By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

The Callaway Lady Cavaliers don’t want to end the year without a win.

Callaway played five games in six days to open the season, and it lost all of them, including a pair of Region 5-AA games.

Callaway will host Valley on Friday, and that will be its final game of the year before returning to region play on Jan. 3 with a game at Temple.

Callaway got a late start since it couldn’t play its first game until the football team finished its season.

After Callaway’s season ended with a loss to Brooks County in the Class AA semifinals, the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams played their first games one week later.

After opening with a loss to LaGrange, Callaway’s girls’ team fell to Heard County, Lamar County, Greenville and Newnan.

Both of Callaway’s region losses were competitive.

After losing to Heard County 45-37 at home, Callaway lost at Lamar County 51-46.

Heard County and Lamar County are expected to be two of the top teams in the region, and Lamar County won the region title last season.

“It is what it is, but I feel good,” Callaway’s head coach Deyano Martin said, referring to the winless record. “I feel like we’ve got a chance against any team in the region.”

One player who has produced in every game is sophomore guard Gabrielle Johnson, who scored 23 of her team’s 29 points against Newnan on Saturday.

“She’s the most consistent scorer we have,” Martin said. “Every game she does something.”

Callaway’s boys’ team, meanwhile, made it through the hectic opening week with a 3-2 record.

Many of the key players were also on the football team, so they didn’t have a break between the end of one season and the beginning of another.

Despite that, the Cavaliers had a successful first week that included wins in both of their region games.

“Normally this would be practice, but this is game time,” said Callaway head coach Terry Hayes.

The Cavaliers finished the week with a home loss to the Newnan Cougars on Saturday, and the players got some much-needed time off after that.

“I told them go rest, take care of yourself, and come back Thursday and we’ll get after it,” Hayes said.

FRIDAY’S GAMES

Valley girls at Callaway, 6 p.m.

Valley boys at Callaway, 7:30 p.m.