By Kevin Eckleberry

kevin.eckleberry@lagrangenews.com

FRANKLIN – The streak is over.

For the first time since the first game of the 2015 season, the Callaway Cavaliers have lost a regular-season game.

With quarterback Emory Jones leading the way, Heard County beat Callaway 35-28 in a thriller on Friday night at Staples Stadium.

In a back-and-forth game, Heard County took the lead on a touchdown run by Aaron Beasley late in the fourth quarter.

The Cavaliers had an opportunity to drive for a potential game-tying touchdown, but an interception with less than a minute remaining sealed their fate.

Callaway (6-1 overall) fell to 1-1 in Region 5-AA while seeing its 25-game regular-season winning streak come to a close, and Heard County (6-1 overall) improved to 2-0 in the region.

Heard County took a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter, and Callaway answered less than a minute later on a touchdown run by Cartavious Bigsby, and Noah Stephens made the first of his four extra points to tie it.

By the half, Heard County had a 14-7 lead.

Callaway tied it in the third quarter on Bigsby’s second scoring run and the Stephens extra point, but Heard County came right back with the touchdown to take a 21-14 lead.

The Cavaliers answered with a 3-yard touchdown run by DJ Atkins with 9:33 to play in the game, and it was tied 21-21.

After the Braves reclaimed a 28-21 lead, Bigsby scored on a 5-yard run on fourth down, and it was tied 28-28 with 5:12 to play.

Heard County’s offense, which was so dynamic throughout the game, moved down the field for the go-ahead with 2:20 to play.

The Cavaliers began their final possession at their own 20-yard line, and they made it to the 40 before the game effectively ended with the interception.

The Braves ran a pair of kneel-down plays, and the clock ran out.

Callaway will look to bounce back when it hosts Temple on Friday, and it will be homecoming.