We are proud to announce our Cherokee County All-County team for the 2020 season. This list was made in partnership with Pat O'Shea with the Cherokee Tribune, Arthur Mosley of turdferguson.com, Von Brown with Cedarwood Tavern; and our own Dave Garner and Will Cooper. 

 

Coach of the Year:  Mike Collins, River Ridge

 

Offensive Player of the Year: Amehre Morrison (Jr.), River Ridge  — 265 carries for 1,958 yards (led county) with 7.4 average and 29 touchdowns (led county); 24 receptions for 260 yards (10.8 average).

 

Defensive Player of the Year: Brian Bradley (Jr.), River Ridge — 118 tackles, 19 tackles for loss (led county), nine sacks, one forced fumble.

 

First Team

Offense:

 

QB - A.J. Swann (Jr. Cherokee) - 158-for-262 passing for 2,505 yards (led county, 15.9 avg) with 23 touchdowns and six interceptions; 22 carries for 38 yards (1.7 average).

 

RB - Keith Adams Jr. (Jr. Cherokee) — 218 carries for 1,350 yards (6.2 average) with 14 touchdowns; 17 receptions for 217 yards (12.8 average) with one touchdown.

 

WR - Adarrius Harshaw (Jr. Cherokee) —53 receptions for 872 yards (16.5 average) with seven touchdowns; eight rushes for 65 yards (8.1 average); 247 return yards with one touchdown.

 

WR - Jackson Head (So. River Ridge) — 36 receptions for 657 yards (18.3 average) with seven touchdowns.

 

TE - Riley Caines (Sr. River Ridge) — 37 receptions for 403 with four touchdowns.

 

OL - Nason Simmons (Sr. Cherokee)

 

OL - Anthony Dorr (Sr. Creekview)

 

OL - Cam Cochran (Sr. River Ridge)

 

OL - Telmo Yturralde (Sr. River Ridge)

 

OL - Derrek Battle (Sr. Cherokee)

 

ATH - Jaden Mitchell (Sr. Sequoyah) — 145 carries for 876 yards (6.0) with 11 touchdowns; 19 receptions for 209 yards (11.0 average) with five touchdowns.

 

Defense:

 

DL - Sam Minozzi (Sr. Creekview) — 59 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 11 sacks (led county), 19 quarterback pressures, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery.

 

DL - Toby Thompson (Jr. Cherokee) — 86 tackles, nine tackles for loss, two sacks, 21 QB hurries (led county), one forced fumble.    

 

DL - Jared Weitkamp (Sr. Etowah) — 41 tackles, four quarterback pressures, 1.5 sacks, one pass breakup.

 

DL - Isaac Hubert (So. Creekview) — 58 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, eight sacks, 12 quarterback pressures, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, one interception, five pass breakups.

 

LB - Braesen Parker (Sr. Cherokee) — 127 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions.

 

LB - Grant Anderson (Sr., Creekview) — 111 Tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, one forced

fumble, two fumble recoveries, nine quarterback pressures.

 

LB - Liam Bruton (Sr. River Ridge) — 116 tackles, eight tackles for loss, three sacks.

 

CB - Riley Lyons (Sr. Cherokee) — 44 tackles, four interceptions (led county), two tackles for loss, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, three pass breakups.

 

CB - Austin Trimble (Sr. Cherokee) — 40 tackles, two tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, two interceptions, 11 pass breakups. 

 

S - Scotty Rutherford (Sr. River Ridge) — 154 tackles (led county), two tackles for loss.

 

S - David Daniel (Sr. Woodstock) — 77 tackles, six pass breakups, three tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, one punt block.

 

K - Steven Zurita (Sr. Sequoyah) — 21-for-22 extra points, 8-for-12 field goals (long of 48), 27-for-37 touchbacks (73%).

 

P - Tyson Giles (Sr. Woodstock) —  40 punts for 1,446 yards (36.1 average), long of 57.

 

SECOND TEAM

Offense:

 

QB - Carson Lathem (Jr. River Ridge) — 146-for-234 for 1,789 yards with 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions; 42 carries for 55 yards (1.3 average) with two touchdowns; three receptions for 82 yards (27.3 average).

 

RB - Tyler Stevens (Jr. Creekview) — 192 carries for 886 yards (4.6 average) with nine touchdowns; 28 receptions for 256 yards (9.1 average) with two touchdowns.

 

WR - Brady Bocherer (Sr. Cherokee) — 41 receptions for 638 yards (15.6 average) with seven touchdowns.

 

WR - Wes Bruno (Sr. Woodstock) — 56 receptions (led county) for 519 yards (9.2 average) with four touchdowns.

 

TE - O.J. Dupree (Sr. Woodstock) — 18 receptions for 299 yards (16.6 average) with three touchdowns. 

 

OL - Jack Hall (Jr. River RIdge)

 

OL - Ryan Chandley (Jr. Cherokee)

 

OL - Temitayo Ogundele (Jr. Sequoyah) 

 

OL - Sam Hartley (Sr. Creekview)

 

OL - Tyler Douthit (So. Woodstock)

 

ATH - Andrew Bingham (Jr. River Ridge) — 67 carries for 435 yards (6.5 average) with five touchdowns; 34 receptions for 322 yards (9.5 average) with three touchdowns. 

 

Defense:

 

DL - Avery Born (Jr. Sequoyah) — 45 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles.    

 

DL - Kemar Plummer (Jr. Sequoyah) — 36 tackles, seven sacks, three tackles for loss, one forced fumble.

 

DL - Brett Stefan (Sr. Woodstock) — 38 tackles, eight tackles for loss, one sack.

 

DL - Hunter Deriso (Sr. River Ridge) — 43 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, four sacks, one interception, one fumble recovery.

 

LB - Tyler Goddard (Jr. Cherokee) — 92 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, three sacks. 

 

LB - Lane Cantrell (Sr. Etowah)  — 90 tackles, two tackles for loss, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, one pass breakup, three interceptions.

 

LB - Carson Gray (So. Woodstock) — 59 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, seven sacks.

 

CB - Trevor Fair (Sr. Etowah) — 48 tackles, five pass breakups, one forced fumble, two interceptions.

 

CB - Nick Stewart (Sr. Creekview) — 30 tackles, five pass breakups, two interceptions.

 

S - Connor Gross (Sr. River Ridge) — 126 tackles, two tackles for loss, one fumble recovery.

 

S - Cale Williams (Jr. Creekview) — 87 tackles, one forced fumble, eight pass breakups, one interception.

 

K - Joel Stahl    (Jr. Cherokee) — 38-for-39 extra points, 5-for-6 field goals (long of 33), 25 touchbacks (41%).

 

P - Carson Allen (So. Etowah) —   38 punts for 1,219 yards (32.0 average), long of 55.

 

HONORABLE MENTION

 

Cherokee: Hayden Shockley (WR), Will Ross (LB), Cody Butler (DL), Keegan Baker (DB), Tanner Dolleyhigh (DL), Chase Goddard (DB).

 

Creekview: Brody Rhodes (QB), Peyton Parker (LB), Andrew Cloy (WR), Cole Hasty (DE), A.J. Vacarro (ATH), Dawson Currie (WR), OL Brandon Dabrowa.

 

Etowah: Klivert Many (RB), Carter-Reid Metcalf (OL), Brock Rechsteiner (DB), Jacob Putnam (LS), Tate Nelms (OL), Austin Skinner (LB), Carlos Thornton Jr. (LB), Blake Bohannon (DB).

 

River Ridge: Jack Senay (OL), Aidan Bruton (LB), Dylon Persad (DL), Brendon Dye (DL), Chase Usher (DB). 

 

Sequoyah: Matthew Traynor (QB), Jack Blackman (S) Aidan Moore (RB), Jonah Haney (LB), Joseph Silva (LB), Harrison Hood (DL), Carson Rowland (OL).

 

Woodstock: Dan Comeau (QB), Nate Osorio (LB), Preston Lawrence (ATH), Ryan Comeau, Sebastian Moss (WR), Jarae Foster (DB). 

The 2020 Football season is winding down and all six Cherokee County Football teams have completed their 2020 campaigns. These rankings are determined by the Cooper Rankings, a system that factors average points for, average points against, and strength of schedule for each team. The “composite rankings” is a simple way to predict a matchup. For example, Woodstock (8.8) would be a 5 point favorite over Etowah (3.8).  

 

6. Etowah

 

(1-9 overall) (0-4 Cherokee County record) 

 

Composite Ranking: 3.8

 

Best game: 14-13 loss to Creekview

 

The Eagles seemed to suffer more from the lack of a preseason than any other Cherokee County team. That is no surprise, especially considering that Head Coach Matt Kemper had to install his offense on the run. The Eagles allowed 25 points per game, and were only able to average 8.3 points per game on offense. The saving grace for the Eagles is that they played the toughest schedule in the county. We expect the Eagles won’t be at the bottom of our rankings next season. 

 

5. Sequoyah

 

(4-6 overall) (0-4 Cherokee County record) 

 

Composite Ranking: 8.4

 

Best game: 28-17 win over Riverwood

 

The Chiefs 2020 season took a complete u-turn after the loss to Creekview. Sequoyah put together 4 wins over their next 5 games, the only loss coming to the region winning River Ridge Knights. Although the Chiefs should have been the 4th team for Region 7-6A in the playoffs, a new bylaw due to a COVID-19 cancellation led to Sequoyah being left out. The biggest knock on the Sequoyah season is that they played the easiest schedule out of all 6 county schools. With some young talent stepping up big for the Chiefs, we are excited to see the 2021 Sequoyah team. 

 

4. Woodstock

 

(3-7 overall) (1-4 Cherokee County Record) 

 

Composite Ranking: 8.8

 

Best game: 42-6 win over Campbell

 

The Wolverines finished 3-7 for the 3rd year in a row, eventually leading to Coach Brent Budde parting ways with the program. The Wolverines had one of the most talented rosters coming into the 2020 season with names like David Daniel, Wes Bruno, and OJ Dupree just to name a few. However, the Wolverines faced the 3rd toughest schedule in the County and came up just short in a number of games. The Wolverines will be one of the biggest question marks moving into 2021, but with young talent like Dan Comeau and Carson Gray, Woodstock should be back in the hunt. 

 

3. Creekview

 

(7-3 overall) (3-2 Cherokee County Record)

 

Composite Ranking: 37.1 

 

Best Game: 24-0 win over Sequoyah 

 

The Grizzlies reclaimed their spot as a top program after a down year in 2019. Creekview relied heavily on their defense, ending the season only allowing 12.3 points per game. The Achilles heel for Creekview was their offense, which only managed to tally 18.7 points per game. Creekview finished 2nd in region 7-6A and faced a physical Sprayberry team in the playoffs that ended their 2020 season. Creekview has consistently been a top program in Cherokee County, and expectations will be high for 2021. 

 

2. River Ridge

 

(11-1 overall) (4-0 Cherokee County Record) 

 

Composite Ranking: 48

 

Best Game: 42-10 win over Rome (Playoffs) 

 

2020 has been a year full of firsts, and the River Ridge 2020 campaign embodies that perfectly. The Knights had not beaten a Cherokee County team in their 11 year history, nor had they won a playoff game. Both of those facts changed this year. The Knights consistently improved and climbed up the rankings. The most impressive game of the season for the Knights, and potentially any Cherokee County team, was the 42-10 domination over Rome in the second round of the playoffs. Despite all of this, the Knights played the 2nd easiest schedule in Cherokee County, pushing them down to the second spot in the rankings. The 2021 Knights will be returning loads of talent, and River Ridge fans have plenty to be excited about moving forward. 

 

1. Cherokee

 

(8-3 overall) (4-0 Cherokee County Record) 

 

Composite Ranking: 58.3

 

Best Game: 14-12 victory over Cartersville

 

The Cherokee Warriors entered the 2020 season with a historic 2019 campaign and an incredibly difficult schedule to deal with. The Warriors faced matchups with state powers like Rome and Cartersville. The Warriors found a way to beat Rome, Creekview, and Cartersville in back to back to back weeks. The Warriors eventually stumbled twice in their region schedule with losses to Roswell and Milton. The Warriors ended their campaign with a loss to North Gwinnett in the first round of the playoffs. The Warriors benefit from the 2nd toughest schedule in Cherokee County, as well as a defense that held teams to 17.2 points per game and an offense that scored an average of 28.1 per game against some of the top programs in the state. 

After two seasons with Jeff Nelson at the helm, The Pickens Dragons will be looking for another Head Football Coach. 

 

Jeff Nelson took over the Pickens program after Chris Parker moved to the county office to take on the roll as the Athletic Director for the county. 

 

In his two seasons, Coach Nelson holds a 9-11 record, including a playoff apperance in 2019 after a 6-4 season. 

 

This season, the Dragons finished with a 3-6 record and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2013. 

 

Coach Nelson will remain at Pickens and continue to be a part of the program. 

 

Pickens is now the 6th job open in our coverage area, joining Woodstock, Gilmer, Harrison (Kennesaw), Dalton, and South Cobb. 

After just two season with the Gilmer Bobcats, Kevin Saunders will be looking for a new home. 

 

Coach Saunders led the Bobcats to their first victory in 3 years on August 30th of 2019 with a victory over Towns County.  Gilmer finished that season 4-6, ending up 5th in the region standings. 

 

This season, Coach Saunders led the Bobcats to a 3-6 record after reclassifiying down to 3A, and for the first time in 4 years, Gilmer was in the playoff discussion. 

 

Coach Saunders won the Virgina State Championship in 2011, finishing with a 13-2 record that season. He then found success in Georgia with Pebblebrooke, making the playoffs in three consecutive years from 2016 to 2018 before taking over at Gilmer in 2019. 

 

This will be another vacancy in our coverage area; as Woodstock, Dalton, and South Cobb have all parted ways with their former coaches. 

 

Gilmer will be looking for their 4th coach in 6 years. 

Head Football Coach Brent Budde and Woodstock High School have parted ways after 11 seasons.  The past three seasons the Wolverines have finished 3-7 and missed the playoffs in each of those seasons. 

 

Budde first took over the Football program at Woodstock back in 2010, where the team finished 7-4 with a playoff apperance. His best two seasons came in 2016 and 2017, where to Wolverines were able to punch into the second round of the playoffs. 

 

Budde leaves the program with a 51-64 record, a 15-16 record against the other Cherokee County teams, three playoff apperances and two playoff wins. He also leaves with the most wins in program history. 

 

Woodstock will move into the offseason, looking to hire the 6th Head Coach in program history since 1997.