Tigers and Canes take care of business; Colonels suffer first loss
September 7, 2024
Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com
The Adairsville Tigers posted 44 first-half points Friday night at Woodland en route to a 44-14 win over the Wildcats.
Jamarian Pullum had three rushing touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass to highlight the Adairsville first-half scoring barrage.
Westin Crisp returned the opening kickoff 98 yards for an Adairsville touchdown to get things started and Cooper Souders added the first of his six PAT kicks to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead just 14 seconds into the game.
Adairsville’s Xavious Nalls picked off Woodland quarterback JD Trail inside the red zone to set up the next Tigers’ score. Pullum slammed into the endzone four plays later with a 2-yard touchdown run, and Adairsville sported a 14-0 lead at the 8:08 mark of the initial period.
Tre Winters picked off a Woodland pass on the next series. Five plays later, Pullum punched in a 1-yard run for a 21-0 advantage with 4:08 left to play in the first quarter.
CJ Gardner recovered a Woodland fumble to set up the Tigers’ next scoring possession in plus territory. Adairsville quarterback Ethan Long connected with Xavious Nalls just three plays later to increase the lead to 28-0 with 2:04 remaining in the first quarter.
Woodland faked a punt near midfield on their next possession but Adairsville took over on downs at the 50-yard line. Five plays later, Long hit Pullum on a swing pass for a 7-yard touchdown and a 35-0 score with 7:02 left in the second quarter.
Adairsville added a safety at the end of the next Woodland possession. The Wildcats’ punt snap sailed over the head of punter Nick Miranda and into the end zone for a 37-0 Tigers lead with 4:27 remaining in the half.
On the Tigers’ next drive, it took three plays before Pullum broke free for a 37-yard touchdown run and a 44-0 advantage with 1:52 left in the half.
The Wildcats matched the Adairsville kickoff return with one of their own to open the second half. Isaiah Livsey took the kick back 90 yards to make the score 44-7 with 11:42 left in the third quarter.
Late in the third quarter, Livsey broke free again for a 76-yard touchdown run with 1:43 left, but a fourth-quarter running clock left the final score 44-14.
Adairsville (3-1) has a bye week in the schedule next Friday before hosting LaFayette on September 20.
Woodland (1-2) also has a bye week before hosting Cartersville on September 20.
~~~ Larry Gardner contributed to this report.
CARTERSVILLE 35, CALHOUN 13
The Class 4A second-ranked Cartersville Hurricanes utilized another ironfisted defensive performance and got four rushing touchdowns from four different players Friday night to win 35-13 at Class 3A 10th-ranked Calhoun.
For the Canes, it was their 33rd win in 41 games with the Yellow Jackets.
The two defenses were on display early in a scoreless first quarter but the Hurricanes broke the scoring ice with a 28-yard touchdown run by Jacaiden Leonard with 7:48 remaining in the first half. A long completion from Nate Russell to A’darrian Taylor-Wilson sparked the drive and converted a 3rd-and-18. Ramsey Rowell booted the first of five PAT kicks to give Cartersville a 7-0 lead.
A Calhoun fumble on the ensuing kickoff return set up the Canes’ next score — a 14-yard run by Baylon Long with 4:59 to play in the second quarter. Brayden Logan recovered the fumble for the Hurricanes deep in Yellow Jacket territory.
The Yellow Jackets cracked the scoreboard before the intermission with a 39-yard field goal by Carlos Lopez sending the two teams to the break with a 14-3 score.
The Hurricanes’ defense forced a Calhoun punt on the second half's initial possession, and the Cartersville offense stretched the lead.
Russell scored on a 9-yard run with 9:05 remaining in the third period to extend the Cartersville advantage to 21-3.
After the Yellow Jackets made it 21-6 with a 39-yard field goal by Lopez, Russell connected with Brady Marchese for a 90-yard touchdown pass and a more comfortable 28-6 lead with 1:53 left in the quarter.
Calhoun scored its only touchdown of the night on the next possession, narrowing the deficit to 28-13.
A 30-yard scoring strike from Trace Hawkins to Justin Beasley culminated a drive that included chunk runs by Isaiah Nalls.
Cartersville had a 70-yard scoring pass nullified by a penalty on the next possession but did add a late touchdown to seal the victory on a 1-yard run by Andrew Purdy with 1:58 left in the game.
The loss dropped Calhoun to 1-2 on the season. The Yellow Jackets travel to unbeaten Cambridge on Friday before opening Region 7-3A play the following week at home against Adairsville.
Cartersville (4-0) begins play in Region 7-4A next Friday at Weinman Stadium against Dalton.
~~~ Matt Santini contributed to this report.
NORTH COBB 43, CASS 14
North Cobb running back Zach Belyeu had two first-half rushing touchdowns, while quarterback Nick Grimstead had touchdown passes to Steele Ingram and Micah Billingsley Friday night as the Warriors overpowered host Cass. 43-14.
Quavy Echols added a second-quarter rushing touchdown as North Cobb built a 33-7 advantage by halftime.
The only Cass scoring in the first half was a 77-yard interception return for a touchdown by Ian Williams midway through the first quarter.
The pick-six tied the game at 7-7, but North Cobb responded with 29 unanswered points from that point to pull away.
Belyeu’s first touchdown run came just 34 seconds into the game.
A Cass fumble on the opening kickoff gave North Cobb the ball at the 17-yard line. Back-to-back runs by Belyeu included a 12-yard scoring scamper.
After Cass knotted the score, the Warriors struck back with a 44-yard touchdown pass from Grimstead to Ingram. The PAT kick failed, but North Cobb had a 13-7 lead with 3:42 left in the opening quarter.
On their next possession, North Cobb drove for their third touchdown. Belyeu punched in an 8-yard run on the first play of the second quarter for a 19-7 lead after a two-point conversion run attempt failed.
Midway through the second quarter, North Cobb built a 26-7 advantage when Echols scored on a 7-yard run. This time, Michael Hill made his second PAT kick.
After stopping Cass and using a timeout to preserve time at the end of the second quarter, the Warriors added a 23-yard touchdown pass from Grimstead to Billingsley with only 0:07 remaining in the half. Hill’s kick put North Cobb up 33-7 at the intermission.
Kaleb Castro booted a 42-yard field goal for the Warriors for the third quarter's only points, giving North Cobb a 36-7 lead.
In the final stanza, Cass forced a North Cobb turnover and drove 35 yards for their only offensive touchdown.
Sergio Ochoa stripped reserve quarterback Christion Peacock in the backfield, and the Colonels recovered the fumble at the North Cobb 35 yard line.
Cass quarterback Brodie McWhorter had a 13-yard run to keep the drive moving and later finished the nine-play march with a 1-yard keeper. Mason Madrid made his second PAT kick of the night, and Cass briefly cut the North Cobb lead to 36-14 with 7:00 remaining.
The Warriors added the final scoring of the night with the ensuing possession. Cam Morris had three chunk runs during the drive and punched in a 1-yard run with 2:51 remaining and a 43-14 final score.
North Cobb (4-0) hosts North Paulding next Friday.
Cass (3-1) will entertain the Hiram Hornets in their Region 7-4A opener.
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