Colonels keep rolling, pull away from Woodland in 42-21 victory
September 26, 2026
Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com
The Cass Colonels remained unbeaten Friday night, overcoming a strong second-half challenge from Woodland before pulling away for a 42-21 victory at Wildcats Stadium.
Cass, ranked No. 7 in Class 5A, improved to 6-0 overall and 2-0 in Region 7-5A. The Colonels never trailed and defeated Woodland for the eighth straight time, improving to 17-6 all-time against the Wildcats.
Woodland, which dropped to 2-3 overall and 0-1 in region play, had the first opportunity to score. Solomon James returned the opening kickoff to near midfield, and the Wildcats drove to the Cass 21-yard line before missing a 38-yard field goal.
After the teams exchanged short drives and punts, Cass broke through with 10:42 remaining in the second quarter.
The Colonels drove 43 yards in four plays, with Noah Rogers finding Jeremy Barrett for a 24-yard touchdown pass in the left flat. Barrett sidestepped the first defender and raced to the end zone. Anthony Diaz added the extra point for a 7-0 Cass lead.
Cass then created another scoring opportunity when Xzavion Turner intercepted a pass near the goal line and returned it 41 yards to the Colonels' 42-yard line with just over six minutes remaining in the half.
Cass converted the turnover into another touchdown. Rogers capped a 58-yard, 12-play drive with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Jah Abdullah-Kortey with 1:06 left before halftime. Diaz's PAT gave the Colonels a 14-0 advantage at the break.
Woodland answered immediately after halftime.
Cass went three-and-out on its opening possession of the second half, and James needed only one offensive snap to give the Wildcats life. With 9:32 remaining in the third quarter, James broke loose for a 61-yard touchdown run. Chad Waller's PAT cut the Cass lead to 14-7.
The Colonels responded with a 67-yard drive that consumed 12 plays and included a fourth-down conversion. Rogers connected with Abdullah-Kortey on a pass into the red zone before Kalil Charles scored on a 1-yard run with 4:46 remaining in the quarter. Diaz's kick made it 21-7.
Woodland answered again.
The Wildcats drove 62 yards in seven plays, with James carrying three times for 37 yards. But James was injured on a 12-yard run that gave Woodland a first down at the Cass 14-yard line. He was carted from the field with a severe ankle injury.
Woodland finished the drive with Sam Ray's 14-yard touchdown pass to Clayton McArdle, cutting the deficit to 21-14 with 3:03 left in the third quarter.
Cass appeared to answer immediately when Barrett returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown, but a penalty brought the ball back to midfield.
The Colonels needed six plays to reach the end zone anyway. The drive featured five running plays and a 29-yard pass from Rogers to Barrett before Charles scored his second 1-yard touchdown of the night. Diaz's PAT pushed the Cass lead to 28-14 with 34 seconds remaining in the third.
Woodland went three-and-out on its next possession, punting on the first play of the fourth quarter. Cass took over at the Wildcats' 32-yard line and needed only two plays to extend its lead.
Rogers connected with King Lloyd for 26 yards, and Charles followed with a 6-yard touchdown run. Diaz's kick made it 35-14 with 10:30 remaining.
Woodland continued to battle.
The Wildcats marched 71 yards in 10 plays on their next possession, relying heavily on the running game. Nine of the plays were runs by Hayden Collins and Mitchell Sheppard, with Sheppard gaining 20 and 14 yards. Collins finished the drive with a 6-yard touchdown run, and Waller's PAT cut the margin to 35-21 with 5:54 remaining.
Woodland attempted an onside kick, but Lloyd recovered for Cass at the Wildcats' 49-yard line.
On the very next play, Rogers put the game away.
The Cass sophomore quarterback took the snap and started to his right before cutting toward the left sideline and outracing the Woodland defense for a 49-yard touchdown run. Diaz added the PAT for a 42-21 lead with 5:43 remaining.
Woodland picked up two first downs on its next possession but was stopped on downs when the Colonels recorded a sack at the Wildcats' 42-yard line with just under three minutes remaining.
Cass' second-unit offense later fumbled, giving Woodland one final possession at its own 40-yard line. The Wildcats reached the Cass 6-yard line on a final-play pass from Ray to McArdle, but time expired before Woodland could score again.
Rogers completed 14 of 17 passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 42 yards on four attempts and scored once on the ground.
Barrett caught eight passes for 99 yards and a touchdown, while Lloyd had four receptions for 65 yards. Abdullah-Kortey added three catches for 36 yards and a touchdown.
Charles rushed for 82 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries. Kalel Charles added 27 yards on six attempts.
For Woodland, James finished with 176 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries before leaving with his ankle injury. Sheppard rushed for 37 yards on five attempts, while Collins had 21 yards and a touchdown on six carries.
Ray completed 9 of 23 passes for 126 yards, one touchdown and one interception. McArdle caught five passes for 74 yards and a touchdown. Trevor Mann had two receptions for 23 yards, while Braylen Collum caught two passes for 16 yards.
Cass will return home Friday for one of the area's most anticipated matchups, hosting top-ranked Cartersville at Cochran Stadium. The Hurricanes enter the game 5-0 overall and 1-0 in Region 7-5A.
Woodland travels to Villa Rica, which enters at 4-2 overall and 0-2 in region play.
~~ Stuart Morse contributed to this report.
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