The Cartersville Purple Hurricanes (10-0, 6-0) defeated the Hiram Hornets (5-5, 4-2) 50-7 on Friday night to put the finishing touches on a perfect regular season and the Region 7 crown.
Cartersville came out swinging in their matchup against Hiram, dominating from the opening whistle. With 10:08 left in the first quarter, quarterback Nate Russell fired a sharp 12-yard touchdown pass to Brady Marchese, putting the Canes up 7-0. The momentum didn’t stop there. Tripp Chatmon powered through for a 3-yard touchdown run, though a failed 2-point conversion kept the score at 13-0. Before the quarter closed, Braylon Hill punched in a 4-yard touchdown run, pushing Cartersville’s lead to a commanding 20-0.
The second quarter was more of the same. Ramsey Rowell drilled a 21-yard field goal early on, making it 23-0 with 11:18 to go. Then, after Chatmon pounced on a Hiram fumble at the 18-yard line, Tyon Coe capitalized two plays later with a 7-yard touchdown run, ballooning the lead to 30-0. Russell kept the pressure on, airing out a 35-yard touchdown pass to Cooper Melvin with just over six minutes left in the half, sending Cartersville into the break with a 37-0 stranglehold.
The third quarter was quiet, with both teams digging in defensively. Hiram finally found the end zone in the fourth when Adarius Anderson scored with just over six minutes left, trimming the deficit to 44-7. AJ Townsend added a late score to finish the game. Cartersville’s early onslaught and relentless defense sealed a lopsided victory, showcasing their depth and firepower in a statement win over Hiram.
Both teams will look to the first round of the 4A GHSA Playoffs where they will match-up against a team from Region 4. You can hear all of Cartersville’s upcoming playoff run by listening to WBHF.