It has been a long time since the Cedartown Bulldogs and the Calhoun Yellow Jackets have faced one another. Neither team had a player yet born, and likely some of their parents were kids at the time.

Yet the friendly competition between the two teams is back this week as Cedartown plays host to Calhoun for the home opener of the 2020 season, which gives each team a chance to bounce back from last week’s losses.

Related: Watch below to see the full interview with Cedartown Head Coach Jamie Abrams following the loss at Rockmart.

Cedartown, coming into the game after a third loss in a row to Rockmart and opening the season in a 21-10 finish against their rivals, looks to bounce back against another Yellow Jackets squad who just got beat by a McCallie team from Chattanooga in a 38-22 loss. (Of note, this is the first Calhoun loss since they were knocked out of the playoffs against Peach County last season.)

A regional powerhouse over the past years, Calhoun is no joke. They come into the game 1-1 after a 41-14 season opening win over Dalton on Sept. 4, and are on the road for the second time this season. They bring a veteran squad that includes 24 seniors on the roster this season, and just as many juniors.

Look out for Calhoun QB Christian Lewis, who last week threw a long bomb to Cole Spear for a 99-yard touchdown against the Blue Tornadoes, who ultimately took over the game in the second half thanks to Yellow Jacket mistakes (turnovers happen to the best teams.)

It is worth noting that the McCallie game was a last-minute addition to the regular season.

Just as the Yellow Jackets look to overcome costly mistakes facing the Bulldogs, Cedartown as well has some work to do after turnovers cost the team opportunities to secure a win over Rockmart in their ongoing rivalry series.

Cedartown, who enters Friday night at 0-1, is loaded with talent this year made evident by big plays made on the field. Senior Corben Cuzzort made impressive running plays and found a way through the Rockmart defense where junior CJ Washington and senior Jayden Johnson found large defensive walls waiting for them.

Getting the ball into a running rhythm is going to be key this week for the Bulldogs, and keeping the ball away from a Calhoun offense that over the past years is well-known for running up the score.

The last time the two teams played (per the Georgia High School Football Historians Association) was the 1985 season when the Bulldogs beat the Jackets in a 28-24 finish under then-coach John Hill. The Bulldogs hold the overall record against the Jackets in this one, at 17-1-1. The lone tie came in 1975 when the teams finished a 6-6 game that August 45 years ago.

The lone Bulldogs loss between the two teams came in 1932, with a 7-0 Calhoun win.

It is also worth mentioning that Bulldogs teams under Coach Howard “Doc” Ayers won six times against Calhoun, and four of those were in shutouts.