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Photo by Richard Force
Chelsea wide reciever Aiden Hughes (8) races for the endzone during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Chelsea High School.
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Photo by Richard Force
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Photo by Richard Force
Chelsea lineback Ethan Prickett (4) got some carries at running back and scored two touchdowns during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Chelsea High School.
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Photo by Richard Force
Chelsea lineback Ethan Prickett (4) scores a touchdown while playing running back during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Chelsea High School.
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Photo by Richard Force
Chelsea kicker Luke Miller (17) kicks one of his many extra points during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Chelsea High School.
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Photo by Richard Force
Chelsea quarterback Miller Bauman (10) throws a pass during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Chelsea High School.
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Photo by Richard Force
Chelsea running back Chase Stracener (3) drags Calera defenders into the endzone during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Chelsea High School.
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Photo by Richard Force
Chelsea running back Chase Stracener (3) gets around the edge during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Chelsea High School.
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Photo by Richard Force
Chelsea running back Chase Stracener (3) looks for a running lane during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Chelsea High School.
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Photo by Richard Force
The Calera ball carrier is wrapped up by Chelsea safety Gabe Pendley (2) and nose tackle Galvin Hailstock (5) during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Chelsea High School.
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Photo by Richard Force
Chelsea wide receiver CJ Durbin (7) catches a touchdown pass during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Chelsea High School.
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Photo by Richard Force
Chelsea quarterback Miller Bauman (10) throws a pass during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Chelsea High School.
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Photo by Richard Force
Chelsea wide receiver Turner Simpson (15) catches a touchdown pass during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Chelsea High School.
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Photo by Richard Force
Chelsea defensive end Romello Cooper (9) gets around a block during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Chelsea High School.
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Photo by Richard Force.
Chelsea linebacker Ethan Prickett (4) scores his second touchdown while playing running back during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Chelsea High School.
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Photo by Richard Force
Chelsea quarter back Grant Propst (18) throws a pass during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Chelsea High School.
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Photo by Richard Force
Chelsea players huddle up with their coach to talk about covering an onsides kick by Calera during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Chelsea High School.
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Chelsea Head Coach Todd Cassity chats with Calera Head Coach Scott Rials after a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Chelsea High School.
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Photo by Richard Force
Chelsea defensive end Romello Cooper (9) fights off a block during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Chelsea High School.
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Photo by Richard Force
Chelsea safety Gabe Pendley (2) breaks up a pass during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Chelsea High School.
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Chelsea linebacker Briston Hardy (3) makes a tackle during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Chelsea High School.
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Chelsea captain Chase Stracener (3) listens to the officials during the coin toss before a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Chelsea High School.
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Photo by Richard Force
Chelsea captains Mill Bauman (10), Porter Schott (33), Chase Stracener (3), and Romello Cooper (9) get ready for the coin toss before a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Chelsea High School.
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Photo by Richard Force
Chelsea Head Coach Todd Cassity addresses his team before a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Chelsea High School.
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Chelsea Head Coach Todd Cassity talks to the officials before a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Chelsea High School.
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Photo by Richard Force
Chelsea quarterback Miller Bauman (10) warms up before a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Chelsea High School.
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Photo by Richard Force
Chelsea fullback Adam Wheeler (2) runs after a catch during The Chelsea Marching Band performs during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Chelsea High School.
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Photo by Richard Force
Chelsea offensive lineman Will Pohlmann (71) looks for someone to block during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Chelsea High School.
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Photo by Richard Force
Chelsea corner back Kenny Wesley (12) returns an interception during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Chelsea High School.
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Photo by Richard Force
Chelsea Head Coach Todd Cassity expresses his opinion about a call to the officals during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Chelsea High School.
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Photo by Richard Force
Chelsea linebacker Ethan Prickett (4) is mobbed by his teammates after scoring a touchdown while playing running back during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Chelsea High School.
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Photo by Richard Force
Chelsea Assistant Coach Colby Harris talks to his players before a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Chelsea High School.
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Photo by Richard Force
Chelsea linebacker Ethan Prickett (4) gets pressure on the Calera quarterback during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Chelsea High School.
CHELSEA -- An unranked Chelsea High School football team made a statement Friday night, beating Calera 56-28 to improve to 4-0 for the first time since 2015 and remain atop the Class 6A, Region 3 standings.
"That's what matters to us. We felt like this was a playoff game tonight," Chelsea head coach Todd Cassity said. "Our kids took that mentality all week. These kids are starting to feel it that we are something better than what most people thought we were going to be."
Calera scored first on an over-the-back touchdown catch by Braxton Brooks, but Chelsea responded with 35 unanswered points to quickly put the game out of reach. Ethan Prickett tied the game, 7-7, with a 26-yard touchdown run to cap a 76-yard drive. From there it was Chase Stracener with a pair of TD runs, the first going 51 yards up the middle on the first play of the second quarter, followed by a 1-yard scoring run. Stracener had 164 rushing yards in the first half, and finished the night with 181 yards on 34 carries.
"If something bad happens, we don't care. We go play the next play," Cassity said. "Chase had some good runs. He never played running back in his life and he goes and gets two touchdowns on two carries."
Leading 21-7, Chelsea's secondary continued to step up, with Kenny Wesley intercepting Calera quarterback AJ Johnson and returning it to the Eagles' 13-yard line. Miller Bauman then hit CJ Durbin for a touchdown pass to extend the lead to 28-7. The Hornets recovered a fumble, but were unable to extend the score entering halftime.
A 33-yard touchdown pass to Turner Simpson opened the second-half scoring, 35-7, before Calera ended a more than 26-minute scoring drought with a touchdown reception by Cameron Hagler.
The Hornets tacked on three touchdowns in the fourth quarter starting with a seven-yard run from Prickett. Johnson, who threw for 317 yards on 24-of-40 passing, quickly answered with a TD pass to KD Young. However, Chelsea backup QB Grant Propst connected with Aiden Hughes for a 43-yard play to make it a 49-21 ball game midway through the quarter. On the next Hornets' possession, Propst hit Ty Handley for a 35-yard score before Calera's Jeremiah Pouncy added a late 20-yard touchdown reception.
Bauman finished the night 8-of-12 passing with 114 yards and two touchdowns. Propst also had two touchdown passes.
"We haven't had a lot of these wins here. Our kids don't really understand if we're up or not. Our kids play the same whether we're up or not. They play the same all the time. Our kids play so hard," Cassity said. "I think we've figured out our identity. The last two games we've played really well on offense. I think our defense played really good tonight ... Our secondary played really well against some fast and big receivers."
Chelsea (4-0 overall) will hit pause on region play and travel to Tuscaloosa next week to meet Paul W. Bryant High School (0-4).
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