By Kevin Eckleberry

Sports Editor

It wasn’t the ending they were hoping for, but it was still an unforgettable and historic season for the Callaway Cavaliers.

The Cavaliers’ season came to a close with Friday’s 35-21 loss to Fitzgerald in the quarterfinals of the Class AA state playoffs.

Despite the loss, Callaway (10-3) made it to the third round of the playoffs for the first time in school history while tying the 2008 team for the most wins by a Callaway team.

The Cavaliers won their second consecutive Region 5-AA title, and they won 10 straight games before falling Friday.

“I’m proud of our seniors,” Callaway head coach Pete Wiggins said. “I’ve seen all 24 of them grow up and become men.”

Wiggins said his players “fought hard” until the final horn against an unbeaten Fitzgerald team.

“Fitzgerald is a great football team and they fought until the last play of the game,” Wiggins said.

Despite the loss of some critical seniors, the Cavaliers appear well-positioned to make another strong run in 2010 with quarterback Quan Bran and running back Marquis Terrell returning.

” They’ve worked hard to get where we’re at and we’re just building a tradition at Callaway High School,” Wiggins said.

The Cavaliers didn’t go down without a fight Friday night.

Trailing 35-14, the Cavs got closer when Bray completed a 7-yard touchdown pass to D.J. Rutledge..

The Cavs then recovered the onside kick, but when a fourth-down play failed, Fitzgerald was able to run out the clock.

“They (Callaway) have size, speed and the play hard,” Fitzgerald head coach Robby Pruitt said. “My hat goes off to coach Wiggins. His kids never quit.”

In the first half, the Cavaliers found themselves in a hole they were unable to climb out of.

The Purple Hurricanes set the tone for the first half when they went 66 yards in nine plays for a touchdown on their first possession.

The Hurricanes also scored a touchdown on their second possession, a drive that was extended when Callaway was called for a roughing-the-passer penalty on a fourth-down play.

An 84-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter gave the Hurricanes a 21-0 lead, and it looked like they could be headed for a blowout victory.

The Cavs notched a key touchdown right before the half, though, to take some momentum back from the home team.

A long kickoff return from Quantavius Leslie set the Cavs up near midfield, and Bray then found Leslie for a 56-yard touchdown pass, and Josh Ham’s extra point trimmed Fitzgerald’s lead to 21-7 with 30 seconds left.

Callaway had a chance to score more points when it recovered an onside kick, but Ham’s 36-yard field-goal attempt was partially blocked.

After Fitzgerald went up 28-7 early in the third quarter, Bray answered with a 65-yard touchdown run, and the Cavs were back within 14.

After the Hurricanes went back up by 21, the Cavaliers went 66 yard in nine plays to again get within 14.