By Kevin Eckleberry

kevin.eckleberry@lagrangenews.com

LAGRANGE – It’s 25 and counting.

The Callaway Cavaliers ran their winning streak to 25 with Thursday’s 48-7 victory over Lamar County, and they improved to 6-0 overall and 2-0 in Region 5-AA this season.

Now, Callaway prepares for arguably its toughest regular-season challenge of the season.

Heard County (5-1), which has had the past two weeks off, will host Callaway on Friday night in a game that will go a long way toward determining a region champion.

Heard County’s lone loss this season came against Saraland (Ala.), which is 5-1.

Callaway has captured four straight games in the series, with Heard County’s last win coming in 2012 when it won 43-37.

A year ago, Callaway won 24-14 after Heard County quarterback Emory Jones suffered a season-ending injury in the first half.

Jones is back and playing at an extremely high level this year, and Heard County will be rested and ready for Callaway to come to town.

“We’ve been talking about it for a long time,” Callaway defensive lineman Lichon Terrll said of the Heard County game. “We’ve got to go to Franklin in a hostile environment, but we’ll be ready. We’ll prepare hard.”

Callaway had little trouble with a winless Lamar County team.

The Trojans took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, but the Cavaliers scored the game’s final 48 points.

Cartavious Bigsby had a pair of touchdown runs for Callaway, and DJ Atkins and Gabriel Moultrie each had one scoring run.

Kedrick Ramsey threw a touchdown pass to Jacob Freeman, and in the game’s closing moments, backup quarterback Bryce Kurian threw a short pass to Sidderian Shealey that turned into a 70-yard touchdown.

Callaway’s defense also got into the act, with Tely Fanning returning an interception for a touchdown.

Heard County has played one region game, and it beat Temple 35-14.

‘It’s going to be pretty fun,” Ramey said of going to Heard County. “We’ll be ready.”

Whatever happens next week, Callaway will still have three more regular-season games to play.

After hosting Temple on Oct. 20, Callaway visits Spencer on Oct. 27 before finishing the regular season with a home game against Jordan.