The Pirates were 9-0 for a reason, after all.

But the Callaway Cavaliers, with so much on the line, were not going to be denied Friday night in Zebulon.

With the Region 5-AA crown up for grabs, the Cavaliers shook off a 14-7 fourth-quarter deficit to win 21-14.

The Cavaliers not only won the first outright region championship in school history, they set a school record for wins (nine) and guaranteed themselves at least three home playoff games should they hang around that long.

Not a bad night’s work.

When it was over, when the Cavaliers put the wraps on a 9-1 regular season with their ninth straight win, they celebrated on the field with a shiny trophy honoring their region championship.

“Everybody was extremely excited about winning the region championship,” said head coach Pete Wiggins, who took over the Callaway program in 2005. “You work so hard in practice, in the weight room, and you put so much time in to get where we are now. When you finally get to where you win that region championship, it makes all the hard work worthwhile. The kids have worked extremely hard, and we’re having fun.”

The Cavaliers had to work for Friday’s win.

The Pirates, before a frenzied home crowd, were up by seven points when Callaway’s Quantavious Leslie caught a 26-yard touchdown pass from Demetrius Heard with 11:27 left in eh game.

Callaway then took its first lead of the night with 6:59 remaining when Tharius Tigner bulled his way into the end zone from 1 yard out.

Callaway also got an 80-yard touchdown run from electrifying sophomore Quan Bray in the first quarter.

“They were 9-0, and there’s a reason they were 9-0,” Wiggins said. “Their kids, they were coached up. They were a physical bunch.”

The Cavaliers were up to the challenge, though.

With everything they’ve worked so hard for on the line, Callaway’s players dug deep and came up with the goods.

“We stepped up to the challenge,” said Tigner, a two-way starter who has been such an integral piece of the puzzle this season. “Coach Wiggins told us champions win these types of games. We fought like (a champion) in the second half.”

The Cavaliers dropped their season opener to Troup, but they haven’t tasted defeat since.

They’ve won most of their games in blowout fashion, but when they’ve been tested late, they’ve risen to the occasion.

The Cavaliers won a 32-26 game at Crawford County, they clipped defending Class AA state runner-up Lovett 27-18, and they survived Pike County.

“All year we talked about adversity,” Wiggins said. “These kids just kept coming back.”

Already this is the finest football season Callaway has had since the school opened its doors in 1997.

Now the Cavaliers will try to win the first playoff game in school history.

Standing in the way is Greater Atlanta Christian, which finished fourth in Region 6-AA.

Wiggins believes Friday’s emotional win is an ideal way to head into the playoffs.

“I feel like this could give us momentum,” Wiggins said. “Hopefully it’ll carry over to next week.”