On a perfect night for football, the two teams coming into Friday's game undefeated knew that mistakes would probably be the key to the game.

Unfortunately, it was Cass on the wrong side of mistakes and the scoreboard, losing to the Rome Wolves, 27-14, at Earl Cunningham Stadium.

"Mental mistakes are what kept us in a hole all night," Colonels' coach Rick Casko said. "You can't make mistakes against a team like Rome."

The Wolves scored on their first possession, converting a fourth-and-two play after Cass' Jay Stephens stopped Rome's C.J. Diamond following a 13-yard run on third-and-15 from the Colonels' 46-yard line.

Diamond's fourth-down run picked up the first down, and a face-mask penalty on Cass pushed the ball to its 23.

Chad Barton hit Steven Walker for a first down at the 13-yard line.

A few plays later, on third-and-goal, Diamond dove in for the score. The extra point was blocked by Devontae Harris, and Rome led 6-0 with 4:24 left in the first.

The Colonels moved the ball on their ensuing possession, getting 12- and 11-yard completions from quarterback Elijah Windom before a 13-yard connection with Batiste put the ball on the Wolves' 37.

An offside penalty against Cass pushed them back five yards and, after a 5-yard pass to Batiste, running back Michael Sanders caught a screen pass, which he advanced to the 25 as flags came raining down.

When the dust had settled, the Colonels were charged with two personal fouls and Rome with one on the play.

Cass' drive ended four plays later when Rome's Jamie Cooper intercepted a pass at the 10-yard line and returned it to the Colonels' 41.

The Wolves picked up six yards on first down before Bobby McCrary scored on a 35-yard reverse. The extra point gave Rome a 13-0 lead with 10:38 left in the half.

After Cass' next possession stalled at midfield -- despite an acrobatic, 8-yard catch by Jozell Payne to give the Colonels a first down on the 50 -- the two teams traded possessions until Cass' Tyler Gates recovered a fumble at the Wolves' 44.

The Colonels drove down to Rome's 25 only to let a fumble get away with 3:33 before halftime.

In the second half, Cass got another chance to make the most of a Wolf fumble when Rome failed to field Windom's high punt. Colonel Chad Taylor recovered the ball at the Wolves' 30.

Two incomplete passes from Windom were followed by a pitch-and-catch to Tony Mitchell down to the 20.

Windom then hooked up with Taylor for a 5-yard completion and fired a bullet to Tarris Batiste on the next play for a 15-yard TD. Guadalupe Rangel's extra point narrowed the lead to 13-7.

Rome, however, scored on the second play of its next drive when Cooper took a pitch on the right side and scampered for a 45-yard TD. Ansel Beachem's extra point extended the lead to 20-7.

Even after a Rome penalty for a head shot to a receiver kept its drive alive, penalties of its own stalled Cass, who punted back to the Wolves.

Rome pounded the ball to reach the Colonels' 36, but Cass' defense stiffened and refused to give in, forcing a punt.

Beachem pinned the Colonels to the 5 on the punt, and the Colonels could not get past the 20.

Cooper's punt return moved the Wolves inside the red zone to the 19-yard line.

D.J. Milner ran twice for 7 yards and punched the ball in on an 11-yard run. Rome went up 27-7 on its extra point.

Beginning on its 20-yard line, Cass' Sanders broke away for a 45-yard gain and picked up 14 on the next play.

An illegal procedure penalty slowed the Colonels, who wound up going for it on fourth down. An incomplete pass, however, ended the Cass drive.

The Colonels got the ball back on a Rome punt, and Windom connect with Payne for a first down at the 47. Sanders then broke through to the Wolves' 32.

Windom to Stephens took the ball to the 15, and the combination worked again as Stephens hauled in a 15-yard TD reception. Rangel's extra point provided the game's final 13-point margin.

Casko said Cass (1-1, 1-1 Region 7-AAAA) would have to move past the difficult home loss.

"We have to get past this game and get ready for a tough Johns Creek team next week," he said. "We will work this week to correct our mistakes."

1 2 3 4 F

ROM 6 7 7 7 27

CAS 0 0 7 7 14

SCORING SUMMARY

First quarter

ROM -- C.J. Diamond 3-yd run (kick blocked)

Second quarter

ROM -- Bobby McCrary 35-yd run (Ansel Beachem kick)

Third quarter

CAS -- Tarris Batiste 15-yd pass from Elijah Windom (Guadalupe Rangel kick)

ROM -- Jamie Cooper 45-yd run (Beachem kick)

Fourth quarter

ROM -- D.J. Milner 11-yd run (Beachem kick)

CAS -- Jay Stephens 15-yd pass from Windom (Rangel kick)

TEAM STATS

ROM CAS

Rushing yds 243 99

Passing yds 15 209

INDIVIDUAL STATS

Rushing -- Cass: Michael Sanders 11-110

Passing -- Cass: Elijah Windom 22-41-2-1

Receiving -- Cass: Jay Stephens 4-46-1, Tony Mitchell 5-39, Jozell Payne 4-39, Tarris Batiste 4-38-1.

Tackles -- Cass: Albert Catron 6, Tyler Gates 5, Hunter Purvine 5.