Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Callaway football team has struggled to start the 2024 season and those struggles were apparent on the road to Opelika on Friday as the Cavaliers fell 48-13.

Callaway, regularly a powerhouse in 2A, has been outscored by a combined 90-20 through two games.

It was a calamitous start for the Cavaliers on Friday night with the offense turning the ball over on their first two possessions. The Bulldogs made the Cavaliers pay, scoring two touchdowns to take a 14-0 lead before three minutes were off the clock. 

The offense went three-and-out on the ensuing drive and the Bulldogs marched right down the field to take a 21-0 lead just halfway through the first quarter with the Cavaliers yet to get a first down.

Callaway eventually got some traction, driving down the field and getting in the red zone late in the first quarter, but eventually turned it over on downs. Once again the Bulldogs capitalized, driving down the field and taking a 28-0 lead. 

The Cavaliers eventually got on the board when Blake Harrington scampered into the end zone with 4:28 left to go in the first half. Harrington and sophomore wide receiver Kaiden James, who has offers from the likes of Alabama, connected multiple times on the drive to spark the offense to life.

The Cavaliers forced a fumble and recovered it late in the first half, but could not chip into the lead just before the halftime break. 

Any chance of a Cavalier comeback was squashed when the Bulldogs took the opening kickoff of the second half 82 yards for a touchdown. 

The Bulldogs were able to score a touchdown late in the third quarter that triggered the running clock. The Cavaliers did find the end zone again with 2:55 left in the game as Isaiah Terrell found the end zone but it did little other than serve as a consolation score. 

While it has been far from the start the Cavaliers envisioned, they have played two teams significantly larger than them in 4A Cass High and 7A Opelika.

Callaway starts the season 0-2 for the second straight season. Last year, the Cavaliers won nine straight games after the opening two losses en route to an appearance in the quarterfinals of the 2A state playoffs.

 The Cavaliers will play their home opener against Cool next Friday at Callaway Stadium.