FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – Cherokee Bluff's senior class was just in the sixth grade when the program was founded.
Now they have led the Bears to their first quarterfinal appearance in program history with a 21-14 win over Luella Friday night at Yonah Field.
"This is a special group we have here," said head coach Tommy Jones. "We have had the privilege of watching them grow up during our time here and to see them have this success is very special. But we are just as proud of the kids that we started with in years 1 and 2 and how they helped us build what we have here today."
The Bears will now look to exact some revenge on Jefferson for their only loss in the 2024 season next week in the Class 3A quarterfinals at Memorial Stadium.
Cherokee Bluff got on the board first late in the first quarter as KT Thompson caught a 22-yard pass from Brooks Brien to take an early 7-0 lead. Luella answered early in the second quarter to tie the game up before Malcolm Millsap broke free for a 45-yard pitch-and-catch to take a 14-7 lead into halftime.
Luella responded early in the third quarter to tie it up again, but the Bluff punched right back on the enusing drive as Brien and Thompson hit a 47-yard pass to take a 21-14 lead.
From there, the Bears' defense took over, keeping Luella hemmed up for the remainder of the game. Cherokee Bluff got a sack late in the game on fourth down deep in Luella territory, but after a missed field goal, the Bears needed an interception in the final minute of the game to seal the win.
Cherokee Bluff limited Luella to just 195 yards of offense and four turnovers on the night.
