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By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

Billingsley High School got to 1-1 on the young 2023 football season taking down Calhoun High School 21-19 in both teams’ first AHSAA Class 1A Region 4 game of the season on Sept. 8.

The Bears were led on offense by quarterback Landon Jones who put together an accurate performance going 12-for-14 passing with 166 yards and two touchdown tosses. He added 46 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown on the ground.

Receivers Kyle Boice and Derriet Moore were the beneficiaries of the two touchdown passes from Jones. Boice’s lone catch was the 11-yard touchdown from Jones, and Moore pulled down two catches for 46 yards. Nathan Gilmore also contributed in the aerial attack with 55 yards on three catches.

The Billingsley offense was firing on all cylinders against Calhoun putting up 320 yards of total offense. Running back Kaden Cotton carried the ball well for the Bears on the ground accounting for 108 yards on 13 rushes, and he grabbed three passes for 27 yards out of the backfield.

Jones was a top performer on defense as well, leading the Bears in tackles with 10 followed by Gilmore with eight and Colby Green and Boice with seven each. Green also had a blocked punt in the game.

Billingsley (1-1) looks to keep their winning ways on Sept. 15 traveling to Verbena High School at 7 p.m. for their next matchup. If they win, it will be the first time since 2011 that the Bears begin a season with a 2-1 record through their first three games. (Billingsley started 2-1 in 2020 after a forfeit in game two by Vincent High School during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.)