The Dog and Cat fight goes way back between Cedartown and Dalton, and it renews on Friday night as the Catamounts play host to Cedartown for the first time since the mid-1990s.

An undefeated Dalton will get to showcase the talents of offensive talents like Ethan Long under center and Bubba Tanner on both sides of the ball when Cedartown hits the field after a bye week, and finding out unexpectedly that they got to claim a game as a win on the record thanks to a Callaway forfeit.

Now sitting at 2-2 instead of 1-3, Cedartown on paper has chances aplenty in this one to start to build back to the season everyone expected last year’s Class 4-A runner-up to have, instead of what has been a hard slog through opponents who had their date with the Dawgs circled on the calendar.

The difference this year too is in who is in the game: with a whole host of seniors who graduated having moved on after graduating this past spring, the Bulldogs have relied on a cast of runners in the backfield to make plays.

So far, Isaiah Johnson has the top rushing yards for the team with 209 after four games on 28 carries. Tae Harris sits in second, almost 100 yards behind that with 112 off 29 carries. Juelz Davis with 25 carries and 102 yards remains a reliable go-to guy for finding the extra yard when he needs to step up on a drive.

Where the team differs this year is mixing up with the passing game. Drew Ledbetter certainly has the arm to make big passes (one of his two touchdown throws have come off of a big play against Rockmart) but he’s thrown 22 out of 48 for 337 yards and two touchdowns, along with three picks in Cedartown’s four outings this year.

Dividing that up, that 5.5 completions for 12 passes per game for 84.25 yards. Not quite how the actual results work out, but up until the Calhoun game he was being limited in his throwing attempts under center. In the Sequoyah loss, he went just 4 of 9 for 44 yards.

Against Calhoun at home two weeks ago, Ledbetter grabbed 7 completions for 125 yards and a touchdown pass. He also leads the team in scoring on the ground, putting up three touchdowns in rushes including two incredible sprints toward the pylons in early season play.

Cedartown’s defense despite the previous 1-3 record is stout and held two of their four opponents to just two scores apiece. Special teams and punting have kept the Bulldogs in games.

The trouble they’ve got this week? Could be real dramatic on the road as thy face Ethan Long under center for the Catamounts (turning into a real star under center for the Catamounts,) Adreiel Hernandez and Bubba Tanner. There were others as well who made big contributions when the Cats played Rockmart to a 21-14 victory at the Rock in overtime, but they were the ones who stood out against a Jackets squad who held tough against a Cats who at 4-0 are having a highlight reel season so far.

The Cats have put up a combined 162 points on the board against their first four opponents, including a Sept. 1 50-14 home win over Sonoraville, and last week’s 56-20 drubbing over Lassiter.

(Long posted 5 touchdowns and 332 yards in the win over Lassiter, of note. Dalton does not have stats immediately available for their players that I’ve found online.)

Cedartown has a chance, but the offense and defense both have a tough road test ahead before region play begins on Sept. 29. And if they can win it, they’ll hit a perfectly even record in this long running Dog and Cat fight: 17-17-4. Equal wins, losses and ties.

Monthly+ subscribers can tune in over the weekend for a full reel from the sidelines in this week’s edition of the Football Highlights show.