All four local football teams open 2020 season with wins

All four local high school football teams opened their 2020 regular seasons Friday night with wins. Cartersville extended the state's longest regular season win streak to 59 games with a home win over Morrow. Cass beat visiting Class AAA 10th-ranked Dawson County 23-7 in new head coach Steve Gates' debut. Adairsville scored late to hold off visiting Chattooga 35-28 and Woodland picked up a road, shutout win at Gordon Central, 14-0.

CARTERSVILLE SETS NEW REGULAR SEASON WIN STREAK RECORD

Cartersville cruised to a season-opening 42-0 win Friday night over Morrow at Weinman Stadium and set the state record for consecutive regular season wins in the process. The Canes’ 59th straight regular season win continues a streak that dates back to 2014. Quarterback Stratton Tripp — who was 11-for-16 for 256 yards and three touchdowns — had scoring tosses twice to Sam Phillips (51 and 11 yards) to go with an 85-yard scoring toss, catch, and run fto Devonte Ross for a touchdown. Phillips finished with six catches and 106 yards. Quante Jennings scored on touchdown runs of 25 and 48 yards. Jalen Thomas added a 36-yard scoring jaunt.

Cartersville scored on all but one of its first-half possessions and the Canes’ defense stifled the visiting Mustangs throughout the night and earned a shutout. The Canes (1-0) host West Forsyth next Friday at Weinman Stadium.

ADAIRSVILLE RALLIES IN FINAL FIVE MINUTES TO DEFEAT CHATTOOGA Adairsville scored a pair of unanswered touchdowns in the final five minutes Friday night to outlast visiting Chattooga, 35-28.

The Tigers led 21-7 at halftime, but the Indians knotted the score at 21-all through three quarters. Chattooga’s only score of the first half was a 40-yard scoop and score by their defense. The two third quarter scores were through the air with the tying score coming on a 90-yard pass play.

Chattooga scored its third unanswered touchdown on a 10-yard pass play midway through the fourth quarter to take a 28-21 lead, but the Tigers would answer with their late rally. In the first half, Adairsville scored on short touchdown runs by Eli Agnew and Courtney Slocum from five and three yards, respectively. The other first half score was a 62-yard touchdown pass from Connor Crunkleton to Evan Sanders.

Trailing by a touchdown late in the final quarter, Chris Roper tied the game with a 29-yard touchdown run. He later caught a 39-yard Crunkleton pass for the go-ahead touchdown with 1:56 remaining.

Adairsville (1-0) travels to Cass next Friday for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.

WOODLAND BLANKS GORDON CENTRAL FOR SEASON OPENING WIN

Asa James scored a pair of touchdowns Friday night as the Woodland Wildcats earned a 14-0 win to open the 2020 season at Gordon Central.

James totaled 181 yards rushing on 23 carries. He hauled in a 55-yard touchdown pass from Johnathan Thomas for a 6-0 Wildcats’ lead and later scored on a 15-yard run with 5:34 left in the game. Thomas added a successful two-point conversion run. Meanwhile, the Woodland defense made key plays and kept the Warriors off the scoreboard.

Woodland head coach Tony Plott was pleased with his team’s defensive effort.

“Our defense played great and we played incredibly well up front. We controlled the line of scrimmage and really kept their two best players — the quarterback and running back — in check for most of the night,” Plott said.

Woodland (1-0) will entertain Osborne in a 7:30 p.m. kickoff next Friday.

CASS TAMES TIGERS IN GATES’ FIRST WIN

New head coach Steve Gates picked up his initial win at the helm of the Colonels as Cass defeated Class AAA 10th-ranked Dawson County 23-7 at Cochran Stadium.

Although penalties riddled both teams, Cass was in control most of the night and took a 14-0 lead into halftime.

Freshman quarterback Devin Henderson connected with Jaiden Avalos for a 38-yard strike to open the scoring in the first quarter and the Colonels took advantage of good field position on their next position to build a two touchdown lead.

Zay Jackson scored on a two-yard run to cap a 49-yard drive that took nine plays. The second PAT of the night by Kaleb Speights had Cass ahead 14-0 midway through the second quarter.

Speights added three more field goals in the second half to account for the rest of the Colonels’ scoring. He made a 33-yarder midway through the third quarter for a 17-0 lead; added a 39-yarder with 1:19 left in the period and finished his night with a 26-yard field goal with 1:15 left in the game for a 23-7 final score.

The lone Dawson County touchdown culminated an 80-yard, nine-play drive with 4:27 remaining in the third quarter that cut the Cass lead to 17-7 at the time. Tigers’ junior quarterback Zach Holtzclaw tossed a 31-yard pass to Tyler Lane for the Dawson County score.

The Cass defense forced a fumble recovered by linebacker Elijah Harris in the first half and stopped the Tigers twice on downs in key situations during the second half.

Henderson finished 10-for-21 passing for 154 yards and one touchdown. He also ran for 47 yards.

Cass (1-0) will host Adairsville next Friday night. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.