| By Gaylen Duskey
realfang@citlink.net
Bryan Sterns' head coaching debut was a memorable one as he watched his
Calhoun Red Devils score early, easily and often in crushing Gilmer County
75-18 Friday night.
The game was close twice - after Gilmer answered Calhoun's first touchdown
and before the game got under way. Other than that it was all Calhoun.
It would be easy to say so many people led the way because so many did.
For instance Justin Price scored three touchdowns and rushed for 213 yards
on 13 carries; Mike Batten, in his first start at quarterback, scored the
team's first touchdown and guided an offense that rolled up 594 yards total
offense; Paul Goodrich, in his first start in the backfield, had 134 yards
rushing while scoring a 67-yard touchdown; Tyler Shartiger, who moved from
quarterback to wide receiver had a 69-yard touchdown; the young offensive
line was brilliant; the reserves, who played the entire fourth quarter, even
outscored the Gilmer varsity 14-0.
Calhoun jumped to a 7-0 lead on its second possession of the game when
Batten scored on a 31-yard run. Michael Sullivan's extra point gave Calhoun
a lead it would never relinquish although Gilmer did get close.
The Titans got close on a 14-yard run by Tim Moss, but the extra point
attempt was blocked leaving the Red Devils on top 7-6.
He next time Gilmer was to score it was down by four touchdowns.
Calhoun first had a 63-yard run by Price. Then Goodrich scored from 67 yards
away. Then Batten hit Shartiger with a 69-yard scoring pass. Price followed
with his next touchdown - this one from 18 yards away - and the "fat lady"
was singing "turn out the lights."
Gilmer did not give up and under the direction of sophomore quarterback
Dustan Fox battled back for two touchdowns to make a runaway appear like it
could become a game.
Wrong.
Price saw to that with a 53-yard touchdown as the first half run down.
At intermission the score was 41-18 and the biggest question was whether the
Calhoun band would continue counting the points after every Red Devils'
score.
The band did miss Chad Conley's six-yard touchdown via a pass from Batten
and it missed Batten's five-yard run. But it was back in time to count
following Conley's 18-yard fumble recovery as the third quarter ended and
the Red Devils safely on top 61-18.
That is when Sterns sent in the reserves.
The only problem was that the reserves scored two more times - a 15-yard run
by Eddie Burrows and a 13-yard run by Jesse Keesler.
Calhoun, now 1-0 on the season, travels to Ritchie County this coming Friday
to play the Rebels, a 31-10 loser to St. Marys in the season opener for both
teams.
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