West Forsyth 40, Cherokee Bluff 7
When you’ve run two offensive plays and lead 20-0 with barely six minutes left in the first quarter, you could say it’s a pretty solid start to the season for the offense, the defense or the special teams.
But a well-balanced mix of all three facets helped West Forsyth outlast Cherokee Bluff 40-7 in the nightcap game of the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic Thursday at West Forsyth.
Fielding a young team, and starting sophomore quarterback, Max Walraven, West Forsyth coach Dave Svehla was not sure exactly what to expect.
“It can be pretty intimidating to come out in the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic on a Thursday night on television in front of everybody and play a bunch of young kids,” said Svehla. “You don’t know how they’re going to react. But I didn’t think the moment was too big for them.”
Any questions of nerves were answered when Topher Delp returned the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown and Foster Orris rushed for 41 yards for a touchdown with 9:12 left in the first quarter, settling the Wolverines into a rhythm.
With 6:13 left in the first quarter, Ryder Stewart scored on a 71-yard punt return to give the West Forsyth the 20-0 lead. Hunter Green scored on a 5-yard reception from Walraven to cap an 8-play, 38-yard drive and put West Forsyth up 26-0.
“I am proud of Max,” Svehla said of his sophomore quarterback, who finished an efficient 5-of-9 passing for 27 yards and two touchdowns.
“He’s fifteen years old, so to come out here in this kind of situation and he did a great job. He’s got a lot of different skills, a pretty good skillset. He’s got a great arm and obviously he has pretty good feet. He got himself out of trouble tonight and when he did, he either ran for first downs or made some big plays in the passing game.”
West Forsyth expanded the margin to 33-0 on an 18-yard pass from Walraven to Stewart with 3:28 left in the first half and with 1:33 left, Orris scored on a 47-yard run to extend the Wolverines’ lead. Cherokee Bluff scored on an 8-yard run from Conner Hulsey with 2:41 left in the game capping an 8-play, 71-yard drive for the Bears.
Foster finished with 136 yards and two touchdowns on five carries to lead the Wolverines on the ground. Asher Wilson was 8-of-14 passing for 53 yards for Cherokee Bluff. Hulsey had 14 carries for 77 yards and a touchdown for the Bears.
“We have some things that we definitely have to get better at,” Svehla said. “But I thought we generally executed pretty well, and we were organized, and I thought that was important.”
