Cherokee Bluff has been in existence for three seasons and its steady improvement thrust the Bears into the rankings for the first time in Week 8 after it beat West Hall 35-7. Currently, Cherokee Bluff is ranked No. 9 and is 8-0 on the year and 4-0 in Region 7-3A.
Head coach Tommy Jones – who coached at Lumpkin County from 2006-2012 and Dacula from 2013-2017 – watched the Bears struggle through an 0-10 season in 2018. Last season, Cherokee Bluff carved out three wins but failed to advance to the playoffs.
“We believe those things are the byproduct of doing a lot of these other things well,” Jones said. “It’s been a lot of fun to watch a bunch of freshmen and sophomores commit to a program, invest and grow up and mature and then taste some tangible success after a couple of really tough years.”
This season, the Bears have not lost a game through eight contests and stand tied atop the 7-3A standings with North Hall (4-0), which Cherokee Bluff will play Friday for the region title. After its 28-27 victory over Dawson County last week, the Bears are one victory away from their first region title and Jones' first since winning three region title at Dacula in 2014, 2016 and 2017.
Cherokee Bluff is young and most of its production this season should return next year. Junior quarterback Sebastian Irons is 57-of-88 passing for 940 yards and 11 touchdowns with three interceptions. The Bears, however, get most of their offensive production from the run and average 242 rushing yards to 124 passing yards per game.
On the ground, junior Jayquan Smith leads with 84 carries for 764 yards and 10 touchdowns. Senior Charles Tolbert has 58 carries for 442 yards and eight touchdowns. Junior Micah Hunter and senior Eric Gohman each have two rushing touchdowns while Shad Dabney, Irons and Josh Oliver each have scored one touchdown on a run. Dabney leads the receiving corps with 10 receptions for 143 yards and three touchdowns while Jaylon Justice has 11 receptions for 213 yards and two touchdowns. Four Bear receivers each have one touchdown reception – Tolbert, Eli Little, Ty Corbin and Deacon Phillips.
Jones was also featured in today’s AJC Four Questions with Todd Holcomb.
Coach Jones answered several questions by phone on Tuesday in a wide-ranging Q&A.
Q. From 0-10 to undefeated at 8-0 and heading into a region title game…. How?
A. We’ve talked a lot more about building a program on a solid foundation and having it built around intangibles. We’ve tried to focus on things that are within our control and not things that are outside of our control. We talk a lot about love and family and effort and attitude and discipline and preparation. We don’t talk a lot about wins and losses. We believe those things are the byproduct of doing a lot of doing all these other things well.
Q. Playoffs and COVID… what is the concern?
A. I am going to give you some coach speak, and it is not intentional, but it is just 2020. I think it’s one of those things that has made this such an upside down season and obviously with COVID, I hate to use the words ‘silver lining’ but one of the few positives behind all of this is it has forced all of us to make the most of every day. Every week and every opportunity you have a chance to spend with the kids. All I know is that we’re going to practice today. I know that, Lord willing, we’ll be able to play a game this Friday night. But that is not certain because this this whole year has been crazy. And there’s going to be somebody that makes the playoffs who was a five or six-seed in a region here coming up in a week or two because somebody else in the region that was a one, two, or three or four-seed had to quarantine. And there’s going to be some people that are expecting to pack their stuff up after this week or next week and they’re gonna have to unpack it really quick and go play somewhere. And that is just the nature of this crazy year.
Q. Looking back at this season, what would you call a successful season?
A. Yeah, we try not to gauge success too much about wins and losses. I mean, we have been around long enough to recognize that there are way too many variables that play into determining that. To be honest with you, success to me is being able to see the group of kids that we’ve had around here for three years that have bought in, to be able to see them taste success for their hard work. To be able to see them have locker room celebrations that have just been unreal.
Q. What does the future hold for Cherokee Bluff?
A. We feel like we are in the process of building our program. Our hope and desire is that program is solid. From middle to high school. To be honest, our approach from day one is to take things one day at a time, heck, one everything at a time. From a drill, to a rep in the weight room to a practice to a game to everything. You hope that mentality builds something from the bottom up, which is what you want for the longevity of a program.
