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By Gaylen Duskey
realfang@citlink.net
Calhoun reverted to good old-fashioned Calhoun football and ground out a 41-30 victory over Gilmer Friday night in the season opener for both schools.
The win ended a 19-game Red Devils losing streak.
Calhoun dialed its offense back to the glory days as it stuck to the ground and pounded out 420 yards total offense, all but two coming via the run.
The Red Devils had two backs go over 100 yards as Cole Ritchie led the way with 210 yards on 30 carries while Seth Moore added 153 on 12 attempts.
Cole Ritchie, Moore and Casey Ritchie also scored two touchdowns each in the victory.
For Gilmer County quarterback Austin Ratliff gave as good as he got as he ran for 170 yards while passing for 145 more. He ran for two touchdowns while passing to Anthony Dean for two more. He also had three extra point runs giving him a direct hand in all 30 points the Titans scored.
Calhoun took an early 6-0 lead on a run by Cole Ritchie only to failed to convert the extra point attempt. It was a bugaboo that would haunt the Red Devils throughout the night as Gilmer kept close with successful extra point attempt despite scoring two fewer touchdowns.
That was seen when Gilmer scored its first touchdown on a 27-yard pass from Ratliff to Dean early in the second quarter. Ratliff's run on the extra point attempt gave the Titans an 8-6 lead.
The Red Devils regained the lead on a Casey Ritchie one-yard run later in the second quarter and this time got the extra point on a run by Lucas Wilson for a 14-8 halftime lead.
That lead lasted on a short time as Gilmer scored on another pass from Ratliff to Dean, knotting the score at 14-14. But Ratliff added the extra point conversion and the Titans were on top 16-14.
As it turned out that was the last time Gilmer would lead in the game although a fourth quarter rally by the Titans made things very close.
After Ratliff's heroics, Calhoun took over the contest reeling off three straight touchdowns in the third.
First Cole Ritchie bowled his way in from four years out then on back-to-back runs by Moore he scored from 55 yards and 48 yards. Two extra point attempts went awry while a kick by Jazz Holcomb was good giving Calhoun its biggest lead of the night 33-16.
But Gilmer had a never-say-die attitude and stormed back for two touchdowns by Ratliff on runs of four and one yard to make it 33-30 with enough time left in the game to complete the comeback.
But Calhoun went to the well once more and was able to run time off the clock and east up yardage before Casey Ritchie went in from 21-yards out to give the Red Devils some breathing room. Wilson's extra point run set the final score.
Defensively Calhoun had trouble containing Ratliff, but it did come away with interceptions by Ethyn Miller and Wilson that stopped two Gilmer drives.
Calhoun turned the ball over once on a fumble but that was the only time the Red Devils lost the ball.
Calhoun also stayed away from the penalty flag as it was whistled three times for 16 yards compared to nine penalties for 57 yards assessed against the Titans.
Calhoun, 1-0, is home to Sherman, a 20-14 loser to Tug Valley, this coming Friday for homecoming, while Gilmer, 0-1, plays South Harrison, a 27-24 loser to Doddridge.
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