The Class 3A rankings this season have seen more movement than any other classification and the composite polls reflect that each week as Class 3A has more teams receiving top 10 votes, than any other classification. As an example, Class 6A only had 11 total teams across six polls earn votes in the top 10, while Class 3A routinely has more than 16. On Thursday, a Cherokee Bluff team that opened the season unranked, but has quickly risen in the polls following a 7-0 start was facing off with an Oconee County team that had to overcome an 0-3 start with four-straight wins to find a spot in the crowded Class 3A poll. At the time of Thursday’s kickoff, Oconee County was ranked No. 9 and Cherokee Bluff was at No. 4 in the AJC rankings. Not only was it the first-ever meeting between the two teams, but both of these programs still have to take on No. 3 ranked Jefferson in region play—with Oconee County having a trip to Monroe Area (Oct. 25) and a home game against Jefferson (Nov. 1) left on its slate and Cherokee Bluff’s remaining schedule having a trip to Jefferson (Oct. 25) and then a home finale versus East Hall. It was always assumed that the region title would run through Jefferson and now Cherokee Bluff (8-0, 3-0) will have an opportunity to clinch the region next week at Jefferson following last night’s 17-10 road win over Oconee County (4-4, 2-1).
In the Bears’ victory, the game was tied 3-3 after the first half of play. Oconee County had been scoring 44 points per game over the course of its four-game win-streak and was held to just 10 total points. Offensively, Brooks Brien threw two touchdowns in the second half—a 53-yard strike to Malcolm Millsap and a 35-yard score to Dylan Haley on consecutive drives.
“One of the plays we scored on we actually put in during the pregame meal today,” quarterback Brien told accessWDUN.com after the victory. “It was the first time we ever ran it and we scored on it so that was fun.”
Cherokee Bluff forced a missed field goal on Oconee County’s first drive of the second half and Brien found Millsap for the score to put the Bears up 10-3. Rylan Ackerman thwarted Oconee County’s next drive with a sack—Cherokee Bluff’s fourth of the game—to regain the possession and Brien extended the lead with his 35-yard touchdown to Haley. Oconee County eventually scored to cut it to 17-10 with 4:13 left, but Cherokee Bluff was able to run out the clock with flawless execution. KT Thompson converted a huge third down for the Bears and then Jackson Pirkle iced the game with another first round run with just under a minute left before the Bears could celebrate the victory.
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