BY THE NUMBERS
2 — Kelvin Wells’ rank in the Chattanooga area in rushing yards over the past two seasons. He averaged 146 yards per game in 19 games with Walker Valley.
2 — District championships in the last three years for the Cherokees, after not winning one the prior eight years.
0 — Passing yards last season for new starting quarterback Corbin Powers, then a backup.
SCHEDULE
Aug. 17 at McMinn Central
Aug. 24 McCallie
Aug. 30 Rhea County*
Sept. 7 at Farragut
Sept. 14 at Ooltewah*
Sept. 28 Walker Valley*
Oct. 5 at Cleveland*
Oct. 12 Meigs County
Oct. 19 at Soddy-Daisy*
Oct. 26 Bradley Central*
* District 5-AAA game
Games start at 7:30 p.m.
McMINN COUNTY CHEROKEES
Coach: Bo Cagle (35-22 in his five years here)
Stadium address: 2215 Congress Parkway, Athens, TN 37354
RECENT HISTORY
After missing the playoffs in 2010, the Cherokees won their second District 5-AAA title in the past three seasons by defeating Bradley Central 48-36 in a winner-take-all final game of the regular season. Here’s a look at the regular-season win total for the last five years:
Season 1 5 10
2011 ———————(7)
2010 ——(2)
2009 ————————(8)
2008 ——————(6)
2007 ———————(7)
THREE STRENGTHS
1) Led by senior Patrick Priest, the Cherokees return four starters expected to be very stout on the offensive line.
2) The team added Kelvin Wells Jr., who rushed for 2,774 yards and 30 touchdowns the past two seasons at Walker Valley. With 900-yard rusher Dre Sanders returning, the Cherokees will be loaded in the backfield.
3) The Cherokee defensive line will be tough, led by senior Aaron Kimpson, who has been deemed “unblockable” by the coaching staff.
THREE CONCERNS
1) How will sophomore quarterback Corbin Powers, who got only limited playing time last season, develop in his first season as a starter?
2) Who will step into a leadership role for the Cherokees this season?
3) The Cherokees lost three of four starters in the defensive backfield. Who will fill those secondary roles?
THREE QUESTIONS WITH PATRICK PRIEST
(Senior offensive lineman)
Q: Your lines have become a big team strength — one of which you’re a part of. How important are the trenches this season?
A: I don’t want to be cocky, but I feel like we’re solid on both sides of the ball. We have some very talented players on both sides, so I feel confident about us as a group.
Q: Even with the line being an overall strength, nobody’s perfect. But you’ve added another back to an already pretty talented backfield. How do Kelvin Wells and Dre Sanders help you out?
A: The best part about them is that every time a mistake is made, they can fix it. If we miss a block, they’re athletic enough and talented enough to be able to recover from it.
Q: After a below-average 2010 season, your team won the district championship last year. How did it feel to get back on track?
A: It was super exciting. I loved the fact that although I didn’t feel like we were the biggest or most talented team all the time, I knew we were the meanest. I hope we can bring that back this year.
ROSTER
1 Blake Powers - Senior
2 Dre Sanders - Junior
3 Josh Brown - Senior
4 Caleb Dain - Freshman
5 Taurian Linder - Senior
6 Caleb Selvege - Senior
7 Clay Bennett - Junior
8 Dre Hall - Junior
9 Trevor Crisp - Junior
10 Dakota Powell - Sophomore
11 Corbin Powers - Sophomore
13 Austin Meadow - Sophomore
15 Colin Cornett - Freshman
17 Nick Peeler - Sophomore
19 Day Currie - Junior
20 Israel Brown - Sophomore
22 Raekwon Westin - Junior
23 Corey Johnson - Senior
24 Kelvin Wells - Senior
25 Paul Clark - Sophomore
27 Forrest West - Senior
28 Spanky Thompson - Junior
30 Johny Clayton - Sophomore
31 Aaron Kimpson - Senior
32 Cole Haggart - Sophomore
33 Jay Odum - Sophomore
36 Matt Bullock - Sophomore
37 Bubba Cooper - Sophomore
38 Hunter Davis - Junior
43 Jordan Hockman - Sophomore
44 Austin Fairbanks - Senior
47 Jordan Miller - Sophomore
48 Brandon McMahon - Junior
49 Mike Daley - Sophomore
50 Dillon Martin - Senior
51 Ryan Fowler - Senior
52 Dillon Clayton - Senior
53 Colden Dain - Sophomore
54 Cole Plaster - Senior
55 Jonah Tallent - Senior
56 Jacob Murphey - Sophomore
57 Stone Trent - Sophomore
58 Hunter Gleaton - Sophomore
59 Chase Layman - Junior
60 Patrick Priest - Senior
62 Gavin Arnett - Sophomore
63 Issacc Beltran - Sophomore
64 Hunter Priest - Junior
66 Logan Sutton - Sophomore
67 Wayon Downing - Sophomore
68 Cade Deakin - Junior
69 Andre Johnson - Junior
70 Kallante Hammonds - Senior
72 Marcus Cansler - Sophomore
73 Johnathan Lockhart - Sophomore
76 Brad Walker - Sophomore
77 Justin McConkey - Senior
79 Ryan Haney - Sophomore
81 Matt Derrickson - Junior
82 Andrew Bonnett - Sophomore
83 Kyilen Gillespie - Sophomore
85 Anthony Brown - Junior
88 Mikey Wilder - Sophomore
99 Sebastian Feliciadario - Junior
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