One lesson sports writers learn early on is to never ask a coach about a “moral victory.”
That doesn’t mean they don’t exist. In fact, four Northwest Georgia teams that did not win Friday night (and into Saturday morning in one case) had what could be considered quality losses, giving their coaching staffs something positive to build on.
— A year ago, Calhoun was routed at home by Cartersville and looked nothing like the team that would go on to win the Class AAA title for the program’s fifth GHSA state championship. The Yellow Jackets lost again to the Class AAAA Purple Hurricanes, 38-35 in a matchup that ended close to 1 a.m. Saturday at Cartersville’s Weinman Stadium, but the game only proved coach Clay Stephenson’s team is a serious threat to repeat.
Down 21 points after three quarters, Calhoun (2-1) doggedly stayed in the game, eventually tying it before the Canes (4-0) drove late for the winning field goal.
Calhoun’s rally came against a team that features seven players with offers from Power Four conference programs, including senior receiver Brady Marchese, who had nearly 200 yards on nine catches. (He is committed to Georgia, and if you’re a fan of the Dawgs and haven’t seen his highlights, do yourself a favor and find them online.)