By AUSTIN PHILLIPS/ Deputy Sports Editor

In a stark contrast to last week, the Calera Eagles found the ground to be the best means to the end zone during Friday’s 35-7 win over the B.B. Comer Tigers.

“We’ve been working on our heavy packages and we wanted to see if it would work,” Calera head coach Mac Thompson said.

And work, it did.

The Eagles (2-0) jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter as Kaderius Lacey ran for two touchdowns, one from 49 yards out and the other from 62 yards out.

The Tigers answered back in the second quarter with an 83-yard fumble return for a touchdown, but that would be as close as B.B. Comer would get.

Calera quarterback Paul Winterbottom added the next three scores for the Eagles- a 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, a 14-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and another 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth-quarter- to seal the first region win of the season.

Offensively for the Eagles, Winterbottom was an uncharacteristic 5-of-13 for 83 yards and three interceptions, while Calera also fumbled three times and lost two.

Thompson said, from a fan’s perspective, it might have seemed Winterbottom struggled, but many times the Eagles ran wrong routes, which resulted in turnovers.

“(Winterbottom) did a lot of good stuff,” Thompson said. “He’s still throwing the ball well.”

On the ground for Calera, Winterbottom rushed 12 times for 122 yards and three touchdowns, Lacey rushed six times for 114 yards and two touchdowns and Dominique Wilson had nine rushes for 32 yards.

“(Lacey’s) head and shoulders above where he was last year not only in talent, but in maturity,” Thompson said.

Through the air for Calera, Wilson had three catches for 42 yards and Trent Posey had one catch for 26 yards.

Defensively for the Calera, Erik Burrells had nine tackles, two assists, one sack and five and a half tackles for a loss.

Matt Tracey had seven and a half tackles, three assists and two tackles for a loss while Nick Harris had six tackles, including one tackle for a loss.

The Eagles will return to action Friday as they play host to Montgomery Catholic in the second region game of the season.

“(The team) knows we’re supposed to be good, but we’re still a long way away from where we need to be to be a state contender,” Thompson said.

Kickoff for Friday night’s game is set for 7 p.m.

Chris Bunn contributed to this report.

football: caler