It was supposed to be a region road test for Calhoun, but Friday night's trip to Cass was never in doubt as the Yellow Jackets jumped out to a 44-0 halftime lead en route to a 44-14 win in the 7-AAAAA matchup.
Calhoun (7-2, 3-1) used a pair of Christian Lewis touchdown passes and one scoring run, plus two touchdown runs from Jerrian Hames, to mount the big halftime lead. The Colonels (6-3, 1-3) failed to cover three kickoffs in the first quarter, leading to 10 Calhoun points.
The Jackets, trying to avoid giving up big kickoff returns, elected to pooch kick. Cass did not adjust.
"We came out from the get-go and got a big lead thanks to those kickoffs," said Calhoun coach Clay Stephenson, whose team clinched at least a third-place finish in the region and will host Cartersville next Friday with second place and a home playoff game on the line. "That put them in a hole, and we played hard the whole half. We weren't really expecting to get them. We just wanted to keep it away from their big guys."
The first, on the opening kickoff, led to a 36-yard Carlos Orozco field goal. The second did not net points, but a three-and-out defensive stand set up a short field, and Lewis connected with favorite target Cole Speer for a 53-yard touchdown on a screen pass.
After recovering the ensuing kickoff, Calhoun needed only five plays to make it 17-0 on Lewis' 12-yard touchdown run. Moments later, on the first play of the second quarter, he connected with Quin Smith on a 12-yard score. Hames capped the big half with scoring runs of 80 and 42 yards.
The second half was played with a running clock.
(READ MORE: Final scores and photos from Friday night's Chattanooga-area high school football games)
Sonoraville 42, LaFayette 38: The Phoenix registered the Region 6-AAA upset as Brady Lackey ran for three touchdowns and passed for 263 yards and another score. Zach Lyles rushed for 131 yards and a touchdown, and Nick Beddington had three catches for 136 yards and a touchdown.
LaFayette (4-4, 4-2) took a 20-7 lead early on two Jamario Clements touchdown runs and one from Jaylon Ramsey, and the Ramblers were ahead 26-14 at halftime after a Ramsey-to-Clements touchdown pass. Sonoraville (3-5, 1-5), though, scored the next four touchdowns, capped by a Jaxson Pate run, to pull off the comeback.
North Murray 56, Murray County 8: Dante Tidwell scored four touchdowns, three on the ground, as the Mountaineers rolled in the intracounty 6-AAA matchup. Tidwell had touchdown runs of 47, 2 and 3 yards, and he caught a 24-yard pass from Seth Griffin to score the game's first points. Cade Petty and Jadyn Rice added a pair of touchdown runs for North Murray (6-2, 5-1).
Douglas County 41, Dalton 6: The Catamounts (1-6, 0-5 Region 5-AAAAAA) scored the game's first touchdown on a Luke Blanchard 27-yard run, but it was all Douglas County (7-1, 4-1) after that as Jimmy Inman passed for two scores, Kobe Harris ran for two and the defense returned two interceptions for touchdowns.
Trion 41, Armuchee 14: Rob Brown rushed for 210 yards and scored on touchdown runs of 51, 17, 25 and 6 yards as the Bulldogs (3-5, 1-2 Region 6-A public) ran out to a 35-7 halftime lead. Cody Maddux, Brody Brown and Brantley Willbanks had interceptions for Trion.
Coosa 24, Dade County 14: Coosa earned its first Region 7-AA win in four tries and put Dade County (2-6, 1-3) in doubt where the playoffs are concerned. The Wolverines led 14-7 on a pair of touchdown passes from Makinley Everett to Brodie Swader, but Coosa's Billy Settlemoir scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to lead the rally.
Northwest Whitfield 46, Southeast Whitfield 20: Adrian Reyes rushed for three touchdowns and Owen Brooker passed for three scores as the Bruins (7-2) earned the nonregion win. Ray Morrison caught two of Brooker's touchdown passes, with Matt Redmond grabbing the other.
Lions accept forfeit win
Christian Heritage's game against Mount Paran Christian was canceled earlier in the day due to positive COVID-19 tests at Mount Paran, said Christian Heritage coach Jay Poag, whose Lions will receive a forfeit win. It is the second such victory for the Lions (8-1) this year, with the first over Lakeway Christian. The team's next game is Nov. 20 at home against North Cobb Christian in a matchup that will decide the region champion in 7-A private.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.