ADEL — The Calhoun baseball team wasn’t going to let anything keep them from winning the state championship.

Not the weather, not a powerful opponent, not anything.

Playing Cook County on Tuesday in the decisive Game 3 of the Class AA championship series, the Jackets had to wait through a couple of rain delays, but the moisture did not dampen the celebration after Calhoun captured its first state title since 2005 by downing the host Hornets, 8-2.

“Our motto has been ‘the will to win’ and these men played with their heart,” Calhoun coach Chip Henderson said. “They could have folded after (losing the series opener) but they didn’t and they took it.”

The Calhoun bats, which had been held in check the first two games of the series, finally exploded as the Jackets cruised to the victory.

“The come from behind victory in Game 2 gave us the jump start we needed,” said Henderson. “We were able to score early and that is what we needed to do.”

Calhoun pitcher Landon Curtis earned the victory, holding the powerful Hornets to just two runs in five innings.

“Curtis had his best pitching performance of the year and he was just lights out,” said Henderson. “He was just fabulous and he gave us what we needed.”

Carter Harrison closed out the night both offensively and on the mound.

Harrison connected for a big three-run homer in the top of the sixth inning to give Calhoun a 7-2 lead in what was previously a close 4-2 game.

Harrison then took the mound and was in command in his two innings of work.

“He wanted the ball and when he has been a bulldog all year for us, you listen to him and that is what we did,” said Henderson. “He got us home.”

Jordon Poole got the ball rolling early with a two run-shot in the top of the first inning. Michael Johnson scored on the play after hitting his school-record tying 20th double of the season.

Curtis shut Cook County out for the first four innings before Hornets starting pitcher Palmer Betts took him deep in the fifth inning on a solo shot to left.

Betts then struggled on the mound the next inning and he walked both Harrison and Mott Hyde.

Cook then intentionally walked Poole to load the bases for the hero of game two, Zach Bradley. Bradley did not disappoint, roping a two run double off the left field wall.

The Hornets tried to rally in the bottom of the fifth but all they could mustard was a single run thanks to a diving reaction play from Johnson at second base which would have scored two for Cook.

In the top of the sixth, Trent Frix singled to the gap in left-center and then Blain Steely added another single to set the stage for Harrison’s home run.

Bradley capped off the scoring for the Jackets with a solo homer to center in the bottom of the seventh inning.

“We were a little more focused and a little more patient in this game than we had been in the previous two,” said Henderson. “We got pitches we could handle and squared it up.”

Calhoun struggled at the plate in the first game of the series, managing only one run on three hits. The Jackets lost the game 6-1 thanks in part to a dominant pitching performance from Cook’s DJ Johnson.

Calhoun’s season looked close to the end as they trailed the Hornets 3-1 in the second game. However, Bradley game up big with a three run homer in the sixth inning to give the Jackets a one run lead.

Curtis came on in the seventh inning of the second game and picked up the save.

Corey Greeson earned the win with two shutout innings in relief of starter Austin Norrell.

“I cannot brag enough about these men. There is just not quit in them,” said Henderson. “They battle to the end and never give up.”

“Our motto has been ‘the will to win’ and these men played with their heart”, Henderson added. “They could have folded after the first game but they didn’t and they took it.”