Calhoun Seniors accept the Black Walnut Bowl
trophy from 2007 Festival Queen, Katie Murray
Photos courtesy of Patty Haught
By Gaylen Duskey
realfang@citlink.net
SPENCER -- Seniors Josh DeWeese and Matt Houchin provided the
leadership and the rest of the Red Devils followed as Calhoun scored a
hard-fought 27-14 victory over Roane Country Friday night.
The win will move ninth-ranked Calhoun up in the Class A standings,
probably to fourth place. Should Calhoun, now 6-1, win out it could
host the first playoff game in the school's history.
For Roane County, now 4-4, the win jeopardizes its playoff hopes as it
has road games against winless Herbert Hoover and two-win Ritchie to
close out the season.
The game was a hotly-contested affair between the Red Devils and the
talented Raiders but on more than one occasion Houchin or DeWeese
stepped up to change the flow of battle.
DeWeese, who had seven receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown, gave
the Red Devils their first lift when he recovered a Raider fumble on
the first drive.
DeWeese stopped the Raiders next drive with a pass interception.
After stopping a third Raider drive the Red Devils finally put points
on the board in the second quarter when Houchin put Calhoun up 6-0
with a one-yard quarterback sneak. Nick Whytsell added the extra point.
Nick Whytsell kicks in the extra point
Houchin got the ball back for Calhoun on the next Raider drive with a
pass interception and a 20-yard burst by Jeff Goodrich set up a
23-yard scoring gallop by Caleb Hart. Whytsell's kick made it 14-0.
Roane scored just before the half when Josh Drake ran it in from a
yard out to make it 14-7.
But that was as close as the Raiders were able to get.
On its first possession of the second half Calhoun made a methodical
drive that was capped off by an acrobatic catch by DeWeese.
On that play Houchin lofted the ball up high and DeWeese, who plays
center on the Red Devils basketball team, tipped the ball in the air
and took it away from two Roane defenders for a 15-yard touchdown.
That gave Calhoun a 21-7 lead and forced the Raiders to abandon the
power running game for the passing game.
The talented Raiders refused to play dead and with 3:58 remaining in
the game cut the score to 21-14 on a seven-yard run by Drake.
An onside kick attempt failed when sophomore tackle Jacob Haught, who
had been a tight end until this season, used his receiver skills to
grab the ball.
Roane did stop the Red Devils on the next series and got the ball back
with a chance to tie things up.
That's when Houchin stepped up one more time and intercepted a Roane
pass at the 45 yard line racing untouched for the touchdown and a
27-14 lead.
After that, fittingly, Roane's last attempt to rally ended when
Goodrich intercepted Drake. It was the Red Devils fourth interception
of the night.
For the game Houchin was 10 of 17 for 143 yards passing while adding
another 64 yards on 18 carries.
Hart and Goodrich added 45 yards each.
Calhoun returns to action Friday night when it plays host to Wirt
County in the homecoming game.
Following that Calhoun goes on the road to Braxton before closing the
season out against the Purple and Gold clad Blue Devils of St. Marys.
CALHOUN HIGH'S CHEERLEADERS (TOP) AND MAJORETTES (BOTTOM)
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