STATE FINALS: Bears playing for themselves -- and Kemp

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Jeremy Kemp will ALWAYS tell you it’s never about him.

But if his Cherokee Bluff players have anything to say about it, winning a state title for the only coach in program history is high on their priority list.

Kemp will lead the Bears into their second straight finals against Troup in the Class 3A championship series, which begins on Tuesday at AdventHealth Stadium in Rome.

“We want to win this for us, but maybe even more, we want to win this for Coach Kemp,” senior star pitcher Gabe Gowder said during Friday’s practice. “He's lost a lot of sleep over us, plus we know the first two times didn’t go so well. We want to pay him back for that.”

This will be the third time in the championship series for Kemp, who also led Gainesville to the 2015 Class 5A title series. However, he is still looking for his first championship trophy.

Kemp’s son, Landon, a current senior on the Bears squad, couldn’t remember many of the particulars, but there is one thing he recalls from that 2015 finals between Gainesville and Greenbrier. He wants to help his dad erase that memory.

“I heard the story of how (Greenbrier) rained it out on purpose or something, and they didn't have a turf field. They got their big starter back, and it was a crazy series, and they beat Gainesville,” Landon recollected after a few moments. “But I definitely remember this. My dad was pretty torn up about it. Everyone says they got screwed.

“So this would mean the world to me, winning it, getting him his first ring as a senior. This is his third time here. It's about time he gets (a ring).”

The Bears reached the Class 4A championship series in 2024, but were swept by Starr’s Mill. When asked about getting that elusive first title, Jeremy Kemp did not waver in his mindset.

“Truly, this isn’t about me. My playing days are over, brother,” he stated. “That was a long time ago, man, and I enjoyed playing. But I had my time. This is about these kids right now.

“What I get out of this is helping the kids reach their goals and watching them achieve them. This means everything for these kids. They’ve worked their tails off, and they've done everything we've asked.”

But he admits that it would be extra special to see this particular group walk away with the ultimate prize.

“Most of these guys have been a part of this program for six or seven years. They've absolutely killed themselves for this program,” Kemp said. “So I want this for them. It didn’t work for us last year, so hopefully we can help this group finish it off right.”

When asked what winning a title would mean, star outfielder KT Thompson said the Kemps were high on the totem pole for him.

“Coach Kemp has been doing this a long time, and he’s been here before, so we would love to be the team that gives him his first title, especially with Landon being a senior,” Thompson said. “That would be really cool and pretty special for all of us.”

Landon said he hopes to write a new memory when it comes to his and his father’s baseball careers.

“For us to win this, with my dad being the coach, I think it'll be pretty emotional,” Landon said. “Getting that big hug after winning it would be so sweet. But we gotta get it done for that to happen.”