Canes roll at Dalton, 45-14
- Staff
- Sep 14
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 15
Scott Barkley / CanesAthletics.com
Dalton had no answer for Braylon Hill and Tripp Chatmon, as the duo combined for 161 yards and two rushing touchdowns on just 12 carries Friday night in the Canes’ 45-14 win over the Catamounts.
Chatmon averaged nearly 14 yards per rush. Hill was right behind at 13 per clip to go with a 40-yard touchdown catch for a team-leading 118 all-purpose yards. The Canes finished with 320 total yards of offense.
Tyon Coe contributed 14 yards on two carries, but found the end zone on defense in taking an interception 104 yards to the house.
Dalton’s talented young quarterback, sophomore Caine Woods, put CHS behind for the first time this season after leading the Catamounts on an opening drive that covered 81 yards over 16 plays. It ended in a 17-yard touchdown toss and a 7-0 lead with only 2:36 to play in the first period.
The lead lasted 59 seconds.
After an onside kick attempt that went out of bounds gave the Canes the ball at their 37, Hill took a handoff on 3rd-and-1. The senior raced through the middle and broke left for the 54-yard score that tied the game after Ramsey Rowell’s kick with 1:45 left in the opening quarter.
Dalton wouldn’t find the end zone again until midway through the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, the Canes continued to score.
After forcing a Catamounts punt, CHS needed seven plays to cover 56 yards. Nate Russell’s 21-yard rainbow to Cole Crawford down the left sideline with 8:31 left in the half gave the Canes a 14-7 lead.
Dalton moved the ball into Canes territory on their next drive, but Kaiden Kent lasered in on a fourth-down pass to knock the ball away and give it back to the CHS offense.
After a couple of motion penalties put Cartersville in a 2nd-and-20 hole, Russell found Cooper Melvin for a 41-yard strike. Two plays later, it was Davis Waddell’s turn as the senior tight end collected a 19-yard scoring toss from Russell for the 21-7 advantage.
Russell had a methodical night, going 7-of-10 for 127 yards and three touchdowns.
Dalton drove to the CHS 13 in the closing seconds of the first half, but Grayson Warmack blocked a field goal attempt to maintain the lead.
The Canes received the ball out of the half and started fast. Hill broke off an apparent 65-yard score on the first play from scrimmage, but it was called back for a penalty. After a defensive penalty put CHS at their 41, Chatmon took a handoff around right end and – aided by a crushing block by receiver KB Wilkey – galloped for the 59-yard score and 28-7 lead.
It appeared Chatmon had a defensive score moments later. On 4th-and-3 from the Canes 28, a low snap skittered to near midfield before Chatmon scooped it up and ran into the end zone. But a block in the back nullified the score. Nevertheless, the Canes added to their advantage on Rowell’s 40-yard field goal with 6:54 left in the third quarter.
Hill touched the ball on all five plays of the next drive. Three carries covered 15 yards to the Dalton 40. Hill then took a short pass from Russell and worked his way through the defense to give CHS a 38-7 lead.
Dalton responded by moving the ball to Cartersville’s ten. On second down, though, Woods, who finished with 213 yards on the night, rolled right and threw to the corner. Coe squared up on the throw in the end zone and weaved through defenders near the sideline before breaking back to the middle.
He started cramping with 30 yards to go, he said later. But the junior pushed through and finished the 104-yard pick-six, unofficially a school record.
A late Dalton score secured the final 45-14 victory.
The Canes move to 5-0 on the season and will welcome Woodland into Weinman Stadium next Friday, Sept. 19.
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