CALEDONIA — A playoff spot for Caledonia football was already guaranteed heading into its final regular-season game against Shannon on Thursday night.
It was both the regular-season finale and senior night for the Cavaliers, but there was a chance for it not to be the final home game of the season.
Playoff seeding had not yet been finalized, and a victory of seven or more points for Caledonia would ensure a No. 2 seed for the MHSAA Class 4A, Region 1 playoffs.
Early on, it didn’t look like that No. 2 seed would be a formality, but an electric second half and impressive offensive performance said otherwise as the Cavs defeated the Red Raiders, 34-14.
“It was a big-time football game for us,” Caledonia head coach Michael Kelly said. “It wasn’t always pretty in the first half, but I thought our kids just kept bouncing back, especially after the first drive on defense.
“Our kids just kept resolve, and in the second half, we were able to execute.”
The second half is what really made or broke the game for both sides, with Caledonia (4-6) outscoring Shannon (6-4) in the half, 21-6.
Caledonia quarterback Daniel Wilburn Jr. overcame some adversity early in the first half and ended up with a strong game overall, recording three total touchdowns, two in the air and one on the ground.
Wilburn was one of three Caledonia players to record a rushing touchdown in a game that saw the Cavs score more than 30 points for the fourth time this season.
“We all just rallied together and did what we were supposed to do,” Wilburn said. “We slowed the game down and everything turned out good…I was trusting my teammates the entire time.”
It really was a total team effort from the first to the final whistle, and that began in the first half when the Cavs got down into an early hole after Shannon scored on its first offensive drive of the game.
A 15-yard touchdown run from Red Raiders quarterback Jamarcus Shines got things going, but Shines ended up relying much more on his arm than his legs during the game.
There was no questioning his arm strength, but his accuracy proved to be the kryptonite on a number of drives for Shannon, and Caledonia wasted no time to take advantage.
Once Wilburn found wide receiver Zack Gorum open over the middle for a 25-yard receiving touchdown to begin the second quarter, momentum heavily shifted in favor of the Cavs.
“I thought he bounced back well because he struggled in the first half,” Kelly said. “He settled down well, made a couple good throws right before half and got help from his receivers. We’re going to ride or die with him under center.”
There were definitely some mistakes Wilburn made which are going to go under the microscope to be cleaned up over the next week, but he didn’t need a perfect game on offense the way the running game was working for Caledonia.
Players across the board were contributing, with Tecondrey Irby, Karsten Gullette and Micah O’Daniel having solid days on the ground.
Gullette and O’Daniel both had touchdowns on the day, but of the two, Gullette’s 2-yard receiving touchdown just before the end of the first half put Caledonia up in front for good, leading 13-8 at the time.
Caledonia awaits its first round playoff opponent, but now is benefitting greatly from securing a home game to begin what hopes to be a long postseason run for the Cavs.
“It’s so big because we’re still building up,” Wilburn said. “We want to continue what we did last year and we want to prove ourselves again and again and again.”
Caledonia 34, Shannon 14
Shannon (6-4) 8 0 0 6 — 14
Caledonia (4-6) 0 13 7 14 — 34
First quarter
S — Jamarcus Shines 15 run (Kegan Ruff run), clock 8:02
Second quarter
C — Zack Gorum 25 pass from Daniel Wilburn Jr. (Reed Frady kick), clock 11:04
C — Karsten Gullette 2 pass from Wilburn (kick failed), clock 0:11
Third quarter
C — Micah O’Daniel 55 run (Frady kick), clock 9:17
Fourth quarter
C — Wilburn 1 run (Frady kick), clock 11:54
S — Ben White 85 kickoff return (two-point failed), clock 11:41
C — Braden Walters 11 run (Frady kick), clock 4:17
Other scores
Prep football
Noxubee County 24, Aberdeen 20
Prep boys soccer
Heritage Academy 5, Trailblazers FC 1
Heritage Academy boys soccer opened its season with a 5-1 win over Trailblazers FC.
Buddy Albertson scored two goals for the Patriots, while Alex Lucassen, Ben Imes and Gus King each scored one.
Heritage Academy’s next match is at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 10 against Magnolia Heights.
Prep girls basketball
At Madison-Ridgeland Academy: Copiah Academy 46, Heritage Academy 38, overtime
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