Canes win big; Tigers take thriller as local high school football kicks off
August 15, 2024
Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com
The Cartersville Purple Hurricanes opened the 2024 season on Thursday night at Weinman Stadium with a dominant 40-0 win over the Columbia Eagles.
Sophomore quarterback, Nate Russell, had a tipped pass intercepted on the Hurricanes’ first drive but bounced back with two touchdown passes and a touchdown run on the next three Canes’ possessions to take control in the first quarter.
Russell connected with A’darrian Taylor-Wilson for a 41-yard touchdown with 7:15 remaining in the initial period but the PAT kick was blocked leaving the Hurricanes with a 6-0 advantage.
After recovering a pooched-type ensuing kickoff, Cartersville finished off the possession with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Russell to Jamauri Brice in the back corner of the end zone to take a 12-0 lead with 5:06 left in the opening quarter.
On the Canes’ next possession, Russell culminated the drive with a 5-yard run with 1:22 remaining in the quarter. This time Johan Ramirez converted the PAT kick to put Cartersville ahead, 19-0.
Baylon Long had a 4-yard touchdown run to give the Hurricanes a 26-0 lead with 10:49 remaining in the second quarter and Tyon Coe closed out the first half scoring with an 11-yard touchdown scamper. The Coe run came with 6:15 left in the half and built a 33-0 lead at the intermission.
Freshman Tripp Chatmon had a 1-yard touchdown plunge for the Canes and the only score of the second half with 9:36 remaining in the game.
Cartersville (1-0) will host Rockmart next Friday in a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.
~~ contributions from Matt Santini
ADAIRSVILLE 28, ALLATOONA 27
The Adairsville Tigers won a thrilling season opener on Thursday night over Class 4A Allatoona, 28-27.
The Tigers built a 21-7 lead late in the third quarter but survived with a one-point victory when the visiting Buccaneers missed a PAT kick with just 0:48 remaining in the game.
The two teams traded promising drives in the first quarter, but both ended with interceptions. Xavious Nalls picked off another Allatoona pass with 0:01 left in the opening period at the Bucs’ 42-yard line to set up the game’s first score.
A short Adairsville drive led to a 27-yard field goal by Cooper Souders. That gave the Tigers a 3-0 lead with 8:02 left in the first half.
Just before the intermission, the Tigers mounted another scoring drive.
Quarterback Ethan Long connected with Tre Winters for a 5-yard pitch and catch with 0:21 remaining. A two-point conversion run by Nalls gave Adairsville an 11-0 lead at halftime.
Allatoona struck first in the second half to narrow the Tigers’ advantage to 11-7 but Adairsville responded with the next 10 points.
The Bucs' Xavier Rucker got free for a 15-yard touchdown run with 9:18 remaining left in the third quarter for Allatoona's first score.
Long followed with a 12-yard screen pass toss to Nalls for a touchdown that gave the Tigers an 18-7 lead midway through the third quarter. Souders later booted a 28-yard field goal with 4:08 left in the period and a 21-7 Tigers lead.
Buccaneers running back Ethan Corpus capped off a pair of Allatoona scoring drives with short runs that knotted the score at 21. The first of those two drives was a 71-yarder that took seven plays. The second of those drives covered 48 yards in seven plays.
Adairsville grabbed a 28-21 lead late in the fourth quarter before having to hold off a late rally by Allatoona.
The Tigers' scoring play used a bit of trickery.
Long made a lateral toward the sideline to tailback Tamarius Wilkey who then made a run-fake before connecting downfield with Nalls for a 22-yard touchdown pass.
Allatoona charged back down the field to score with only 0:48 left in the game. The Bucs punched in a 1-yard run by Corpus to culminate a 14-play, 80-yard drive. The Bucs missed the extra point kick, however, when it banged off the left upright.
The visitors attempted an onside kickoff but it was recovered by the Tigers who ran out the clock.
Adairsville (1-0) visits Pepperell next Thursday for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.
~~ contributions from Larry Gardner
Comments