Defensive stops were hard to come by Friday night for the two area football teams left in the GHSA playoffs, but one of them managed just enough to live another week.
Trion’s season ended at its Sam R. McCain Stadium and in the Class A Division II quarterfinal round with a 40-30 loss to Irwin County. The visitors scored touchdowns on five of their last six possessions behind a dominant run game.
Calhoun, though, forced two turnovers in the second half in its quarterfinal as the Yellow Jackets defeated Class AAA’s top-ranked Peach County 38-28 in Fort Valley to advance to next week’s semifinal round, where they will host Stephenson, a 36-3 winner over Southeast Bulloch on Friday.
Calhoun (10-3) got the defensive stops when needed, and its offense was nearly unstoppable. The Jackets had eight possessions in the game, and six of them went for scores — six touchdowns and a field goal.
(READ MORE: Final scores and photos from Friday night’s Chattanooga-area prep football playoffs)