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It was a cross-town showdown at Callaway Stadium on Friday with the Callaway and LaGrange football teams meeting for a spring game. The varsity teams would tie 7-7 heading to halftime, but the Grangers would end the game on top with a 27-13 victory. 

“I think we came out here and played really well, especially defensively,” LaGrange head coach Matt Napier said. “We got a lot of experienced players back on both sides of the ball, and I thought those guys played fast and physical tonight. There are definitely some things to clean up here and there, but I’m proud of the team’s effort tonight.”

The first quarter was representative of a spring game with overthrown passes, snaps resulting in fumbles and everything in between as the two teams prepared for the 2025 season this fall.

The biggest play of the first quarter was the result of a bad snap from Callaway. Mason Blandinburg jumped on the loose ball for the game’s first turnover with under a minute to go in the first quarter.

Neither offense sniffed the red zone in the first quarter.

The LaGrange offense eventually got some traction. Ni’Zerik Houston got a sack for the Cavaliers to force a fourth down, but the Grangers converted. The drive would eventually result in points as Dylan Barber scampered into the end zone from 10 yards out.

The Granger defense flexed its might on the ensuing Callaway drive. Corn Brown got a sack on the first play of the drive, and Javier Easter got a PBU on fourth down to force a turnover on downs.

Any chance of LaGrange doubling its lead was squashed when Houston and Derrius Davis combined for a sack and a big loss for the Cavaliers. 

The Cavalier defense would pass the baton to the offense after a LaGrange 3 and out. Backup quarterback and star wide receiver Kaiden James threw an absolute dime to Jeremiah Dunn for a 50-yard touchdown strike.

One of the most consequential plays would come with just over two minutes left in the first half. Tyrone Fitten slammed LaGrange’s starting quarterback, Barber, to the turf. Barber riled and screamed in pain before being carried off by the athletic trainer. Napier was bullish on Barber’s status after the game.

“I think he’s fine,” Napier said. “We’ll have him checked out, and he’ll have plenty of time to recover if so. He’s walking around pretty good, and our athletic trainer thinks he will be fine.”

The teams used the JV and ninth grade rosters on the other side of the halftime break. The third quarter was largely a stalemate until Peyton Davis found the end zone from three yards out to put LaGrange up 13-7 with 4:53 left in the third quarter. 

The Cavalier JV team responded in kind. AJ Williams hit TJ Pollard for a big gain to put the team inside the 10-yard line and DJ Mahomes finished the job from one yard out on the second play of the fourth quarter.

The game being tied would be short-lived as one play later, Cason McGill hit Riley Cockrell for a 70-yard touchdown.

“Granger fans know how good Cason is because he was slinging around on the JV team as a freshman last year,” Napier said. “If you get Riley into open space like that, he’s gone. He is fast in the open field.”

The Grangers were not done there, adding a fourth touchdown of the night on a long touchdown reception from D’Montae Grier.

Callaway will open its schedule in the fall against Prince Avenue Christian on Aug. 13 in the Corky Kell Classic in Atlanta. LaGrange will open the season with a trip to Rome against Cass High School. 

“It feels good to be back out here already,” Napier said, flashing a big grin.