Knights host Warriors as both teams look to answer early season questions

Scouting the Knights

The River Ridge Knights begin their 2025 campaign aiming for a fourth consecutive playoff appearance. Last season, the Knights boasted one of the county’s most balanced teams, averaging 37.3 points per game while allowing just 19.

Defensively, River Ridge returns plenty of experience, including standouts Wyatt McCarty, Matthew Burdette, Sam Vincent, and Harris Deriso. This veteran core should keep the Knights strong on that side of the ball.

Offensively, there are big shoes to fill with the graduation of a 2,400-yard passer and the team’s top two receivers. Sam Vincent may see time at receiver to help offset those losses, while Camden Cox and Micah Pugh return to lead the backfield after combining for 621 yards and five touchdowns last year.

Junior Hunter Lockerman is the heir apparent at quarterback. With limited varsity experience, River Ridge may lean more heavily on its ground game early to help Lockerman get comfortable as the full-time starter.

Scouting the Warriors

The Cherokee Warriors enter their second season under head coach Adam Holley looking to turn close calls into victories. The Warriors finished 4–6 in 2024, with five of those losses coming in one-possession games. Turnovers—especially in the red zone—were a major hurdle last year, and cleaning that up will be a priority in 2025.

Like their Week 1 opponent, Cherokee will be replacing its starting quarterback and all of their top receivers. Sophomore Sawyer Ray takes over under center for the graduated Tanner Savasir. He’ll be joined in the backfield by Jalion Trowers and Brandon Hamilton, two players expected to play key roles in the offense.

Up front, the Warriors feature a strong pair of bookend tackles in Dorian Stewart and Nation Farmer, giving Cherokee a solid foundation in the trenches. Defensively, linebacker Kayson Simmons and defensive backs Elijah Foote and Brooks Adams return for their senior seasons, bringing leadership and experience to the unit.

Pundit's Pick

As with most county matchups in Week 1, there are far more questions than answers. How will new quarterbacks Hunter Lockerman (River Ridge) and Sawyer Ray (Cherokee) lead their teams? Will the River Ridge backfield duo of Camden Cox and Micah Pugh outrun Cherokee’s Jalion Trowers and Brandon Hamilton? Can the Knights’ defense replicate last year’s success? And can the Warriors protect the football in the red zone after costly turnovers a season ago?

Cherokee has the potential to return to the postseason in 2025, but in this opener, we like River Ridge to pull out a close win on the strength of their defense.

Prediction: River Ridge by 4.