It all comes back to one game.

After taking Troup High to the limit in a 15-7 loss in Week 1, the Callaway Cavaliers faced a difficult test in Week 2.

Lovett arrived at Callaway Stadium armed with plenty of talent and experience. In 2007, the Lions made it to the Class AA championship game before falling to Buford.

Callaway proved in Week 1 it could compete with a powerful team like Troup. In the second week, the Cavaliers proved they could beat a state power.

The Cavaliers defeated the Lions and their high-flying offense 27-18 by controlling the clock and letting the defense put the offense in good situations.

Pete Wiggins, the head coach of the Cavaliers since 2005, points to the win over the Lions as a springboard to this season’s 9-1, Region 5-AA championship campaign.

“It gave our players a lot of momentum,” Wiggins said. “It was a big win.”

Wiggins points to two other victories – the 2006 win over Macon County and the close playoff loss to Washington-Wilkes later that year – as other games that have turned the momentum of the program under his tenure.

But this season’s win over Lovett was what helped boost the team to its first ever region championship.

The Cavaliers haven’t looked back since that Lovett victory, running off eight more wins, usually in dominating fashion.

After a 20-0 victory over Manchester in the Region 5-AA opener in Week 3, the Cavaliers scored no fewer than 32 points in a game until last week’s 21-14 win over Pike County to win the region title.

Callaway scored 40 or more points in four of its next six games after the Manchester game, including a 56-7 thrashing of Lamar County Oct. 10.

Callaway also put 50 points on the board against Heard County, a playoff team.

While the offense has been explosive, the defense has been just as good.

The unit allowed only 12 points per game and even got into the scoring act as well.

Near the end of the Lovett game, the Lions were trying to come back from a three point deficit. On fourth-and-10, a host of Cavaliers sacked the Lovett quarterback and caused a fumble, and LaMichael Fanning scooped it up and scored with less than a minute remaining.

In region play, Callaway’s toughest tests were on the road against Crawford County and Pike County.

Callaway was ahead of Crawford 7-6 at halftime, which was a rarity for the Cavaliers as most of their games were over by the half.

While Crawford put forth a valiant effort, Heard took control of the game by running all over Crawford’s defense, and the Cavs won 32-26 to avoid the upset.

The final regular season game against Pike was the ultimate test for the Cavaliers, as it decided which team would walk away as region champion.

Callaway went into the locker room with a 14-7 deficit, marking the first time the Cavaliers trailed this season.

Callaway took over in the second half, though.

Heard threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Quantavious Leslie, and fullback Tharius Tigner had a 2-yard touchdown run in the 21-14 win.

Wiggins said he was happy, but not surprised that the regular season ended with a region championship.

“We anticipated competing for the region title,” Wiggins said. “Each year, that’s our goal. We’ve gotten closer every year since I’ve been here.”

Callaway vs. GAC

• When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.

• Where: Callaway Stadium

• What: First round of Class AA playoffs

• Records: Callaway (9-1); Greater Atlanta Christian (4-6)

• Coaches: Troup – Bubba Jeter (30-22); Cairo – Tom Fallaw (54-16)

• Last year: Troup went 6-4 and missed playoffs; Cairo went 13-2 and lost to Carver in Class AAA championship game