By Kevin Eckleberry

Sports Editor

Callaway’s Quantavius Leslie was ready to win one of these county showdowns.

In football, Leslie’s Cavaliers fell short against Troup last fall, and in basketball, Callaway was upended by LaGrange in a big game in Hogansville last season.

Friday afternoon, in another marquee showdown, the 400-meter relay teams from Callaway and LaGrange faced off, and this one went Callaway’s way.

Leslie outraced Demoton Boyd to the finish line to give his team a victory by less than a second.

Brandon Zackery ran leadoff, Quan Bray and Marquis Terrell ran the next two legs, and Leslie finished things off.

Callaway finished with a time of 42.47 seconds, followed by LaGrange at 42.72 seconds.

“We just wanted to prove what Callaway could do,” said Leslie, who is headed to West Virginia on a football scholarship. “Troup beat us in football, and LaGrange beat us in basketball. We had to win at something.”

While Callaway won that race, the day mostly belonged to LaGrange, which won the girls’ and boys’ team championships.

In the boys’ competition, LaGrange finished with 77.5 points to outdistance Troup (46 points) and Callaway (39).

On the girls’ side, LaGrange amassed 82 points to finish well ahead of  Troup (26) and Callaway (22).

A middle-school competition was held as well, with Gardner Newman edging Long Cane for the girls’ title, and Long Cane tying Gardner Newman for the boys’ championship.

Boyd had a big day for the Grangers, sweeping to victory in both of the sprinting events.

In the 100-meter dash, Boyd’s time of 10.51 was about a half-second faster than Leslie and Bray, who tied for second.

Boyd won the 200-meter dash by the narrowest of margins, clipping Troup’s Cory Armstong by one/100th of a second.

Boyd posted a time of 22.49 seconds.

Boyd was named the MVP of the running events.

On the girls’ side, Danelle Tucker and Chandler Ferguson shared MVP honors in the running events.

Tucker and Ferguson were both part of the 400 relay team that took the top spot. Tajah Banks and Breanna McCrary also ran on the team.

Tucker won the 100, finishing with a time of 12.34 seconds to beat Callaway’s Kadijah Wright and Tyshell Armstrong.

Tucker also won the 200 with a time of 25.7 seconds, with Callaway’s Jamonica Dean and Troup’s Kadijah Wright finishing second and third, respectively.

Chandler Ferguson won the 110-meter hurdles and the 300-meter hurdles.

In the 400-meter run, Troup’s Armstrong made up for his heartbreak in the 200 by edging teammate Brandon Georgia for the title.

LaGrange’s Isaiah Wright was third.

In the girls’ 400, Tabrika Wilkerson of LaGrange was first followed by Callaway’s Jabrittany Godfrey and LaGrange’s Lataria Truitt.

In the 3,200-meter run, Skyler Edmonds snared top honors with his time of 10:56, and his teammates Jackson Montgomery and Stephen English were second and third, respectively.

Sarah Allred won the girls’ race with a time of 14:17.

In the 300 hurdles, Troup’s Rafael Dunlap was first with a time of 42:15 seconds, and Callaway’s Miles Ector was less than a second behind.

LaGrange’s Jordan Wilson was third.

In the 110-meter hurdles, Troup’s Demarquis Stafford’s time of 14.9 seconds was the day’s best, and LaGrange’s Jakevious Tucker and Ector rounded out the top three.

In the 800-meter run, Troup’s Brandon George finished his eight laps around the track with a time of 2:07, four seconds better than LaGrange’s Luke Criddle. LaGrange’s John Parker was third.

In the girls’ race, LaGrange’s Lataria Truitt’s time of 2:43 was good enough for the win, with Troup’s Alicia Heard and LaGrange’s Lauren Lacefield following her across the finish line.

In the day’s final race, Troup’s boys’ team won the 1,600-meter relay, and LaGrange won the girls’ 1,600 relay.