By Gaylen Duskey
realfang@citlink.net
The real outcome of Friday night's game won't be apparent until next Friday
night.
What?
Calhoun suffered seven turnovers Friday night and seven turnovers are
usually fatal in high school football. They are especially fatal if the team
you are playing is ranked second in the state and is riding a 39-game
winning streak.
Friday night with Calhoun turning the ball over seven times - five fumbles
and two interceptions - home standing Williamstown rolled to a 42-18 victory
ending Calhoun's own meager four-game winning streak.
With the large number of turnovers doing the Red Devils in the question
becomes: How will Calhoun respond when it returns to action next Friday in
its homecoming game against Wahama?
Should the Red Devils bounce back then the seven-turnover loss was just one
of those things caused by the turnovers. Should the Red Devils roll up in a
ball then the seven-turnover loss was a season-killer.
How Calhoun reacts is the question.
The question Friday night was how would Calhoun have done had it not
suffered from an overly generous nature?
The first half was pretty close even though the Red Devils did shoot
themselves in the foot with three turnovers.
The first turnover set up Williamstown with good field position and it
capitalized when Tyler Lowers scored on a 13-yard run.
But Calhoun answered on a quick drive that included a clutch 27-yard fourth
down pass from Matt Houchin to Steven Cunningham, which took the ball to the
one. From there Paul Goodrich scored but a missed extra point attempt left
the Red Devils behind, 7-6.
Then another turnover really hurt the Red Devils as Gregory Davis scooped up
the lose ball at the Calhoun 22 and raced untouched into the end zone.
But Calhoun answered again and Houchin found Jason Cunningham for a 60-yard
touchdown. Again the Calhoun extra point attempt came up fallow leaving the
Red Devils behind 14-12.
But they had the chance to take the lead late in the half when they stopped
a Williamstown drive forcing a Williamstown punt.
But another turnover gave the ball back to the Yellowjackets and Lowers
scored again, this time from 19 yards out with: 57 remaining making it 21-12
at halftime.
Calhoun suffered from turnovers again in the third quarter losing the ball
twice, allowing the Yellowjackets to score twice to make it 35-12 at the end
of three quarters.
Another turnover early in the fourth quarter allowed Williamstown to score
once again making it 42-12.
At this time the question was not who was going to win but how the Red
Devils would react.
They reacted with fight and scored on a 62-yard run by Goodrich. Again the
Red Devils failed in their conversion attempt making it 42-18.
On the ensuing kickoff the Red Devils tried and recovered an onside kick.
But they were unable to make anything else happen and suffered their first
loss of the season after winning four straight and rising to fifth-place in
the Class A rankings.
Goodrich led the Red Devils with 139 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 24
carries.
Overall Calhoun had 249 yards total offense and eight first downs.
Williamstown had 306 yards total offense and 19 first downs.
| 
