Hiram came back down to earth on Friday after soaring to a 45-point matchup in their last game. They fell just short of the Cartersville Hurricanes by a score of 45-43. While losing is never fun, the Hornets can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Georgia football rankings (they are ranked 110th, while the Hurricanes are ranked 22nd).
When it comes to explaining why Hiram lost, don't look at Kaden Hamilton. Despite the final result, he rushed for 152 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 8.9 yards per carry, and also caught a touchdown. Hamilton was no stranger to the big play, taking off on a dash that went for 58 yards. Ethan Latimore was another key player, throwing for 100 yards and two touchdowns while completing 72.7% of his passes.
Even though they lost, Hiram was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 324 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 163 rushing yards in 22 consecutive matches dating back to last season.
Nate Russell continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines for Cartersville, throwing for 245 yards and four touchdowns while completing 72.7% of his passes, and also rushing for 47 yards. A healthy portion of Russell's aerial production (80 yards to be exact) went to Jamauri Brice, who also brought in a receiving touchdown.
Hiram's defeat ended a five-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 5-5. As for Cartersville, the win for them keeps them at an undefeated 10-0.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Hiram will have a little extra prep time after the loss as they won't be playing again for a while. They'll take on Kell at 7:30 p.m. on November 15th. Hiram knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 31 points or more in their past three games -- so hopefully Kell likes a good challenge. Cartersville also won't see the field for a while: their next contest is against Westminster at 7:30 p.m. on November 15th. Cartersville will be looking to keep their six-game home win streak alive.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
