*By Jeremy Stewart*

DALTON — It was six years ago when the No. 8 Rome Wolves were last in Dalton to play the Catamounts on Harmon Field. They won 28-26.

It’s 2007 and Dalton repaid the favor in front of a home crowd and a television audience as kicker Jose Hurtado connected on a 24-yard field goal with a minute left to lift the Catamounts to a 23-21 win on Friday.

A fumbled play by the Wolves following the ensuing kickoff was recovered by Dalton and they kneeled their way to a 7-AAAA victory in a game that was broadcast on CSS.

“I’m proud of the kids and the way they fought,” Rome coach Sid Fritts said. “And you’ve got to give (Dalton) credit. They came out with a lot of emotion with the loss of their teammate and played really well.”

The Catamounts honored Andre Johnson before the game, a former player who was shot earlier this year.

“We struggled a little bit on defense with some option responsibilities and fell behind by 14 but those kids never quit,” Fritts said.

Rome (4-1-1, 2-1) had rebounded from a 14-0 deficit and put the game in its hands by posting 21 unanswered points to go up 21-14 after three quarters.

But Dalton (5-1, 3-0) pulled out some tricks in the final quarter and put the ball in the hands of veteran linebacker Jake McIntosh, subbing in at fullback.

The senior found an alley up the middle and ran 27 yards into the end zone to make it 21-20. Hurtado missed the extra point to keep the Wolves hopeful with 10:21 to play.

But after having to punt the ball away on its next possession, Dalton kept running the ball primarily up the middle until they were stopped on Rome’s six-yard line on fourth-and-four.

Hurtado then redeemed himself.

“This was a wonderful victory for our young men,” Dalton coach Ronnie McClurg said. “I’m very proud of the coaching staff for getting our kids ready for a tough Rome football team.”

Catamount quarterback Harrison Scott led all rushers with 100 yards on the ground and two touchdowns on 16 carries.

Rome was led by P.J. Green’s 35 yards on 12 touches and Reggie Whatley’s 28 on 11. The Wolves amassed only 112 yards on the ground while Dalton posted 244.

“We had a chance on the option play and we just let our feet get out from under us,” Fritts said. “But I saw that happen a lot tonight out here on this field.”

The Catamounts used a less than stellar drive to perfection in the opening series as an illegal procedure penalty and a deflected pass had no affect on their production.

Dalton’s Trae Washington dove on a wild fumble at midfield before any Rome players to keep its offense on the field and allow Scott to take off for the end zone two plays later.

The 43-yard route for a touchdown was followed by Hurtado’s kick with less than four minutes expired. Scott then found the end zone from six yards out in the first minutes of the sixth.

The Wolves then got the momentum they had been looking for with an 11-play scoring drive that included two third-down conversions.

Whatley capped off the effort with a three-yard trip to the perimeter that crossed into the end zone. Conor Young booted the PAT and Rome was on the board with 4:14 to go in the half.

Green then got the ball over the goal line in each of the Wolves’ third quarter drives. The first a one-yard push and the second a five-yard carry.

“They are a mature bunch,” Fritts said. “They know that we’ve got to go back to work and there is still four football games and this thing (the region) isn’t settled.”

Rome hosts Ringgold next Friday at Barron Stadium while Dalton will welcome Northwest Whitfield to Harmon Field.