Colonels swat Hornets, 26-21
The Cass defense limited Hiram to its second lowest point production of the season and held off the Hornets in the fourth quarter for a 26-21 Region 7-5A win at Cochran Stadium.
The Colonels trailed 14-12 at halftime but scored twice in the fourth quarter for their come-from-behind win.
The victory sends Cass (4-5, 2-2) into their final regular season game next week at Calhoun with an opportunity to finish as high as a No. 2-seed in the Class 5A state playoffs. The win also gives the Colonels a head-to-head tie-breaker advantage over the Hornets who fell to 1-3 in region play.
With Calhoun’s win over Dalton, the Yellow Jackets will win the region championship next week with a win over Cass. A Colonels’ win, however, would create a three-way tie for second place.
The region tie-breaker is point differential in games involving the tied teams with a 12-point maximum per game. Cass would finish no worse than third in the region with a win over Calhoun and could finish second pending the other outcomes of next Friday’s games.
Heading into the game at Cass, Hiram had averaged more than 41 points per game over their last seven games. On Friday night, however, the offense scored only twice with one of their scores coming on a defensive scoop-and-score in the second quarter.
The Hornets received the game’s opening kickoff and scored on the first play from scrimmage. A 65-yard run by Jemarion Whatley gave Hiram a 7-0 lead with 11:41 remaining in the first quarter after a PAT kick by Oliver Castaneda.
Cass responded with a 77-yard drive that took 10 plays. The scoring play was a 33-yard touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Brodie McWhorter to junior slot receiver Devin Henderson. The Colonels’ PAT kick missed wide left, however, and left Hiram up 7-6.
The teams swapped possessions until late in the second quarter when Cass committed a costly turnover.
The Colonels were trying to set up a double-pass, but Hiram’s Jaden Coggins broke up the lateral throw from McWhorter to Henderson behind the line of scrimmage. The fumble was picked up by the Hornets and returned 30 yards for a score giving Hiram a 14-6 lead with 4:49 remaining in the second period.
Again, Cass answered.
Cass drove 47-yards on four plays just over three minutes later to narrow the Hornets’ lead to 14-12. McWhorter found Devin Henderson streaking toward the back of the end zone on a 20-yard pass and catch. The Colonels’ two-point conversion pass was completed to Henderson but he was forced out of bounds just shy of the pylon.
A scoreless third quarter included two more Cass turnovers and a Colonels’ defense that came up with multiple stops.
Cass started an 80-yard, 14-play scoring drive late in the third quarter and ultimately scored at the 10:37 mark of the fourth quarter. Key runs by Kevin Henderson and Mac Nelson along with possession runs and throws by McWhorter powered the drive. Kevin Henderson punched in a 2-yard scoring run and Devin Henderson ran in a two-point conversion to give Cass a 20-14 advantage.
On their ensuing possession, Hiram was stopped on downs near midfield and the Colonels added to their lead with a five play, 56-yard touchdown drive. Cass punched it in with a 2-yard keeper by McWhorter with 6:51 left in the game. A two-point conversion attempt failed leaving the score 26-14.
Hiram drove its next possession 68-yards on six plays to pull within five points.
A six-yard pass from quarterback Samir Wylie to wide receiver Chase Tyler in heavy traffic put the points on the board with 3:25 remaining and set up an onside kickoff attempt by the Hornets.
Following a penalty on the first onside kick attempt, Cass’ Devin Henderson — on the front line of the Colonels’ hands team — fell on the Hornets’ next squibbed kick at the Hiram 45 yard line.
Hiram used its timeouts and had Cass facing a 4th-and-5 at the Hornets’ 39-yard line with 2:54 remaining. McWhorter attempted a pass that was deflected at the line of scrimmage but continue forward for a few more yards. Colonels’ senior offensive lineman Tyler Pinson made a diving catch of the deflection and the catch gave Cass a first down at the Hornets’ 32-yard line.
With no timeouts remaining for Hiram, Cass was able to run out the clock with their next four plays and escaped with a 26-21 region win.
Hiram (4-5, 1-3) hosts Woodland next Friday night.
The Colonels now prepare for a crucial regular season finale’ at Calhoun.
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