DALTON, Ga. -- On a night when Dalton High School celebrated its rich football tradition, it was a progam with basically none that stole the show.

Hiram completed the first 10-0 season in school history Friday night at venerable Harmon Field, rallying twice from a touchdown down to defeat the Catamounts, 17-14, for the Region 7-AAAA championship. The Hornets, after winning their first region title, will host the winner of the Chamblee/Miller Grove game. The 7-3 Catamounts will host Tucker in the first round.

Dalton was close several times in the first half of taking control of the game, but a missed field goal on the first drive, several crucial penalties and a dropped touchdown pass just before the half proved costly. After their first drive stalled at the Hiram 11 with the missed field goal, the Cats reached the Hornets' 39 on the next possession before two penalties set them back.

They finally capitalized in the second quarter when Shaquon Moore capped an eight-play, 49-yard drive with a 9-yard touchdown run. Moments later, following the third consecutive Hiram three-and-out series, senior quarterback Stryker Brown threw a perfect seam-route pass on third down, but it was dropped at the 5.

Though ahead 7-0, the Catamounts were frustrated going to the locker room at halftime.

"We shot outselves in the foot more than once," Moore said. "We got down there and had penalties and other stuff. We should have had more points. We were in control."

After a fired-up Hiram defense forced a three-and-out on Dalton's first possession of the second half, it took just two plays to tie the game. Diminutive junior running back Charlie Sashington went straight up the gut, cut left and scotted 60 yards for a touchdown.

Slapped in the face, the Cats quickly awoke from their offensive slumber. After a Moore 18-yard run moved the ball into Hiram territory, junior tailback Tre Beck took a pitch, avoided three tacklers in the backfield and streaked 44 yards for a 14-7 Dalton lead.

The Hornets, though, responded in style, moving 80 yards in nine plays, the big gainer a 40-yard run by Javon Simon to the 15. Sashington scored two plays later from 10 yards out to again tie the game.

Penalties would again haunt the Cats later. After reaching the Hiram 40 starting the fourth quarter, back-to-back false start penalties moved the back, and when Leighton Gasque sacked Brown on third down, the drive was over. Hiram took over and, using Sashington, Simon and Trey Wesley on the ground, moved to the Dalton 2.

The drive stalled at the 8, but Diego Mondragon calmly booted a 25-yard field goal to put the Hornets up three with 3:24 to play.

A Dalton personal foul penalty on the ensuing return set up the crucial drive at the 15, but after one first down the drive ended at the 29 when Brown's fourth-down pass went incomplete. The Hornets ran out the clock, setting off a wild celebration on the visitors' side.

"You can't make that many mistakes and expect to beat a team like that," Dalton coach Adam Winegarden said. "You have to give them credit."