Courtesy of Cherokee County Herald
Senior running back Kendrick Fife ran for 220 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries in leading Cherokee County to a 47-22 victory over visiting Ashville in Class 4A, Region 6 football action last Friday (Oct. 11) in Centre.
But it was the Warrior defense that put Cherokee County (4-3, 2-3) on the board first. Bulldog sophomore quarterback Dylan Harris was sacked in the end zone for a safety, giving the Warriors a 2-0 lead early in the first quarter.
Harris gave Ashville (1-6, 0-5) the lead on a 30-yard touchdown pass to Adriane Hernandez later in the quarter. Harris added the extra point to give the Bulldogs a 7-2 advantage.
Harris finished the game completing 13-of-25 pass attempts for 298 yards and three touchdowns. Hernandez had four catches for 107 yards and a touchdown.
The Warriors closed out the first-quarter scoring on junior quarterback Slade Alexander’s 6-yard touchdown run. Sophomore kicker Daniel Mejia’s PAT made it 9-7 in favor of the Warriors.
Alexander, who finished with 47 yards on 10 carries, added a 1-yard touchdown to open the second quarter, giving the Warriors a 16-7 lead. Ashville countered with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Harris to Clayton Keller to bring the Bulldogs back within two at 16-14.
Fife stretched the Warrior lead out to 30-14 on a pair of touchdown runs from 38 and 3 yards to close out the first half.
Mejia connected on a 27-yard field goal in the third quarter, and Fife scored his third touchdown of the game on a 5-yard run to blow the game wide open, with the Warriors in front 40-14.
Sophomore all-purpose back Damien Ramsey scored the Warriors’ final touchdown on a 4-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Harris capped the Bulldogs’ scoring with a 75-yard touchdown pass to Nathan Phillips. The duo also hooked up on the 2-point conversion for the final.
Hunter Hirsh had 13 tackles for Ashville, followed by Phillips with 11, Cole Hyatt with 10, DeAndre Woods with seven and Lane Tibbs with six.
Ashville hosts Cleburne County this Friday (Oct. 18) in region action.