Year starts with big finish

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Matt Hamilton/The Daily Citizen At left, Dalton High’s Kelvis Rhodes (21) and Will Erwin celebrate after Rhodes ran for a 56-yard touchdown on the Cats’ first play of the game from scrimmage on Friday. Rhodes, a sophomore tailback, finished with 170 yards on 22 carries in his first varsity start. Below, Dalton’s Chris Childs reaches to break up a pass intended for Ringgold receiver Christian Plott. The Cats won 21-19.
Matt Hamilton/The Daily Citizen Dalton running back Kelvis Rhodes finished with 170 yards to lead the Cats rushing attack in the win over Ringgold.

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August 25, 2012

Year starts with big finish

But Dalton hang on in tight fourth

Devin Golden devingolden@daltoncitizen.com The Dalton Daily Citizen Sat Aug 25, 2012, 07:05 AM EDT

RINGGOLD — All of the momentum was with Ringgold, and Dalton was watching a big lead and another streak slip away.

Then Eder Mora fell on the football.

The sophomore defender’s late fumble recovery helped preserve a 21-19 victory Friday for the Catamounts in the season-opening contest against the Tigers at Don Patterson Stadium. The game was the first for the Tigers in the stadium, which was rededicated before the game after being rebuilt from the destruction caused by the deadly April 27, 2011, tornado that ripped through the area.

Dalton was in control on the scoreboard with 11:53 left in the game, leading 21-6, but Ringgold started an almost historic rally and pulled within two and had the ball with 5:35 still to play.

Dalton coach Matt Land did not think his team got too comfortable.

“I don’t think it was the score,” he said. “I just think some of our the guys got tired, their guys got tired, and when you get tired the guys get sloppy.”

The Tigers started from their own 32-yard line, but quickly entered Dalton territory. On third-and-six from the Cats’ 45, Ringgold junior quarterback Slade Dale took an option to the left side and pitched to sophomore running back Kile Sholl to avoid pressure. The ball hit the turf, and Mora quickly jumped to the ground and covered it up with 2:45 remaining.

“The running back just didn’t see the ball and didn’t catch it,” Mora said. “I just jumped on the ball. The defense has to step it up. Sometimes the game will be like that and it will be put on us, so we have to step it up and win the game for the team. ... I’m just so happy that I got that fumble recovery.”

Dalton did not hold the ball, though, as a turnover on downs gave Ringgold possession at its own 33 with 1:23 left and no timeouts. After a personal foul on Dalton and two holding penalties on Ringgold, the final two plays were pass completions to Christian Plott for 20 yards and Sholl, for 7. Both ended in bounds and time ran out with Ringgold on the Dalton 39.

The win was Dalton’s 27th straight against Ringgold, and the 43rd in 44 meetings, according to the Georgia High School Football Historians Association.

“We won because of turnovers, one down here on the goal line and one here at midfield,” Land said. “My hats off to our coaches. They made adjustments, but at the end of the game it came down to kids making plays.”

The Cats started the game as good as Land would’ve liked, with sophomore running back Kelvis Rhodes going 56 yards for a touchdown only 41 seconds into the season. Ringgold responded with a 13-play, 83-yard touchdown drive taking 7:46 off the clock, but Caleb Peters’ extra point was wide left. The Cats remained ahead 7-6 heading into halftime despite Ringgold having the ball for more than 15 of the first 24 minutes.

“(Ringgold) knows what their offense is and they did a good job of running it,” Land said. “They knew some creases. With it being the first game, no time to watch film or watch a team, you just come out here and run it the best you can. They took advantage of some little things we were doing.”

Dalton scored on its first offensive possession in the second half, a 24-yard strike from senior quarterback Cole Calfee to senior wide receiver Brandon Dale with 8:01 left in the quarter. Ringgold then drove to the Dalton 4-yard line before fullback Austin Phelps fumbled and Dalton recovered.

The Cats then marched 96 yards on nine plays, capped off by a Rhodes touchdown run from the 4 to take their biggest lead of the game.

“We’re inside the 5-yard line, and if we stick that one in, it’s a 14-14 ball game,” Ringgold coach Robert Akins said. “We felt like we had a lot of opportunities and we let it slip away, but we’re going to learn.”

Rhodes finished with 170 yards rushing off 22 carries. Calfee went 4 of 7 passing for 83 yards and a touchdown. Brandon Dale caught two passes for 53 yards.

Ringgold got back into the game with a three-play drive, ending on a 40-yard touchdown pass from Slade Dale to Plott with 10:55 left. Dalton stuffed the Tigers’ quarterback on the two-point conversion to stay in front by two scores, 21-12.

A Rhodes fumble exactly a minute later set up the final score of the game, a 10-yard touchdown pass from Dale to Sholl with 7:32 remaining. Dale finished with 184 all-purpose yards to lead the Tigers, while Sholl added 92 of his own.

“Our kids played hard,” Akins said. “They played their guts out, and we had a lot of kids playing both ways. (Dalton) didn’t have near as many as we did, so it’s a tribute to them for not giving up.”

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Year starts with big finish

But Dalton hang on in tight fourth

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