By Chris Megginson / For the Reporter

DEATSVILLE – Calera responded to a scoreless first half with 30 points in the third quarter to set up a 43-0 shutout at Marbury and close its Class 5A, Region 3 slate.

Jaramy Dozier opened up the offense for Calera in the third quarter, scoring from 7 and 13 yards out on the Eagles’ first and third touchdowns of night. He finished the night with 91 of the Eagles’ 272 rushing yards.

Calera successfully went for 2-point conversions on its first three touchdowns to mount a 24-0 lead. Edwin Karanja made it 30-0 before the end of the third quarter with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Dee Woodson.

Karanja added a 20-yard TD pass to Yatil Gant and DeCorean Mickens had a 1-yard TD run in the fourth quarter. He finished the night 7-of-13 passing for 51 yards.

“That third quarter and part of the fourth quarter was a different team. In the third quarter we played with a sense of urgency and a different attitude,” Calera head coach Andrew Zow said. “Good players make coaches look good and when they play the way they do they make themselves look good. That third quarter was the way we want to play.”

Zow said the team prepared for kickoff with high energy, but after a four-and-out and a lost fumble, the energy was gone in the first half. The Eagles gave up roughly 70 yards of offense in the first half, with two key defensive stops on interceptions by Jermaine Ross and Tyler Ferguson.

The Eagles’ defense locked down even more in the second half, allowing only 100 yards to Marbury on 57 plays in the game. Calera also recovered three fumbles, including one by Phillip Douglas and one by Dyson Edwards.

Ross broke a 45 yard run for his only carry of the game and the longest play of the night, while Trez Harris followed Dozier’s lead with 46 yards rushing and Antonio Devinner had 39. Ross also had a team-high five solo tackles on defense, while DeCorean Mickens had four solo stops and five assisted tackles.

Calera (7-2, 5-1 Region 3) has now won three in-a-row to wrap up the No. 2 seed in Class 5A, Region 3 after dropping midseason games to Region 3 champ Demopolis and Class 6A, Region 5 runner-up Jackson-Olin. Its’ reward is the chance to host Sylacauga on Nov. 4, but first the Eagles will travel to the Aggies Oct. 28 for the regular season finale – a rare back-to-back week scenario in high school football.

“The biggest thing is you play a team like Sylacauga and playing them again in the first round is going to be tough. They’re a fairly good team themselves. It’s not going to be easy,” Zow said. “I’ve never had it before. I’ve played teams before three times in a year spring, fall and regular season. Every time it’s tough. The second go around it’s tougher and both teams will know each other.”