Colonels' defense delivers in hard-fought win over Cedartown
October 17, 2026
Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com
The Cass Colonels overcame three turnovers, swirling winds, and a late Cedartown rally Friday night at Doug Cochran Stadium to secure a hard-fought 14-11 victory over the Bulldogs.
Both teams entered the matchup looking to rebound from one-sided losses to top-ranked Cartersville in their previous outings. Despite those setbacks, both remained in the top 10 of the GHSA postseason rankings.
In a windy game, with gusts reaching 35 mph and temperatures dropping for the first time this fall, the Colonels built an 11-point halftime lead before holding off the Bulldogs in the second half.
Cass improved to 7-1 with the win, while Cedartown fell to 5-3.
Cedartown opened the scoring with a 46-yard field goal by Branson Adams with 5:09 remaining in the first quarter. The Bulldogs' six-play drive covered just 11 yards before Adams connected on the long kick, giving them a 3-0 lead. A Colonels fumble in the backfield set up the abbreviated drive.
Cass answered with an 80-yard, 12-play drive. Kalil Charles capped the possession with a 7-yard touchdown run with 28 seconds remaining in the opening quarter, and Anthony Diaz added the extra point to give the Colonels a 7-3 lead.
Cass' defense provided another scoring opportunity early in the second quarter when defensive lineman Cordae Reed recovered a Cedartown fumble at the Bulldogs' 20-yard line.
Five plays later, Charles scored on another 7-yard run with 11:43 remaining in the half. Diaz's extra point extended the Cass lead to 14-3.
The Colonels' defense kept Cedartown's offense in check for the rest of the first half. The Bulldogs managed just one more first down on their final four possessions before halftime, and they lost another fumble that Cass' Tyson Beauford recovered.
Cass had opportunities to extend its advantage but also struggled with ball security and finishing drives. The Colonels lost a fumble at the Cedartown 25-yard line when a defender stripped a Cass receiver after the catch. The Bulldogs also stopped two Cass possessions on downs, one at the Cedartown 26 and another at the 9-yard line.
Cass led 14-3 at halftime.
The second half opened with another unusual turnover. Battling the heavy winds, Cass delivered a high, short kickoff that Elijah Beaulieu recovered for the Colonels at the Cedartown 28-yard line.
Cass could not capitalize, however, gaining no yardage before turning the ball over on downs.
The Colonels struggled to generate offense throughout the third quarter, failing to record a first down on three possessions. Cedartown also struggled to move the ball, managing only one first down on its two second-half possessions before putting together a drive that carried into the fourth quarter.
The Bulldogs cut the deficit to three points with 10:22 remaining when Chris Johnson scored on a 6-yard run to finish a 54-yard, seven-play drive.
The key play came on a double-handoff reverse, with Rohan Kent racing 39 yards to the Cass 1-yard line. Johnson scored on the next sequence, and quarterback Wyatt Mosley connected with Ollie West on a two-point conversion pass to make it 14-11.
Cass had three possessions remaining to protect its lead. The first ended on downs near midfield, and the second ended when Noah Rogers fumbled at the Cedartown 49-yard line.
The Colonels' defense kept the Bulldogs from capitalizing, setting up one final chance for Cass to close out the game.
With two minutes remaining and Cedartown out of timeouts, Cass took possession and ran out the clock with kneel-down plays from victory formation.
Turnovers defined the contest. Cedartown fumbled three times and failed to field the second-half kickoff, while Cass fumbled three times.
Neither offense found much success after halftime. Cedartown managed just four first downs in the second half, while Cass recorded only two.
The Colonels will carry their 7-1 record into next Friday night's road matchup against Allatoona. Cedartown, now 5-3, will return home to host Woodland.
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