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Chelsea vs. Calera
Holton Smith (17) makes a turn up field during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School.
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Chelsea’s Chris McNeill #7 during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Chelsea team captain Donavan Bivins #6 during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Chelsea Football 2020
Calera team captain Jeremiah Jones #5 during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
The Ref displays the coin, during the coin flip at a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Chelsea Punter TE Garyson Maddox #68 during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Chelsea Punter RB Chris McNeill #7 during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Chelsea runs onto the field during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Chelsea WR Thomas Simpson #15 during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Chelsea WR Holton Smith #17 during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Chelsea Football 2020
Chelsea Lineman Ethan Vickers #77 during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Calera RB Daniel Carmona #22 runs the ball during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Calera RB Daniel Carmona #22 avoids the defender during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Chelsea DB Jake Adams #24 tackles the Calera RB during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Chelsea DB Evan Jones #10 tackles the Calera RB during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Chelsea Football 2020
The Chelsea defender is double teamed during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Chelsea DB Kaleb Thomason #52 tries to bat the ball down during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Calera kicks the extra point during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Chelsea RB Holton Smith #17 runs the ball during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Chelsea’s Carson Freeman #37 during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Calera QB Tyler Nelson #14 looks for his open receiver during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Chelsea Football 2020
Chelsea’s Adam Reaves #9 runs the ball during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Chelsea’s Alex Trout #13 Kicks the extra point during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Chelsea’s Chad Carbonie #33 dives for the Calera RB during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Calera RB Kris Cotton #6 is tackled by the Chelsea Defender during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Chelsea’s Chandler Pruitt #29 tackles the Calera RB during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Chelsea’s Thomas Simpson #15 during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Calera RB Jeremiah Jones #5 is tackled by the Chelsea Defenders during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Chelsea’s Adam Reaves #9 is tackled during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Chelsea Football 2020
Chelsea QB Hayden Garrison #11 during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Chelsea Football 2020
Calera RB Daniel Carmona #22 tries to avoid the defender during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
The Calera QB is sacked during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Chelsea’s Adam Reaves #9 during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Chelsea Punter Sam Niven #47 during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Chelsea RB Ernest Moore #28 during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Chelsea vs. Calera
Holton Smith (17) makes a turn up field during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School.
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Chelsea band members during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Calera’s run through banner during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Chelsea cheerleaders during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Chelsea’s mascot during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Chelsea band members during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Shelby County Sheriff’s K9 Kuba is ready for Halloween during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Calera band members during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Calera dance team members during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Chelsea Cheerleaders during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
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Photo by James Nicholas
Chelsea Football 2020
Chelsea band members during a game between Chelsea and Calera on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at Chelsea High School
CHELSEA – After falling behind early, the Chelsea High School football team used big play after big play on Friday night to get past visiting Calera 31-14 in the Hornets' final game of the season.
Early in the contest, Calera scored on a 32-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tyler Nelson to Braylyn Farrington.
Chelsea struggled to get going on offense, going three and out on its first series and not able to create much running room for Adam Reaves early in the game. Reaves had just 15 yards on his first seven carries.
Chelsea got on the board on its second series, a 26-yard field goal by Alex Trout, following a miscue by Calera on fourth down. The Eagles punter dropped back to punt, but his knee hit the ground before he got the ball off, giving Chelsea the ball at the Eagles’ 32-yard line.
After the teams traded three-and-outs, the Hornets took over at their own 39-yard line halfway through the second quarter, down by four.
That deficit was quickly erased by Reaves, who took it 61 yards to the house to put Chelsea up 10-7.
Chelsea added another score before halftime after Reaves found Gabe Ruffin on a 6-yard touchdown pass, putting the Hornets up 17-7 at the break.
While Calera was able to get some big plays on offense, particularly with tight end Noah Williams, who had 72 yards on four receptions, and with running back Kris Cotton, who rushed for 45 yards on 11 carries, mistakes kept the Eagles from putting up more points.
The Eagles fumbled the ball four times, twice on consecutive snaps in the second quarter.
But it was the third fumble that put the Hornets in the driver’s seat early in the third quarter.
On Calera’s first drive of the half, Cotton fumbled the ball on third down and Donavan Bivins was there to pick it up, taking it 47 yards for a touchdown that gave Chelsea a 24-7 lead.
Nelson found receiver Kobe Prentice on a well-executed 36-yard touchdown strike on Calera's next drive, bringing it within 10, but the Eagles would not score again.
Ruffin made arguably the play of the game early in the fourth quarter when he took a short pass from Chelsea quarterback Hayden Garrison, found his way to the Calera sideline and took off for a 69-yard score, providing the last score of the game.
“I’m really happy for our seniors, being able to send them off with a win, and I’m proud of their effort as always,” said Chelsea head coach Dustin Goodwin.
After falling behind early, Goodwin said he told his team to calm down, and his players responded with some huge plays on both sides of the ball.
“It’s just the effort of our kids,” Goodwin said. “When the opportunity’s there, we tell them to make the best out of it, and tonight we were able to do that a couple of times.”
Wrapping up the season Friday night, Goodwin admitted he wasn’t sure they would get through this season when it first started, given the COVID-19 pandemic, and while his team won’t be in the playoffs, he said he was grateful to be on the field this year.
“I still don’t think there’s anything quite like the game of football and the lessons it teaches the young men that participate in it and the bonds it builds,” Goodwin said. “Just to have an opportunity to play the game is something we’re very grateful for and thankful for.”
Click here to view and purchase photos from the game.
