All six Cherokee County Football teams are in action this week as teams they jockey for position in the region standings. In Region 4-7A action, the Woodstock Wolverines will host the Cherokee Warriors. Woodstock cannot afford to fall too far behind in the standings, while a win by the Warriors would almost certainly lock them in to the post-season. In Region 6-6A, the Sequoyah Chiefs will be back on the road this week as the face the South Cobb Eagles. Sequoyah cannot afford to slip up on the road. Have the Chiefs solved some of their turnover issues? Etowah is certain to get a stiff challenge from the Walton Raiders and their talented young quarterback Zak Rozsman in their 4-7A matchup. Both teams sit atop the region with no losses. Etowah would find themselves squarely in the driver’s seat for a region title with a win this week. Meanwhile back in 6-6A, River Ridge will make the short trip over to Creekview. The Grizzlies need a win to avoid any calamity in the region standings. While a River Ridge loss would in most scenarios, eliminate them from the post-season. Can River Ridge win their first game against a county opponent? Please make sure to get out and support these young men on Friday night. As always, thanks for reading. Comments and discussion are always welcome!
Key:
TFR – Turd Ferguson Report
NR – Not Ranked
The Skinny
The Woodstock Wolverines look to get back into the playoff hunt this Friday night as they host the Cherokee Warriors. Last week, Woodstock gave Etowah all they wanted but fell short at the final horn. Woodstock’s quarterbacks have combined for 850 yards passing and 8-TDs, but have also thrown seven interceptions. The Wolverines offense is tilted a little more to the pass, but expect for the Warriors to see a good dose of V’ontae Hampton and Willie Grier to keep them honest.
Meanwhile the Cherokee Warriors got a big boost last week with Ebony Jackson joining the team. He scored on both sides of the ball with a pick-6 and on a 95-yard touchdown reception. The Warriors picked off Roswell four times last week en route to a big region victory. We sound like a broken record talking about the Warriors defense, but they have been pretty good most of the season. In all of Cherokee’s victories this season, the defense has forced turnovers…in their two losses, they did not force any. That stat is very telling. We think the Warriors force two turnovers this week. Cherokee by 10.
The Skinny
The Sequoyah Chiefs got back into the win column this week with a win over River Ridge last week. The Chiefs got big plays from their defense and recorded their first shutout of the season. Sequoyah will certainly need to continue to work on limiting turnovers going forward. Jaden Mitchell continues to lead them in rushing. But he also forced a turnover last week and returned it for a touchdown, showing some of his versatility on both sides of the ball. The Chiefs are averaging 19.6 points per game on offense.
The South Cobb Eagles begin their “Cherokee County” stretch of their schedule this week. One more loss would officially eliminate the Eagles from the post season. They have had an extremely challenging schedule with 4 of their losses coming at the hands of ranked teams. South Cobb is averaging 14.5 points per game while their defense is allowing 41.5 points per game. If the Eagles can turn the Chiefs over, this game could get interesting, but even still, we like the Chiefs by 17 this week.
The Skinny
The Etowah Eagles host the Walton Raiders this Friday night. The Eagles sit atop the region and barring some wild surprises, we expect Etowah to be in the post-season. Quarterback Dalton Miller continues to lead the county in passing while Jackson Manns leads the county in receiving. They also have three reliable backs in Klivert Many, Nick Maddox and Remington Adams. The Eagles offense is averaging 28.8 points per game. The Etowah defense is allowing 27.2 points per game.
Meanwhile, the Walton Raiders are in what many would consider a rebuilding year after they lost several skill players to graduation. The Raiders broke a two-game losing skid last week with a win over Lassiter. Kendall Stokes led the way on the ground with 116 yards and 5-TDs. However, in their three losses this season, the Raiders have only scored 5.6 points per game. A healthy Stokes makes this an intriguing game. We think this game is going to be nip and tuck, but we like Etowah by 3.
The Skinny
The Creekview Grizzlies are back in action this week as they host the River Ridge Knights after a bye week. Last time out, the Grizzlies got a big win region win against rival Sequoyah and have positioned themselves for a playoff berth if they continue to win the games many presume they will. The offensive line is led be Clemson commit John Williams. Williams and his line mates have paved the way for 914-team rushing yards this season. Dual threat quarterback Brody Rhodes leads the way on the ground with 369 yards and 3-TDs. He’s has also passed for 905 yards and 10-TDs. Ethan Dirrim (30 receptions, 519 yards, 8-TDs) and Andrew Cloy (19 receptions, 243 yards, 2-TDs) lead the Grizzlies in receiving. In their 4-wins this season, Creekview’s defense is allowing only 14.5 points per game. Lake Bowman and Cale Williams lead the team in total tackles, while freshman Isaac Hubert leads the team in sacks with 7. Speaking of sacks, the Grizzlies have recorded an impressive 32.5 sacks this season.
Meanwhile, River Ridge looks to be on the outside looking in regarding the playoff picture in Region 6-6A. The Knights could not capitalize on some opportunities this past Friday and fell to Sequoyah. Amehre Morrison continues to lead the Knights in receiving and rushing. River Ridge has a relatively balanced attack, but they are only averaging 14 points per game. River Ridge is still looking for their first win against a county foe, but we don’t believe that happens this week, we like Creekview by three touchdowns.