CALHOUN, Ga. — Carter Harrison has seen the highs and lows of athletic competition in his three and a half years at Calhoun High School. As with any competitor, the lows always seem to stick longer and make more of an imprint with the two-sport star.
Among the lows is a second-round sweep at home against Dublin in last year’s Class AA baseball playoffs, a day when the Yellow Jackets didn’t pitch or field well. Harrison, the team’s ace for the second consecutive season, remembers the day well and plans no repeat.
“That stayed with all of us for awhile, especially this year’s seniors, because we all lived through it,” said Harrison, who was a starting linebacker for the school’s successful football program for three years. “We just didn’t play our game, didn’t do the things we needed to do. We gave Dublin the right to think they could beat us, and they did.
“I think we learned to not be too confident going into a game. All the players were looking forward to playing Cook in the next round, and we lost sight of Dublin.”
Though the season is early, the 8-0 Jackets have already made a statement that things will be different this year with a win over top-ranked Blessed Trinity in a showcase game Monday at Kennesaw State University. Such a win a year ago would have sent the players into overconfident mode. Harrison was able to put it in perspective.