Canes' defense blanks Columbia in season-opening win
- Staff
- Aug 15
- 3 min read
August 15, 2025
by Scott Barkley / CanesAthletics.com
A suffocating Canes defense overwhelmed Columbia Thursday night, recording two touchdowns and three turnovers in a season-opening 44-0 thumping of the Eagles.
The game was played on Summer Hill Night, as alumni of Cartersville’s school for Black students before integration were honored before the game. One side of the Canes’ helmets portrayed a pitchfork decal in honor of Summer Hill’s Blue Devils’ athletic teams.
Cartersville was already up 21-0 midway through the second quarter when Jared Cooley pressured the Eagles quarterback into the sideline and an ill-advised throw that Cole Crawford plucked out of the air and returned for a score. The defensive line created another turnover in the backfield with five minutes to play, allowing AJ Townsend to scoop up a fumble and carry it in from 20 yards out.
Safety Reed Ezell also picked off a pass, though a penalty nullified his 17-yard return. The Canes' defense held Columbia to 183 yards on the night, with only 44 on the ground.
“I’m proud of our guys. They played really tough tonight,” said head coach Conor Foster. “That’s a talented team, especially up front, to be able to take the run away from them.”
Crawford said his interception was a bit of being in the right place at the right time. That tends to happen with the kind of pursuit like the junior linebackers, but he was quick to give credit to the Canes' defensive line.
“I was just kind of going with the flow of the play and Cooley had him wrapped up,” he said. “It’s a lot easier when you have guys like we do up front. They’re freaky athletic and just do everything right. I give them a lot of credit for our success because they’re really great players.”
It was Cartersville’s third straight win over Columbia and second shutout after last year’s 40-0 victory.
The Canes got on board on their second possession. After Nate Russell finished an 11-yard scramble down to the three, the junior rolled left on his next snap and found a wide-open Davis Waddell for the opening score that made it 7-0 after Ramsey Rowell’s kick with 6:46 left in the first quarter.
The Canes’ next drive came with a loud validation of the buzz surrounding newcomer Braylon Hill.
After a penalty backed the offense into a first-and-15 at the Columbia 47, Hill gathered a Russell pass at the 40 before meeting would-be tacklers at the 33. The running back kept himself upright after that collision by putting a hand on the Weinman turf. He then spun out of another tackle at the 20, and darted the rest of the way for the touchdown and 14-0 lead.
Cartersville’s next drive was its most sustained of the night, going 70 yards on eight plays. The big play came as Russell connected with Madoxx Davis for 27 yards down to the Columbia 18. Three plays later, Tripp Chatmon bulled his way through the middle for a four-yard score, building the difference to 21-0 with 9:29 left in the first half.
After Crawford’s pick-six, Hill added the final touchdown of the first half with a five-yard run over left tackle into the north end zone that pushed the lead to 35-0.
Russell set up Cartersville’s next score from his new role as punter.. From midfield, the senior’s kick died at the one before rolling back a couple of yards and prompting the usually subdued Russell into mimicking a golf swing. Four plays later, a snap out of the back of the end zone on Columbia’s punt attempt tacked on a safety for a 37-0 lead.
Townsend’s return on the Eagles’ ensuing drive finished the scoring, but Columbia made a final push to get on the board amid a fourth-quarter running clock. After a short Canes kickoff and return placed the Eagles at the Cartersville 32, three plays put the visitors on the five-yard line. A final throw to the end zone as time ran out went wide, though.
The Canes head southwest on Highway 113 next Friday to face Rockmart. Kickoff is set for 7:30.
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