By Gaylen Duskey
realfang@citlink.net
Bronson Clark and Cory Metz combined to run for 437 yards and six touchdowns Friday night to lead Calhoun County to a season-opening 52-38 victory over home standing Gilmer County.
Clark led the Red Devils with 221 yards on 15 carries while scoring on runs of 72, 42 and four yards. On his 15 carries Metz had 216 yards with scoring runs of 41, 35 and one yard.
The Red Devils needed all the offense the two senior running backs were able to come up with since Gilmer County quarterback Luke DiMarino passed for 379 yards and four touchdowns, including three to the mercurial Terrell Hill.
Hill got the Titans (0-1) on the board first when he scored on a leaping 20-yard touchdown at the 8:48 mark of the first quarter. That proved to be Gilmer's only lead of the night.
Calhoun tied the game when Ben Laughlin rammed his way in for a touchdown at the 7:07 mark. After Metz' 35-yard run gave Calhoun the lead at the 4:04 mark of the first quarter the Red Devils never looked back although they could not quite put the Titans away.
Calhoun would pull ahead by a couple of touchdowns (20-6) on a run by Metz.
Then Gilmer would score on yet another pass and Calhoun would reply with yet another run. This type of exchange would mark the flow of the game the rest of the way and when the smoke had cleared the Red Devils were up by two scores 32-18 at halftime.
When Tyler Bennett picked off a Gilmer pass and raced 60 yards for a touchdown early in the second half the Red Devils enjoyed a three-touchdown lead and threatened to put the game away. But it didn't happen.
Instead DiMarino hit Hill with a 15-yard scoring pass then came back with another hitting Danny Gilmer from 34 yards out to make it once again a one-touchdown game.
That's when Clark stepped in. First with a four-yard run then with a 72-yarder giving Calhoun its three-touchdown advantage (52-32) once again.
But once again DiMarino stung the Red Devils. This time it was with his feet as he scored on an 11-yard run at the 3:43 mark to make it once again a game.
But the magic was to end there as Calhoun kept the Titans off the board and walked off the field with the victory.
Despite the victory Calhoun showed plenty of early season rust.
First the Red Devils were torched for 379 passing yards as DiMarino hit on 27 of 42 passes. He was intercepted three times though as the Titans passing attack was a bit of feast or famine.
The Red Devils were also hamstrung by penalties, making 14 for 100 yards including one that erased a touchdown run by Metz.
Calhoun also put the ball on the ground seven times losing for of the fumbles to the Titans.
On the other hand the Red Devils had 180 yards of kick returns, including a pretty 54-yarder by Clark.
Calhoun returns to action Friday night at Ritchie County (0-1). Gilmer plays South Harrison (0-1).
The Red Devils were also hamstrung by penalties, making 14 for 100 yards including one that erased a touchdown run by Metz.
Calhoun also put the ball on the ground seven times losing for of the fumbles to the Titans.
On the other hand the Red Devils had 180 yards of kick returns, including a pretty 54-yarder by Clark.
Calhoun returns to action Friday night at Ritchie County (0-1). Gilmer plays South Harrison (0-1).
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