By Ross Johnson

Sports Writer

With a second straight Region 5-AA title on the line, the Callaway Cavaliers were in a bind.

After building a 13-0 lead at Heard County Friday night, Callaway allowed two touchdowns to the Braves and trailed 14-13 at halftime.

It was the first time in seven weeks that the Cavaliers were even in a competitive game at the half.

Callaway never wavered, however.

The Cavaliers kept their composure. They played sound football for the second and third quarters.

And more importantly, they were crowned the region champions for the second straight year with a convincing 46-21 win.

“The kids kept their heads up high and in the second half we played good football,” said Callaway head coach Pete Wiggins. “They were pretty vocal in let’s get this thing going. We made some adjustments from a coaching standpoint, too.”

With the one-point deficit, quarterback Quan Bray ran for a 23-yard touchdown early in the third quarter to give the Cavaliers a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.

By the time the fourth quarter ended, Callaway had outscored Heard 33-7 in the second half, helped by a monstrous day from junior running back Marquis Terrell.

Terrell had 258 yards and four touchdowns on 23 carries, including a 35-yard score on the Cavaliers’ first offensive play.

While the offense, which is averaging 376 yards and 47 points per game in region games, gets much of the credit, the Cavaliers have a defense that’s gotten better with each passing week.

After allowing two long drives end in scores against Heard, Callaway allowed just two first downs in the second half.

The Braves did manage to score on a 80-yard hook-and-ladder play in the third, but it was the only window the Cavaliers gave Heard in the final two quarters.

Free safety D.J. Rutledge was a big culprit in the Cavaliers’ dominance, as the senior had nine tackles.

The defense is led by defensive end Jeffrey Cameron, who’s racked up 63 tackles this season.

Debo Davis is next with 47, and last year’s Region 5-AA defensive player of the year in senior linebacker Randy Bailey is third with 42.

Jamal Bruce (36) and Golden Sutton (35) are fourth and fifth in tackles, respectively.

The Cavaliers are playing “great” football right now, according to Wiggins, and that’s a credit to Callaway’s coaching staff, which has stayed completely in tact since Wiggins arrived five years ago.

The players are comfortable with the system, and it’s paying dividends on the field.

“There’s a lot of ability on our football team, but the kids work hard,” Wiggins said. “That experience and hard work pays off on the field.”

Another reason the Cavaliers are so well-prepared is the countless hours spent refining their skills during the summer months, when the team travels to passing camps and other events to improve.

“The camps we got to - whether it be at Alabama, Auburn, Clemson or Georgia - the kids gain confidence from those types of things,” Wiggins said. “With that, I feel like we’ve gotten better as the years have gone by.”