Canes win 8th-straight region title; Tigers earn road win at Murray County

Cartersville moved to 9-0 overall and secured the 2019 Region 5-AAAA championship Friday night with a 41-6 win over Chapel Hill at Weinman Stadium. The win was Cartersville’s 57th consecutive regular season victory and marked the program’s eighth straight region title.

The Hurricanes’ win combined with Cedartown’s 15-8 victory over Troup County locked up the region title for Cartersville as they head into a bye week.

Chapel Hill took a 6-0 lead in the first quarter on a four-yard run by Imani Davis, but the Canes posted 41 unanswered points in the win.

Cartersville quarterback Tee Webb connected with Devonte Ross on a 41-yard scoring strike that gave the Canes a 7-6 lead after the Emmanuel Lopez PAT kick.

Evan Slocum added an 8-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter for a 13-6 halftime lead.

Canes’ safety Amarai Orr picked off a Panthers pass early in the third quarter to jump-start Cartersville’s second half surge. That play led to a pair of short Harrison Allen touchdown runs and Webb connected again with Ross on a 55-yard touchdown pass as Cartersville extended their lead to 34-6 with a 21-0 third period.

Senior tight end Michael Abernathy caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Webb in the fourth quarter to round out the Hurricanes scoring.

Webb (photo) passed for 235 yards and three touchdowns. Ross caught two scoring passes and finished with 150 yards on six receptions.

The loss drops Chapel Hill to 4-4 for the season. The Panthers are 1-3 in Region 5-AAAA.

Cartersville (9-0, 5-0) closes out the regular season at Troup November 8 and has secured a home game for the opening round of the Class AAAA state playoffs which begin November 15.

ADAIRSVILLE 22, MURRAY COUNTY 14

On a wet evening, the Adairsville Tigers kept their state playoff hopes alive with a 22-14 road win Friday night at Murray County.

The Tigers’ win keeps their opportunity alive for at least a three-way tie for fourth place in the Region 6-AAA standings with Sonoraville and Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe. That cause was aided Friday night when LFO edged Sonoraville, 27-26.

Friday night in Chatsworth, the host Indians scored on both of their first two possessions before the Adairsville defense shut down the Murray County offense for the remainder of the game.

Murray’s Brannon Nuckolls caught a 17 yard touchdown pass from Cade Petty with 0:05 remaining in the first quarter for the Indians’ 7-0 lead, but Adairsville came right back down the field.

The Tigers drove 80 yards and scored on a six-yard run by Eli Agnew (photo) to make the score 7-7.

Savaun Henderson had a 32-yard run in the drive and quarterback Conner Crunkelton hooked up with Simmons on a 25-yard pass play in the sequence.

Adairsville head coach Eric Bishop called for an onside kick on the ensuing kickoff and the Tigers recovered.

A few plays later, Emmanuel Lopez booted a 40-yard field goal that put the Tigers ahead 10-7.

The Indians regained the lead 14-10 after a second straight onside kickoff attempt by Adairsville was unsuccessful. Petty finished off the Murray County drive with a 27-yard touchdown run. Adairsville finished off the first half with a drive from their own 4-yard line to the Indians’ 4-yard line. Lopez kicked a 21-yard field goal to pull Adairsville to within one point at halftime.

In the second half, Lopez put Adairsville back ahead with his second 40-yard field goal of the night with 4:38 remaining in the third period. The Tigers added to their 16-14 lead with Agnew’s second rushing score. The four-yard touchdown run gave Adairsville a 22-14 lead, but Murray County blocked the PAT kick to stay within one score with just over nine minutes remaining.

The Indians had two more possessions down the stretch, but a turnover and a defensive stand by the Tigers’ defense helped Adairsville hold on for the eight-point win.

Adairsville’s JaMaury Johnson finished with 132 yards on 20 rushing attempts. Agnew added 90 yards on 14 carries.

The loss drops Murray County to 4-5 for the season and 2-5 in Region 6-AAA. The Indians have a bye week before closing the regular season at Haralson County November 8.

Adairsville (4-5, 3-4) hosts Ringgold Friday night in another must-win region tilt.

VILLA RICA 14, WOODLAND 8

After a scoreless first half dominated by the two defenses in rain-slicked conditions, all the points in the game were scored in the third quarter.

Villa Rica drove 69 yards in seven plays to take a 7-0 lead on a 30-yard, quarterback bootleg run by Tristan Allen with 8:04 remaining in the third period. Jacob Antoine made the first of two PAT kicks for the visiting Wildcats.

Woodland responded with an 80 yard drive that took seven plays to take an 8-7 lead.

Asa James (photo) had three key runs in the drive and scored on a 27-yard touchdown run. He also scored the host Wildcats’ two-point conversion on a direct snap run.

Villa Rica recaptured the lead in the final minute of the third quarter.

Freshman fullback T.J. Harvison scored on a four-yard run to cap an eight-play, 63-yard drive. Villa Rica improved to 2-6 for the season and 1-5 in Region 7-AAAAA. They host Rome next Frdiay.

Woodland, who lost its seventh straight, slipped to 1-7 for the year and 0-6 in region play. The local Wildcats travel to East Paulding next Friday.

KELL 35, CASS 0

Sixth-ranked Kell took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter on a 14-yard run by junior quarterback Corbin Lafrance and a 75-yard pass from Lafrance to Camron Ball. David Mbadinga added a 10-yard touchdown run in the second quarter as the Longhorns grabbed a 21-0 lead at the intermission. Tyler Barrett scored a pair of third quarter touchdowns for Kell on runs of 35 and 60 yards for the 35-0 final score. Longhorns’ kicker Colby Kerns connected on the PAT kicks.

Kell improved to 6-2 on the season and 4-2 in Region 7-AAAAA. The Longhorns host Hiram next Friday.

Cass falls to 3-6 overall and 2-5 in region play with their fifth straight loss. The Colonels have a bye week before closing the season November 8 at Paulding County.