Photo: Hokes Bluff’s Levi Taliaferro (19), Dane Driskell (9), Jackson Evans (32), Grant Mason (45) and Ashton Gulledge (2) converge on Cherokee County’s Sidney Perry during the Eagles’ 27-21 win last Friday (Sept. 8) at HBHS. (Photo by Alex Chaney)
By Mike Goodson/Sports Correspondent
Hokes Bluff jumped to a 21-14 halftime lead and held on for a thrilling 27-21 win over Cherokee County last Friday (Sept. 8) in Class 4A, Region 5 action.
“We jumped out to a lead early, and they kind of took it to us in the second half,” said Hokes Bluff head coach Mike Robertson. “I made a bad call and gave Cherokee County the ball at the 10-yard line on an interception, but our defense came up with a big stop. We didn’t do much in the passing game.”
With 5:15 to go in the third quarter, the Warriors (0-3, 0-1) evened the game at 21-21, driving 95 yards in eight plays for a touchdown. Tyren Dupree passed seven yards to Demarcus Barrington for the score.
But Hokes Bluff answered with 3:09 when Johnson threw his second touchdown pass, this time to Braydon Hill for the go-ahead score.
The seventh-ranked Eagles (2-0, 1-0) opened the scoring, driving 67 yards in 11 plays to take a 6-0 lead with 7:25 to go in the first quarter. Darrian Meads capped the drive with a 10-yard touchdown run.
Cherokee County then took the lead on a 25-yard touchdown run by Dupree. Jonathan Chadwick’s PAT gave the Warriors the brief lead with 3:20 to go in the first quarter.
Hokes Bluff took the lead for good on a Landon Johnson touchdown run of one-yard with 9:32 to go in the first half. Meads carried the ball across for the two-point conversion and a 14-7 Hokes Bluff lead.
Hokes Bluff added to its lead five minutes later on a 1-yard run by Meads. The PAT gave the Eagles a 21-7 lead.
But the Warriors drove 75 yards in 12 plays to cut the Eagle lead to 21-14 at halftime. Dupree added his second touchdown on a 1-yard run with 15 seconds to go before intermission.
Meads rushed for 206 yards on 31 carries and scored two touchdowns.
Hokes Bluff rushed for 238 yards and passed for 80. Cherokee County had 171 yards rushing and 180 yards passing.
Dupree rushed for 68 yards and passed for 171.
Hokes Bluff resumes region action this week at Jacksonville.