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Corky Kell Classic: Calhoun crushes Ridgeland, thanks to 31-point third quarter

This intersectional clash had it all: Explosive plays, solid numbers from the quarterbacks, a ton of points, a controversial close to the second half ... and a third-quarter explosion that no one will soon forget.

The overflowing crowd at Rome's Barron Stadium couldn't have asked for a better start to the Corky Kell Classic, pitting Calhoun and Ridgeland on Thursday.

This intersectional clash had it all: Explosive plays, solid numbers from the quarterbacks, a ton of points, a controversial close to the second half ... and a third-quarter explosion that no one will soon forget.

About that third quarter, Calhoun transformed a tense, hotly contested tie score at halftime (14-all) into a decisive blowout, thanks to 31 unanswered points during this prodigious stretch.

It was enough to break the will of the (seemingly exhausted) Ridgeland defense. It was also thorough enough to motivate the coaches to approve a running clock in the fourth quarter.

The end result: A 45-21 victory for Calhoun, extending its overall winning streak to 13 games, dating back to last year's sterling run to the Class 3A state championship.

The first quarter essentially belonged to the Ridgeland trio of quarterback Tanner Hill (173 yards passing, 2 TDs), Azavier Blackwell (amazing kick-return touchdown that was halted by a penalty) and tailback Jordan Blackwell, who rolled for two touchdowns in the opening half.

STATS: CALHOUN 45, RIDGELAND 21

However, the rest of the evening belonged to the Calhoun quartet of QB Gavin Gray (376 yards passing, 2 TDs), fullback Zack Fuller (62 rushing yards on 11 carries, two rolling-pin touchdowns), receiver Luke Moseley (10 catches, 117 yards, 1 TD) and Clemson commit Brannon Spector, who dominated the Ridgeland defense in close quarters and wide-open spaces, racking up eight catches for 103 yards and one score.

Of course, we'll never know how Ridgeland might have started the third quarter, if it hadn't been upended by a controversial call in the final seconds of the first half.

With 11 ticks remaining, a Ridgeland receiver caught the ball at the 1-yard mark and turned upfield toward the goal line. Upon doing so, he landed on a Calhoun defender and seemingly rolled into the end zone, apparently without any knees or elbows touching the ground.

If the play had been ruled a touchdown, the Panthers might have been set up for a productive finishing kick.

Instead, it had a dispiriting effect on Ridgeland (0-1), which simply got bludgeoned in the third quarter–the result of two Fuller touchdowns, Moseley's feet-dragging scoring reception, an Eduardo Fajardo field goal for Calhoun (1-0) and Davis Allen's easy pick-six, with the Panthers mired deep in their own end.

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