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Dalton’s Hudson Ruppert hasn’t missed a beat since stepping in

Marshall Stephens, TriStar Visuals Photography / Dalton freshman quarterback Hudson Ruppert avoids defensive back Eli Thacker during the Catamounts' 50-14 win at Heritage on Friday. Ruppert, who has stepped in to lead the offense since junior Caine Woods got hurt in the season opener, accounted for more than 400 yards of offense as the Cats improved to 3-0.
Marshall Stephens, TriStar Visuals Photography / Dalton freshman quarterback Hudson Ruppert avoids defensive back Eli Thacker during the Catamounts' 50-14 win at Heritage on Friday. Ruppert, who has stepped in to lead the offense since junior Caine Woods got hurt in the season opener, accounted for more than 400 yards of offense as the Cats improved to 3-0. Marshall Stephens, TriStar Visuals Photography / Dalton freshman quarterback Hudson Ruppert avoids defensive back Eli Thacker during the Catamounts' 50-14 win at Heritage on Friday. Ruppert, who has stepped in to lead the offense since junior Caine Woods got hurt in the season opener, accounted for more than 400 yards of offense as the Cats improved to 3-0.

By Lindsey Young 5 min read

Not much can kill a football season, at any level of the sport, quicker than an injury to the starting quarterback.

So when Dalton High School junior Caine Woods went out in the opener last month for that reason, the lofty expectations around the Catamounts in head coach Chris Prewett’s second season seemed unreachable.

For everyone except those in the Dalton locker room, that is.

Freshman backup Hudson Ruppert stepped in behind center, and the offense hasn’t missed a beat as Woods’ understudy has completed 38 of 56 passes for 668 yards, 10 touchdowns and one interception while also rushing for 75 yards and a score.

That includes 356 yards and five touchdowns through the air plus 60 yards and a 27-yard score on the ground in Friday night’s 50-14 win at Heritage as Dalton, the area’s lone program in GHSA Class AAAAA, improved to 3-0. For his performance against the Generals, the Times Free Press has selected Ruppert as its third player of the week for 2026.