Monday night, outscoring fourth-seeded Cass, 24-10, in the third period to get the situation under command.
Calhoun ended the regular season last Friday night with a 57-49 loss at Dalton, putting them 3-7 in the Region and in a tie for fourth place with Cass, which defeated Woodland Friday night as well, and, after the tiebreakers were mixed in, the Colonels got the higher seed. But Calhoun came away Monday night with the most important thing — the win that keeps their season going and ensures they will play next week.
Hiram is the top seed in the tournament, going 9-1 in the Region and finishing a game ahead of Dalton, which went 8-2 and is the two seed and had the other bye on Monday. Cartersville was third at 7-3 for third and as the three seed, the Hurricanes opened play Monday afternoon with a 62-49 win over six seed Woodland and will now meet Dalton Wednesday in the other boys’ semifinal game.
For Calhoun, the Jackets put together a 42-point point second half to clinch their win over Cass, ending the Colonels’ season.
The Colonels were solid offensively in the first half, scoring 21 points in the first period to hold a 21-15 upper hand after one period of play.
Senior guard Landon Chattam started a 21-point night with seven of the Jackets’ first-quarter marks on three baskets and a free throw. Junior forward Emaree Winston added four more on a
hoop and two foul shots.
The Jackets were then outscored 20-18 in the second to find themselves down 4133 at the break.
Seven different Calhoun players had those points with guard Daniel Street’s four points on a basket and two free throws setting the pace. Senior Bryant Arnold also a 3-pointer and Winston had three more on one shot and one from the foul line.
But Calhoun turned the tables on the Colonels in the third period, dropping in shots like the rain falling outside and outscored Cass, 24-10, to take a 57-51 advantage into the fourth frame.
Streete continued his stellar offensive play, netting seven in the third on two buckets and a three, and Chattam had five more on a three and a make to spark the quarter.
Cass made just four shots in the quarter — but two of them were 3-pointers.
In the fourth, Chattam had his last seven points of the game on three buckets and one from the charity stripe while Winston had seven more on two buckets and a 3 and Arnold added two more 3’s.
Chattam led Calhoun with 21 points while Streete had 17 points and Winston was also strong offensively with 16 points as the trio had 54 of Calhoun’s 75 points. And Arnold finished the night with nine more.
Cass sophomore guard Kyron McClendon led all scorers with 23 points. Junior forward Coman Nettles, thanks to five 3s, had 18 more for the Colonels and senior forward Kevin Henderson had 12 points as they finished with three double digit scorers.
The win lifted Calhoun to 9-15 on the season.