The 2021 high school football season is upon us. Welcome to our first Cherokee County Football preview. This weeks matchups include Creekview-Etowah, Woodstock-Sequoyah, River Ridge-Lassiter and Cherokee-Mays. Best of luck to all of the teams competing this week!
*All helmet photos are courtesy of the Georgia High School Helmet Project http://www.gahelmetproject.com
**Historical data is courtesy of Georgia High School Football Historians Association https://ghsfha.org/w/Special:GHSFHA
The Skinny
The Creekview Grizzlies boasted the best defense in the county in 2020. It’s hard to imagine that they can improve on last season’s numbers. They return leaders like Isaac Hubert who can play at linebacker or defensive end and is a nightmare to scheme against. Cale Williams, the teams leading returning tackler, anchors the secondary and should also be helped by Taylor Cox-Young who should see an expanded role in the secondary. Offensively, Creekview will hand the reigns over to senior quarterback Mason Hicks, but expect to see freshmen Austin Guest to also take some snaps. Bruising back Tyler Stevens (886 yards, 9-TDs in 2020) will get the bulk of the carries for the Grizzlies. We believe offensive success will hinge on the ability of Creekview to find or develop a playmaker at receiver.
The Etowah Eagles will begin the new season looking to turn things around from a year ago. Coach Kemper finally had a full off-season with his young Eagles squad. This season they will look to Braden Bohannon to guide the team at quarterback. Bohannon will look for Tate Nelms to help anchor the offensive line. While we don’t know exactly who will be joining Bohannon in the backfield, Elijah Washington is a young man who got some experience running the ball last season and showed some promise. On the defensive side of the ball, the Eagles return All-Region selection Jaiden Maddox along the defensive line. Expect a defensive battle this week. We like the Grizzlies by 7 at home.
The Skinny
The Troy Hoff era begins at Woodstock this Friday as he joins the Wolverines as the new head coach. Coach Hoff has a few pieces to work with returning including offensive tackle Tyler Douthit and quarterback Dan Comeau. Comeau threw for over 1,200 yards last season with 10-TDs. Look for Adonis Garcia to become a potential playmaker for Woodstock at receiver. Defensively, the Wolverines will look to plug the void left by the graduation of David Daniel and Ryan Comeau. Carson Gray is the team’s leading returning tackler and sack leader from a year ago.
After narrowly missing the playoffs in 2020, the Sequoyah Chiefs are looking to find their way back to the post season and exact a measure of revenge against county foe Woodstock over last year’s thrilling contest. Sequoyah welcomes back junior quarterbck Matthew Traynor under center. He is joined by Peyton Lucas in the backfield. The Chiefs will look to improve in the passing game where they only averaged 55 yards per game through the air. Defensively, Sequoyah welcomes back a front line anchored by Harrison Hood, Kemar Plummer and Avery Born. Born is the teams leading returning tackler from last season while Plummer returns looking to improve on his team high 6 sacks from a year ago.
This game was nip and tuck last season and wasn’t decided until late in the fourth quarter. We expect another competitive match, but expect for the Chiefs to control the clock and the scoreboard. Sequoyah by 13. Sequoyah by 13.
The Skinny
The River Ridge Knights Knights had a spectacular 2020 season and they look to pick up where they left off last season. They return several offensive weapons including AJC Super-11 running back and reigning Class 6A rushing leader Amehre Morrison, quarterback Carson Lathem, receiver/tight end Jackson Head as well as a very big and physical offensive line. Defensively, Brian Bradley and Hunter Coleman will look to set the table for the Knights as they anchor the front four along the line.
The Lassiter Trojans are in year three under head coach Sean Thom. Last year the Trojans averaged 17.2 points per game on offense. That was an improvement over Thom’s first season. Lassiter returns quarterback Bryson Harrison and Danny Curran who is the tem’s leading returning receiver on offense. Meanwhile, on defense the Trojans will look Joe Blackwell in the secondary and Chase Anderson along the defensive line to pick up where they left off in 2020 as two of the teams top returning tacklers.
Look for Lassiter to use the short passing attack to keep the Knights defense off balance. If River Ridge can get pressure on Bryson Harrison with Bradley and Coleman, it could be a long night for Lassiter.We expect the Trojans to be improved this season but the Knights have too much firepower. The Ridge by 25.
The Skinny
The Cherokee Warriors will open up the high school football season in Georgia once again this season. They return a very talented quarterback in Maryland commit A.J.Swann. Swann threw for over 2,500 yards and 23-TDs in 2020. Swann will have a big play threat in Utah commit Adarrius Harshaw (53 receptions, 872 yards, 7-TDs last season) at receiver. The Warriors will also look to Aidan Moore and Caleb Richardson to shore up the receiving corp. Upfront, Southern Illinois commit Ryan Chandley will anchor the offensive line Cherokee has some big holes to fill on defense. Toby Thompson has been a space eater up front over the last 3 seasons. He, Tyler Goddard, Tanner Dollyhigh and Kyan Simmons will be called on to pressure opposing quarterbacks and stuffing running attacks. Look for Javon Hobson to also apply pressure to opposing quarterbacks from the defensive line position.
The Mays Raiders certainly have a youth movement going on in southwest Atlanta. The Raiders have some burgeoning stars at the skill positions but they went through some growing pains in 2020. The Raiders will look to improve on their 23.6 point per game average on offense. They return two talented quarterbacks in junior Saulamon Evans and sophomore Quintavious Johnson. The duo combined for 1,266 yards passing and 8-TDs. Junior running back Tristan Morgan also returns in the backfield. Defensively, the Raiders return several starters from a year ago including senior linebacker Kari Burroughs, defensive backs Jalen Johnson, Travis Terrell and Almonte Duncan. Don’t expect this game to be a gimme for Class 7A Cherokee. Expect both teams to search for an identity in the ground game as well.
We anticipate that this one to be close early, but Cherokee is probably a little deeper. That might be the difference in the 3rd and 4th quarter. Warriors by 15.