Bulldogs pick up 24-3 win over Jackets in rival showdown that took two days to play

Polk County has seen a lot of crazy rivalry showdowns between Cedartown and Rockmart over the past decades. Each side has its own record of big wins and crushing victories, wild rallies and extreme downpours to call back to throughout the history of this game.

This might be the first one that took more than 24 hours to play.

After starting on Friday night and getting through most of the first quarter, the opening game of the season was suspended due to stormy weather pushing through the area. Officials planned to get back to play about the same time on Saturday to resume the game, but mother nature refused to cooperate and they waited, and waited until finally the two squads were able to take the field again around 9:50 p.m.

Cedartown had left off with a 7-0 lead following a 61-yard touchdown pass between Isaiah Johnson and Demarcus Gardner, followed by a drive that was underway by Rockmart. They were on third down and 8 to go when the officials stopped the game Friday.

That’s where action picked up on Saturday night more than 24 hours later.

The Jackets did continue the drive, but attempts at the end zone were stalled by the Bulldogs defense and Rockmart settled for their only three points of the contest with a 42-yard field goal put through by Riley Gober.

Both teams traded some defensive stands and punts, but it was Cedartown who struck again when an interception by Gardner went all the way to the house and with some style. Gardner followed blockers along the Cedartown sideline and turned on the jets with his final touchdown of the night that went 60+ yards.

Tae Harris put away another touchdown in the third to give the Bulldogs an 18-point lead against the Dawgs. They added one more Edgar Bermudez field goal in the fourth to cap off the game, and took a knee during the final drive of the night to run out the clock.

This was Cedartown’s third win in a row after the squads finished off the 81st meeting between the squads. Cedartown sits with a 54-25-2 record against Rockmart with the win on Saturday night.

Cedartown and Rockmart are 3-3 against each other since 2018. They did not play in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and illnesses on the Bulldogs squad.

The Jackets are back in action next Friday at Cartersville as they begin the season at 0-1.

Cedartown had Game 2 of the season moved to this coming Thursday and will host Berkmar.