By Kevin Eckleberry

Sports Editor

No matter the circumstances, no matter the opponent, Callaway head coach Pete Wiggins said his players “believe they can win.”

That statement was put to the test Friday night against Westminster in the second round of the Class AA state playoffs.

After giving up a go-ahead touchdown with a little more than three minutes remaining, the Cavaliers were staring at a 31-28 deficit at Callaway Stadium.

Momentum was clearly against the Cavs.

After leading 28-13 in the second quarter, they’d given up 18 straight points, and they hadn’t scored in the second half.

There was no panic, though, no sense that the game was lost.

“We never doubted,” Wiggins said.

So the Cavaliers calmly drove the ball 70 yards, and with the help of a remarkable 37-yard catch by Quantavius Leslie, scored the winning touchdown with 13 seconds left to beat Westminster 35-31.

Quarterback Quan Bray scored the game-winner on a 1-yard run on fourth down.

With that, Callaway was on to the third round for the first time in school history.

Reggie Perry said this team, which he calls a “family,” just kept persevering, no matter the situation.

“At the end of the game, that’s what we talked about was being a family and sticking together,” Perry said.

It took every bit of the Cavaliers’ resolve to beat a Westminster team that was talented, well-coached, and confident.

The Cavaliers had a particularly tough time handling running back Ralph David Abernathy, who ran for 283 yards on just 22 carries, and it was his 14-yard run that gave Westminster the lead late in the game.

The Cavaliers brought plenty of ammunition to the showdown, though.

Leslie, a senior who has big-time colleges from across the country recruiting him, showed why he’s so highly regarded.

Leslie had a 75-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter, and it was his sensational catch that set up the go-ahead touchdown.

Bray heaved the ball toward the goal line, and with a couple of defenders draped over him, Leslie jumped up and came up with the catch, and he came down on the 1-yard line.

As Leslie said later: “I knew I had to make a big play.”

Westminster’s defense stood tough and kept the Cavs out of the end zone on the next three plays, but on fourth down, Bray would not be denied.

Wiggins decided to go for the touchdown rather than the tying field goal, and he said that was an easy choice.

“We knew we were going to go for it,” Wiggins said.

The Cavaliers built a big lead in the first half with running back Marquis Terrell adding to what has been a terrific junior season.

Terrell had scoring runs of 36, 3 and 48 yards, with the 48-yarder putting Callaway up 28-13.

Westminster gained a bit of momentum by kicking a field goal just before halftime to trim its deficit to 12.

The Wildcats scored on their opening possession of the third quarter, and again late in the game to take the lead, but the Cavs weren’t deterred.

“We came back and had to finish strong,” senior safety D.J. Rutledge said. “They got a little momentum on their side, but our defense did what they had to do.”

Terrell ran for 142 yards on 21 carries, and Bray added 96 yards rushing with 135 yards passing, all to Leslie.