Cherokee Bluff and Jefferson entered the 2025 campaign with similar goals: win a Region 8-3A title and make a deep playoff run.
But after both teams got off to subpar starts, questions arose about whether either would be able to accomplish their goal, at least of a region title.
Cherokee Bluff began the season ranked No. 1 in Class 3A in the Coaches Box preseason poll but opened 4-8 with losses to notables like Winder-Barrow, Kell, East Forsyth, and Denmark. Jefferson also opened the season ranked but was 5-8 after losses to Hart County, Franklin County, and higher classification teams Mountain View, Jackson County, and East Paulding. Neither team is ranked coming into this week.
“We had five or six kids who were beaten up and injured at the beginning of the year. And we had some tough breaks go against us,” Bluff coach Jeremy Kemp said. “I think we got beat with three walk-offs against a stretch of some really good teams.”
“We've got some new guys playing this year that didn't have a ton of experience,” Dragons’ coach Kyle Hardy said. “We graduated three really good pitchers and were running kids out there with little to no experience on the mound early on. It took a little time for those guys to figure it out, but we've turned it around.”
Now, the Bears (10-8, 6-0 Region 8-3A) are riding a six-game win streak since opening Region 8-3A play. The Dragons (10-9, 5-1 Region 8-3A), like the Bears, used a tough non-region slate to get ready for their region slate.
The two teams will open a huge three-game series on Tuesday at Bluff Ballpark with first place on the line. First pitch is scheduled for 5:55 p.m. They will close out the series on Friday with a doubleheader in Jefferson.
The Dragons are coming off a series win over Oconee County (13-5, 4-2 Region 8-3A), who is also considered to be in the running for a region title. This week will conclude a tough stretch of back-to-back weeks against the other top two teams.
“Oconee and Cherokee Bluff in back-to-back weeks, that's a tough ask. But that's kind of how the playoffs will be, playing one good team after the next,” Hardy said. “If you're going to make a playoff run, you’ve got to be tough, and this will be a real good test for us.”
For Bluff, it's the first week of that same stretch as they will take on Oconee County next week.
“You've got two really good teams, and it's whoever performs and plays best in the big situations,” Kemp said. “It will be a playoff-type atmosphere for sure. It should be fun.”
Jefferson features senior pitcher and Clemson signee Eston Simpson, who is tied for the most wins (4) and among the strikeout leaders (32) in the area. They also have senior outfielder DH Rett Hemphill (.462 BA, 14 RBI) and senior infielder Steven Tavares (.409 BA, 3 HR), who both are among the area’s top hitters.
Bluff had been without top pitcher Tucker Holton most of the season, but the senior right-hander is back in time for the Bears’ stretch run. They also have senior Georgia Southern signee KT Thompson, junior Ethan England (.396 BA), and sophomore Bryce Fontenot (3 HR) to lead what may be the best lineup in the region and among the best in Class 3A. Bluff has scored the most runs of any 8-3A team (145, 8.05 runs/game) so far this season.
Whichever of the three teams come out on top figures to be in the driver’s season as the other three teams in the region -- East Hall, Monroe Area, and West Hall -- are just 3-15 combined so far in region play.
And both Kemp and Hardy are expecting a battle on every pitch this week.
“I think we're playing our best baseball right now,” Kemp said. “We’ve got Tucker back and Gabe (Gowder), and we’ve gotten a lot better at the plate. I’m excited about seeing (Eston) Simpson. Should be some really good battles.”
“We feel pretty good after taking 2 of 3 from Oconee,” Hardy said. “This is just a very scrappy, resilient bunch of kids but by no means have we peaked yet. I think it’s going to be a tough series for both teams. Should be a good one all week.”
