For five of the six Cherokee County teams, this was the last tune-up week before the region schedule starts. Let's take a look back at week four as Region 6-6A prepares to open play next week.
Cherokee
The Warriors dropped another heartbreaker to Sequoyah on Friday. Cherokee is probably the best 1-3 team in the state. On Friday, The running game was the brightest spot for the Cherokee offense, with Christian Irwin punishing the Chiefs' defense. The offensive line was outstanding, providing protection in the pass game and running lanes. In the passing game, Wyatt Tash was able to find holes in the coverage and make some big grabs. The defense played physically against a new look Sequoyah offense. The biggest surprise was Tre Walton, who provided some punishment in the box and was able to keep the Sequoyah receivers to short gains. The defensive line was able to fill gaps in the running game, especially Javon Hobson and Kenyon Hunter. Special teams is often overlooked, but with the ability for Sequoyah to return kicks, Reed Chandley being able to put the ball in the endzone on every kick was huge. Chandley also had a 68 yard punt that pinned Sequoyah deep on their final drive.
Creekview
The Grizzlies won their first road game since November 5th, 2021 on Friday vs North Forsyth by a final score of 24-21. The Grizzlies running game came up big, totaling close to 250 yards. Austin Guest continues to be the heartbeat of the Grizzlies offense, adding 2 more rushing scores and a passing touchdown to his stats. Mason Munn stepped up big, totaling over 100 yards on 20 carries. Cal Schubert continues to score, this time with a receiving touchdown. The Grizzlies defensive line has started to be one of the more dominant. groups in Cherokee County, thanks to Beckett Singleton, Trey Thomas, and Griffin Jane. The biggest difference on Friday was the turnovers, with the Grizzlies secondary coming up with two interceptions from Andrew Adams and Lee Brock.
Etowah
There comes a point where words don't really do the job and this is certainly certainly the case for Etowah so far, as the Eagles are 4-0 for second time in as many years with a 51-21 win over Centennial. The Eagles are averaging over 500 yards per game and almost 48 points per game. Xavier Mahoney was responsible for 6 touchdowns for the second week in a row, putting his season total to 16. Reece Wehr had another 100+ yard game, and now "The Buffalo" is averaging well over 10 yards per carry. Mason Mancini had two touchdown receptions and Malone Pesquiera added another touchdown grab. All of this success on the ground is thanks to a dominant Etowah front, consisting of Slade Ponder, Tate Nelms, Dylan Nichols, Terrell Mensah, Rafael Maciel-Tapia, and Jacob Cassell. The defense gets overshadowed by the historic numbers that offense puts up, but Vinny Pacini reeled in his third interception of the season, this time finding the endzone for a pick-six. The Eagles defense is one of the best at forcing turnovers and giving the ball back to the offense.
River Ridge
The Knights had a difficult matchup against North Atlanta, eventually falling after a good start. The offense was able to find success early, particularly with Camden Cox who racked up over 90 yards and a touchdown. The offensive line has been a big part of Knights success on the ground, with Jon Faletra and Daniel Green being used together for combination blocks. North Atlanta had a good game plan, avoiding the talent on the outside of the River Ridge defense and finding success in the middle of the field. Christian Pansera and Matthew Lipscey made some touchdown saving tackles that slowed North Atlanta down. On special teams, the Knights converted another two-point conversion, an element of River Ridge's game that can be huge down the stretch.
Sequoyah
Sequoyah has played the most difficult schedule to this point, adding a 14-13 win over Cherokee to get to .500 for the first time this season. The Chiefs offense isn't the most consistent group but they are certainly clutch. Kolby Martin had a big game on the ground, getting his first rushing score. Martin was also able to orchestrate a game winning drive, culminating in a 11 yard touchdown pass to Tyler Bell; who had a big game on offense and defense. WR Dylan Mitchell had a big game, being one of the most reliable targets along the sidelines. Credit to the Sequoyah offensive line, who were able to keep Martin clean for most of the game against an imposing Cherokee front. The defense continued their good work, forcing two interceptions, one from Jackson Hancock and another from Cam'ron Walker. The defensive line got after Cherokee in the passing game, with Matthew Matz and Ean Marria getting a sack each. Linebackers Grayden Zarter and Anthony Santana each had multiple tackles for loss.
Woodstock
1,036 days. For the first time in 1,036 days, the Wolverines won a regular season football game. Woodstock was able to get an early lead over Lassiter and never let up, winning 20-10 on the road. The Wolverines went deep into the playbook, as WR Luke Renninger completed a pass deep downfield to Chase Colina on a trick play for a touchdown. The Wolverines continued to find success through the air, as Peyton Lynch threw for over 100 yards and a touchdown to Isaiah Peyton. Colina ended the game with over 100 yards receiving as well. Defensively, the Wolverines dominated the Trojans, forcing three turnovers. Tate Washington had a big game from the tackle position, stuffing Lassiter on any interior runs. Kaheem Davis and Braedy Sommerville each had multiple sacks and tackles for loss, showing the Wolverines defense is more than capable of limiting opposing passing attacks. The most surprising performance came after the game, with Coach Dan Devine showing off his dance moves.
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