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Scores and Photos of Friday night high school football - Oct. 9
DALTON, Ga. - The Dalton Ducks, er Catamounts, used their superior aquatic skills to win a very large Region 7A-AAAAA football game Friday night/Saturday morning over Rome, 28-9.
Dalton (5-2, 3-1), in a game delayed two-and-a-half hours due to inclement weather, handled the post-delay conditions much better at Harmon Field/Bill Chappell Stadium. As a result, coupled with Sequoyah's win over Cass, Dalton sits alone in first place in the subregion and is in line to host the region championship.
Two huge pass plays - 86 yards to Kyric McGowan and 81 to Tyler Noland - from J.P. Tighe had the Catamounts up 14-9 when the first stroke of lightning hit at 9:40 with 5:24 remaining in the third quarter. The Wolves, however, had controlled play to that point, more than tripling Dalton in number of plays and already having driven to the Cats' 26 earlier in the quarter before stalling.
When play resumed at 12:10 a.m. it was clear the visitors' level of play had fallen. The Wolves mishandled the wet ball on consecutive plays to end one drive, then fumbled a Dalton punt moments later to set the Cats up at the Rome 21.
After Drake McCowan had to leave following a 6-yard run on first down, McGowan shifted to tailback and ran the ball four consecutive plays, scoring from five yards out on the final one to start the final quarter for a 21-9 lead.
Rome's final shot ended with another fumble after Dalton's Maddux Houghton knocked the ball loose from Nick Kirksey at the Catamounts' 24 with 6:38 to play. McCowan returned to the lineup and ripped off a 61-yard run before scoring the insurance touchdown on a 2-yard dive.
McCowan topped Dalton with 100 yards rushing on 18 carries, but it was the Cats' defense that stole the show. Led by Houghton, Jordon McKinney, Harrison Hughes, Matt Cook and Jase Chastain, Dalton held Rome to 283 total yards, 200 under the Wolves' season average.
- Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296; follow at Twitter @youngsports22