The Cedartown Middle School football team had a regular season to remember. The young Bulldogs won six of seven games and were able to not only play for the league championship but they were able to host it as well.

Unfortunately, while the regular season may have been a year to remember the championship game was not. The CMS team was unable to muster any offense against the Rockmart Middle School Yellow Jackets - a team they had actually beaten a week earlier - and they lost the title game 34-6 last Tuesday at Cedartown Memorial Stadium.

“We just got beat physically,” Head Coach Jeff Collier said. “Defensively we just couldn't stop the train. I knew coming in that with their speed they would score some points on us, I just thought we would be able to score with them. But our offense didn't execute and we just didn't get the job done.”

Despite the loss, the CMS Bulldogs had a winning season, something that no other football team in the Cedartown program was able to accomplish this fall.

“We've had a great season,” Collier said. “Cedartown has a lot to look forward to with these kids. They have some talent and they are winners. I'm proud of them all for what they accomplished this year.”

Rockmart took the ball to start the title game and quickly marched 51 yards in four plays. The drive was capped when Jamonta Thompson darted in from 31 yards out. The two-point conversion pass was good by Bryant Middlebrooks and the young Yellow Jackets held an 8-0 lead with 6:04 left in the first quarter.

CMS would then fumble the ball on their very first offensive play. Luckily for the young Bulldogs, RMS would return the favor with a fumble of their own.

Cedartown would go backwards on the next two plays and faced a third-and-21 from their own 15-yard line. On that play, Collier called for a counter reverse play and Richard Sullivan took the ball 85 yards to paydirt. The two-point conversion attempt failed, but CMS had pulled to within 8-6 with 3:51 left in the opening stanza.

RMS came right back, however, and scored when Thompson scooted in from seven yards out with 39 seconds left in the first period. The conversion attempt failed, but RMS was able to take a 14-6 lead into the second quarter.

During that stanza, Thompson would reach paydirt once more from seven yards out. He would then run in the conversion to give Rockmart a 22-6 lead. That would remain the score at halftime.

In the third quarter, the visting Yellow Jackets put the game away when they scored with 1:17 left in the stanza. The score came when Middlebrooks ran in from five yards out. The conversion failed, but RMS held a commanding 28-6 lead.

Rockmart added one final score in the fourth quarter when DeMarcus Lenoir bulled his way in from three yards out with 1:56 remaining in the contest. The two-point try failed, but RMS had the final margin of victory at 34-6.

Rockmart tallied 283 yards in the championship game, with all of them coming on running plays. Thompson led the way with 176 yards on 18 carries with three touchdowns. Lenoir added 70 yards on eight carries and Middlebrooks tallied 38 yards on nine attempts.

CMS managed only 98 yards in the first half with 85 coming on one play. For the game the young Bulldogs tallied 187 yards, all on the ground, with Sullivan leading the way with 88 yards on three carries. Nick Chubb added 61 yards on eight totes and Israel Battle chipped in with 40 yards on seven carries. The rest of the team combined for minus two yards on eight attempts.

Collier wanted to thank several people for their support this season to the CMS football program.

“I want to thank Mr. Williams, Mr. Grayer and the Polk County School Board for allowing me this opportunity,” Collier said. “I also want to thank Coach Loudermilk and the varsity staff for helping us out with facilities, equipment and everything else that goes on behind the scenes. I want to thank all the parents for sending their young men to the football field. I want to thank my coaching staff – Allen Price, Bob Tracy and Dr. Rick Shortt – for doing a great job of preparing these young men each and every week.

“The booster club also deserves a big thanks for feeding us and helping with game preparations. Thanks to Coach Jolly for transporting us, thanks to WGAA for airing the games, thanks to the Standard for giving these kids recognition and thanks to the community for supporting these young men. Most of all, thanks to the players who showed up each and every week ready to work hard and make the people of Cedartown proud. They did an awesome job this season.”

Photos by Todd Ollis