MILTON, Ga. — Update: Cartersville cruised to a 37-14 win against Cambridge.
Original story:
It's one game down and four more to go for two state championship hopefuls, who are trying to avoid ending each of their successful seasons Friday night, in the second round of playoffs in Class 5A.
When examining the history of the Cartersville Purple Hurricanes and Cambridge Bears, the two could not be more polar opposites. One program has won four state championships, most recently in 2015 and 2016, and has been around since 1909, while the other was birthed in 2012 and won its first-ever region title this season.
Let's start with Cartersville. Despite having the best overall record in Region 5A 7, the Purple Hurricanes lost a pivotal game back in September to Calhoun, who won the head-to-head battle in order to secure a region championship.
Cartersville has been virtually unbeatable in recent memory, as only two teams have ever accomplished the feat of knocking off Cartersville in the regular season -- regardless of home or away -- since 2014, compiling a 78-2 regular season record in that span. But the saving grace for Cambridge -- it was done this year.
The Bears have only ever reached the second round, as they've done so in three straight seasons, but have never made it to a quarterfinal in program history. Head coach Craig Bennett, who took the job when the school was formed in 2012, has steadily built Cambridge from the ground up which has now resulted in back-to-back nine-win seasons, the most ever for the team.
The shared success for both teams can be found in their point differential, as Cartersville's plus 277-point advantage just outweighs Cambridge's at plus 258.
Cartersville head coach Conor Foster will look to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2020, while the Bears will look to do so for the first time ever.
The two teams will clash under the lights at 7:30 p.m. at Cambridge High School Stadium.
Be sure to check out #Team11 football show every Friday night at 11:15 for an in-depth breakdown of all of the high school football action in metro Atlanta.
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