In Class 4A, Region 8 action Friday night, the Oconee County Warriors grabbed a gritty win over Cherokee Bluff 24-21 in a game of chaotic sequences and missed opportunities.
Cherokee Bluff received the ball first, but promptly went three and out. On Oconee’s first play from scrimmage, the notoriously run-heavy Warriors scored through the air! Quarterback Brody Fountain connected downfield with Wyatt Elsner, who was wide open on the right hash and ran into the end zone untouched for the 7-0 lead.
Then, Oconee surprised Cherokee’s return team and even their own fans with an onside kick, as Dennis Todic was able to recover the ball after it traveled the required 10 yards.
Luckily for the visitors, they’d get the ball right back! Fountain would fumble the first snap of the drive, and the Bears recovered right around midfield.
On 2nd and 8 from the Warrior 49-yard line, Cherokee Bluff quarterback CJ Payne rolled out right and had sophomore wide receiver Colt Thomas wide open behind the secondary. However, this game would continue to shock in the opening quarter as the surefire touchdown was dropped!
On the following 3rd down, a pass intended for Jackson Pirkle would be blown up with a hard hitting tackle from Griffin Patterson, and Cherokee would be forced to punt.
Opening Oconee’s ensuing drive, Pirkle would take out some revenge on his opponent with a big sack around the left edge on Fountain. However, the junior quarterback would not be fazed, throwing two big completions on consecutive third and longs to extend the drive.
Now past midfield, running back Darius Darden would dash around to the left sideline before being forced out by a facemask, placing the ball on the Cherokee 10. That very next play, Darden took the carry again and exploded through a hole on the right, fought threw multiple tackles, and lunged forward just barely over the goal line for the 14-0 lead.
Cherokee Bluff had a golden opportunity to draw back within a score, but a drop killed the offensive effort yet again. Star receiver Dylan Haley was a step ahead of Bryce Dorman down the left sideline, but the perfect ball thrown to him in stride went through his hands.
The Bears were forced to punt yet again, but then so were the Warriors, and before the start of the next possession, we finally reached the end of the first quarter. Just one quarter!
In Oconee territory, Cherokee running back Ryker Kohler broke off through the middle, breaking through an incredible number of tackles before going down and drawing a facemask. He would rumble down to the 3 yard line on the next play, and Tony Rushin would rush in for the touchdown to finish off a much-needed complete drive by the offense. With 9:31 left in the first half, Oconee’s lead shrank to 14-7.
On the ensuing drive, Oconee County burnt an incredible nine minutes off the clock while Fountain commanded the offense to the red zone. After recovering their own fumble on 2nd and goal, the Warriors set up for third down with 6 seconds remaining. Cherokee’s coaches pleaded to their defense to guard #16, but the ball found Blake Thomas through the air nonetheless, and Oconee County led 21-7 at halftime.
On the opening play of the second half, Oconee’s Fountain was picked off on a short pass attempt by Ryker Kohler, setting Cherokee Bluff up well to cut into the lead. The two-postion senior Kohler then continued his dominance, splitting through gaps between blockers on the right side for a 16-yard touchdown run, making the score 21-14.
Oconee weren’t keen to let up. On the first play of the ensuing drive, Josh Woefl would take the handoff and curl around defenders before taking off down the right sideline for 27 yards. However, facing a 3rd and 4 on the Cherokee 47, Darius Darden was stuffed. The defensive stop forced a punt that was fumbled by freshman returner Brantley Beal on a fair catch attempt, but he recovered.
Cherokee Bluff had all the momentum, yet they quickly threw it away. Facing a 4th and 1 on their own 25 with more than 5 minutes left in the third quarter, the bold decision to go for it resulted in a rush stopped short of the line to gain. Thankfully, their defense held the Warriors to a short field goal, and with just under a minute left in the 3rd quarter, Oconee’s lead was 24-14.
Now in the 4th quarter, Cherokee picked up one first down before facing a third and long. CJ Payne did well to avoid the pressure, step up in the pocket, and hit Dylan Haley in stride, but it popped out of his arms for his second drop of the game, leading to a punt.
After forcing a three and out, Cherokee Bluff pulled off the impossible. With a defender grabbing his leg, Payne stayed standing and launched a deep ball towards Haley, covered by two defenders. The throw had a ton of air time, and after traveling over the head of one defender, Haley jumped over the other for a remarkable catch in the red zone. Two plays later, Jackson Pirkle was pushed into the endzone, cutting the lead to 24-21 with 7:48 remaining.
Oconee recovered their own fumble near midfield with just over 5 minutes remaining, and then a huge tackle by cornerback Jayden Porter created a 3rd and 17 situation. The throw was off target, giving the Bears 3:54 to tie or win the game.
After a big pickup on a screen pass to Pirkle took Cherokee to their 45-yard line, Oconee’s defense would force a 4th and 11 with 1:23 to go. A blitz was called, pressure got to Payne, and his desperate throw towards a receiver on his right fell incomplete.
However, after a quick first down pickup, Cherokee burned all 3 of their timeouts to stop the clock as they forced a 4th and 1 just outside the red zone. If they could get the stop, they’d have 30 seconds left to try and tie the game. Alas, the Warriors lined up in Wildcat formation, converted for a first down, and snuck away with a 24-21 victory.
