Chelsea Tops Calera 38-24 in Home Opener
CHELSEA, AL — The Chelsea Hornets came out firing in their home opener, securing a decisive 38-24 victory over Shelby County rival Calera in week 1 of the Alabama high school football season. After a tough road loss to cross-county foe Helena in week 0, the Hornets were determined to bounce back on their own turf. They did just that, while the Eagles slipped to 0-2 with the loss.
The star of the night was undoubtedly Chelsea running back, Emerson Russell, who put on an electrifying performance. Russell carried the ball 22 times, racking up an impressive 285 yards and finding the end zone an astounding four times. His first-half heroics included touchdown runs of 20, 60, 8, and 37 yards, leaving the Calera defense grasping at thin air.
Quarterback Carter Dotson was also in fine form for the Hornets, throwing for 213 yards, including a 21-yard scoring strike to wide receiver Jaxon Shuttlesworth. Dotson’s precision passing and Shuttlesworth’s sure-handed catch in the end zone added to Chelsea’s offensive fireworks.
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Head coach Todd Cassity couldn’t have been happier with his team’s performance. After a challenging week 0 outing, the Hornets regrouped and showed their resilience against the Eagles.
Looking ahead, Chelsea will hit the road Friday night to kick off region play at Wildcat Field against 2-0 Tuscaloosa County setting the stage for an exciting matchup. Meanwhile, Calera will welcome Benjamin Russell to Ricky M. Cairns Memorial Stadium as they seek their first win of the season.
