By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

The Callaway Cavaliers have the ability to score from anywhere on the field when they have the ball.

With running back Cartavious “Tank” Bigsby and quarterback Jacob Freeman leading the way, the Cavaliers are an explosive offensive team.

As Callaway showed last week against Temple, it has no trouble finding the end zone on defense either.

The Cavaliers scored seven touchdowns in the 49-0 win over the Temple Tigers, and three of them came on defensive plays.

Antinius Barnes and Charlie Dixon both had interception returns for touchdowns, and Curmondre Bray had a fumble return for a score.

Bray, a senior defensive end, is part of a talented group of defensive linemen, and the touchdown was the first of his career.

When Bray picked the ball up, “I was thinking I was gone, and I scored.”

Callaway has five defensive touchdowns this season.

Markus Morman returned an interception for a touchdown in the season opener against Opelika, and Jalin Shephard had a pick six against Cross Keys.

While four of the defensive touchdowns came in blowout wins, Morman’s score came in a hard-fought game against Opelika.

Trailing 28-14 in the fourth quarter, Opelika was driving deep in Callaway territory when Cade Blackmon lofted a pass toward the right side of the field.

Morman went up and took the ball away from the intended receiver, and he sprinted 95 yards for the clinching touchdown in the 35-21 victory.

“He caught it, but I just ripped the ball out of his hands, and I just took it home for a touchdown,” Morman said after the game.

In the Cross Keys game, Shephard’s interception return for a score helped Callaway roll to a 50-0 victory.

Tely Fanning nearly had a defensive touchdown of his own, but he was tackled at the 1-yard line after picking off a pass.

Then in last week’s blowout win over Temple in the Region 5-AA opener, three different Callaway defensive players got to celebrate touchdowns.

The first of those came in the first quarter when Antinius Barnes, a senior defensive back, intercepted a pass and returned it 25 yards to give Callaway a 14-0 lead.

Later in the first quarter, Temple was driving in Callaway territory when Curmondre Bray, a senior defensive lineman, scooped up a fumble and rumbled 70 yards for the touchdown, and Callaway led 21-0.

Bray has played multiple positions in high school, including running back, and he has found his niche on the defensive line.

“He found a spot that’s home at defensive end, and he’s done extremely well,” Wiggins said. “I’m really proud of him.”

In the fourth quarter, it was Charlie Dixon’s turn to score.

Dixon, who has excelled also excelled as a running back, intercepted a pass near midfield and scored the game’s final touchdowns.

Callaway also had four offensive touchdowns in the Temple game.

Bigsby had touchdown runs of 68 and one yards, and Freeman threw scoring passes to Dre Potts and Morman.

Callaway will host Bremen in a Region 5-AA showdown on Friday.