Canes win a back-and-forth thriller to secure Region 7-AAAA title
October 26, 2024
Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com

Cartersville place kicker Ramsey Rowell drilled a 35-yard field goal as time expired Friday night, lifting the Cartersville Purple Hurricanes to a 45-43 victory over visiting Hiram.
The win clinched a Region 7-AAAA championship for the Hurricanes and a perfect 10-0 regular season.
Cartersville has now had ten undefeated regular seasons in the last 13 years and has a 126-3 record in regular season games during that stretch.
Hiram led 21-14 at halftime, but Cartersville scored three consecutive touchdowns to open the second half and grabbed a 35-21 lead late in the third quarter. The Hornets drove for a score to pull within seven and tied the score 35-35 after taking advantage of an interception.
The Canes answered to go up 42-35, but the Hornets responded with a touchdown and a two-point conversion to lead 43-42 with 2:07 left in the game.
On the final possession, Cartersville drove within field goal range to set up Rowell’s kick as the game clock expired.
Cartersville scored on the opening drive to take a 7-0 lead. Nate Russell’s 16-yard pass to Cole Crawford capped a 75-yard drive with 9:04 left in the first quarter.

Hiram answered with a 90-yard march to knot the score. Kaden Hamilton punched in a five-yard run, and the score was 7-7 with 1:44 remaining in the opening frame.
The Hornets took their first lead on their next possession. An 85-yard drive was cashed in with a 2-yard run by Amari Lindley to make the score 14-7 with 5:43 left in the second quarter.
Cartersville’s next possession tied the score again. Baylon Long culminated the drive with a 1-yard plunge with 1:53 remaining in the second period. The drive included a brilliant diving catch by Brady Marchese on a long pass from Russell to move the Hurricanes into the red zone.
Hiram moved back down the field in the final minute and scored on a tipped pass as time ran out in the first half. Ethan Latimore hurled a pass to the end zone that was tipped, but a Hornets receiver hauled it in for a 21-14 Hiram lead at halftime.

The Canes built a 35-21 lead in the third quarter.
Russell connected with Cayden Aleman for a 13-yard touchdown to tie the game at 21 with 7:10 left in the third quarter. A short punt by Hiram on the Hornets' next possession gave the Canes excellent field position, and they took advantage. Ja’Caiden Leonard scored on a 17-yard run to give Cartersville a 28-21 lead with 5:00 remaining in the period.
The next Cartersville possession resulted in the Canes’ third touchdown of the half. Russell found a streaking A’darrian Taylor-Wilson for a 51-yard score, putting the Canes ahead 35-21 with 2:40 to go in the third quarter.

Hiram rallied in the fourth quarter to tie the game for a fourth time.
The Hornets finished a 77-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run by Hamilton with 7:59 remaining to cut the Canes’ lead to one score.
After a Russell pass was intercepted, Latimore found Hamilton on a fourth-down play for a 10-yard touchdown pass that knotted the score at 35 with 5:02 to play.
The back-and-forth battle continued, with Cartersville regaining the lead on the next possession. Russell connected with Ja’mauri Brice for a 52-yard touchdown, which put the Canes ahead 42-35 with 2:55 left in the game.
Less than a minute later, Hiram answered and regained the lead for themselves. Hamilton got loose for a 65-yard scamper, and Amari Lindley added a 2-point conversion run for a 43-42 lead with 2:07 remaining.
The Cane's final possession started at their 23-yard line with only one timeout remaining.
Runs by Baylon Long picked up a first down at the 37-yard line. Russell then found an opening in the Hiram defense and raced deep into the Hornets' territory. A holding penalty negated part of the run, but the 28-yard net gain had the Canes at the Hornets’ 43-yard line.

Next, Russell hit Brice for a 19-yard gain to the Hiram 24-yard line. That was followed by a 4-yard run by Long and a 2-yard screen pass from Russell to Long to set up the Hurricanes at the 18-yard line.
Cartersville head coach Conor Foster then used his final timeout with 0:02 remaining and sent out the field goal unit.
Rowell’s game-winning kick from the right hash marks was true, and the Canes celebrated.
Russell was 16-for-22 passing for 245 yards and four touchdowns. He threw one interception. The junior quarterback also had 47 rushing yards on five attempts. Long and Leonard had 39 and 38 yards rushing, respectively.
Marchese caught five passes for 74 yards. Brice finished with four receptions for 80 yards and one touchdown. Cole Crawford had three catches for 22 yards, and Taylor-Wilson hauled in two passes for 55 yards and one score.
The loss dropped Hiram to 5-5 overall and 4-2 in Region 7-AAAA. The Hornets will represent the region as a No. 3 seed and will be on the road at the Region 6-AAAA runner-up on November 15 or 16.
Cartersville (10-0, 6-0) will host the No. 4 team from Region 6-AAAA in the first round on one of those same dates.
NOTE: Matt Santini and David Herron contributed to this report.
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