class,” said Dusty Hubbard, Callaway’s defensive coordinator since 2005. “Guys, hands down, you’ve got the hardware. When they come back and ask, you guys got it. What a great group of guys.”
CALLAWAY SENIORS
Among Callaway’s signees was quarterback Demetrius Coleman, a threeyear starter who was a foundation of the championship team. Coleman signed with Chattanooga as a defensive back.
By Kevin Eckleberry
Charlie Dixon, a running back who enjoyed a brilliant playoff run, signed with North Carolina AT&T, and wide receiver and defensive back Jalin Shephard signed with the University of West Georgia.
Photo: Kevin Eckleberry
I’m just so happy for me and my teammates and my brothers. Without them, I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t be able to do this.” They’d come close, agonizingly close, to bringing home a state championship.
broke the door down after so many close calls? The answer was a resounding yes.
Heading into the 2020 season, the Callaway football program had established itself as one of the best in the state, but the team was still seeking that elusive state title. The 2018 and 2019 seasons both ended with heart-breaking losses in the state semifinals, and Callaway made it to the final four in 2013 and 2016 as well. As the Cavaliers prepared for the 2020 season, they were viewed as a team that could be the last one standing in Class AA. Could this be the team, after so many close calls, be the one that 76
SIDELINE PASS
With a talented and committed group of seniors leading the way, Callaway made its way through a grueling playoff stretch and brought home that long-awaited state championship. On a brilliant December afternoon in Atlanta, Callaway beat Fitzgerald 2217 to win the Class AA state championship, setting off a celebration years in the making. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s rankings, Callaway beat, in order, the top four teams in Class AA to secure the state title. For the seniors, the championship
was especially sweet, since so many of them were starters or key contributors the previous two years when Callaway lost in the semifinals. Now, many of those seniors have taken their winning pedigree to the college level. Eight seniors from that 2020 team, in fact, are in the early stages of what they’re each hoping will be a successful collegiate career. Whatever they accomplish in coming years, they can all take satisfaction in knowing they were the group to give Callaway its first state championship. “Often around these parts we have guys come back, our senior classes come back, and they get into a debate about which senior class was the best
Long snapper Eli Freeman and defensive back Osiris Rivas signed with Blinn College in Texas, and defensive lineman and tight end Keshawn Suggs stayed in Georgia after signing with Reinhardt University. Also remaining in Georgia was linebacker LaQuize Gilbert, who signed with Georgia Military College, and offensive lineman Lathan Patterson originally signed with the University of the Cumberlands before joining Suggs at Reinhardt. Recruiting coordinator Andrew Caraway, who helped the seniors find the right college home, was proud of the leadership those players displayed during a championship season. “Family is such an important thing in life. Everyone can agree that at Callaway High School we’re one big family,” Caraway said. “(During the 2020 season), there’s no question we faced adversity like we’ve never seen before with this pandemic. It made you wonder if we’d even have a
football season. This group of seniors faced those challenges head on, and they overcame them each and every day, ultimately leading to the first state championship in school history.” A senior who perhaps put those leadership skills on display more than anyone else was Demetrius Coleman, who calmly and capably directed the offense from the quarterback position. Coleman finished his prep career with a 10-2 playoff record, and he was at his best when the pressure was the greatest. Coleman will play his college football at Chattanooga, a place he said “felt like home.” “They kept it real from day one,” Coleman said. “They’re giving me an opportunity to play. I just feel like I’ll be successful there.” Coleman, whose younger brother DeShun Coleman is the current quarterback at Callaway, was glad to be able to share his signing day with his friends and teammates. “We came into high school together, and we were in middle school together, and we grinded all those years, and we finally reached the ultimate goal, and now we’re living our team,” Coleman said. “I know they’ll do great things.” Coleman spent a lot of time in 2020 handing the ball to Charlie Dixon, who was magnificent in the playoffs, capped by a memorable performance in the championship game when he ran for more than 200 yards. Dixon, who had plenty of college options, felt North Carolina AT&T was the right fit.
“I wanted to attend an HBCU (historically black colleges and universities),” Dixon said. “I went and I just felt at home. It felt like family.” As for his signing day, Dixon said “this is a day we’ll never forget. It’s a good memory to have in our hearts.” LaQuize Gilbert, a linebacker who led Callaway in tackles in 2020, chose to go the two-year route after signing with Georgia Military College. “I really just tried to stay closer to home,” Gilbert said. “I chose my best interest, to see where I could play.” Gilbert was thrilled to see so many of his teammates get a chance to play in college. “I’m glad that we’ll all get a chance to go off and play somewhere that wants us,” Gilbert said. “I’m just so happy for me and my teammates and my brothers. Without them, I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t be able to do this.” Jalin Shephard was one of the state’s best and most versatile players, and he made an impact as a wide receiver, defensive back, and punter. Shephard was Callaway’s leading receiver with 24 catches for 505 yards and nine touchdowns, he had four interceptions on defense, and he did an outstanding job as a punter. Coach Dusty Hubbard feels Shephard deserves to be mentioned alongside the other great players who came through the program. “Jalin, he didn’t get the five-star accolades like Terry (Godwin) and Tank (Bigsby) and those guys, and they deserve that and they were great players and great athletes, but Jalin is just a football player,” Hubbard said. SIDELINE PASS
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