Staff Reports

CENTRE – Cherokee County High School senior running back Damien Ramsey honored a fallen teammate on the Warriors’ senior night on Friday by wearing Nathan Pittman’s jersey number 88.

Ramsey ran for 78 yards on 13 carries and scored a touchdown. He also had an interception on defense in the Warriors’ 31-17 victory.

Pittman died in an automobile accident in 2019 during his sophomore year.

The win, coupled with Anniston’s 28-27 upset at top-ranked Handley, creates a three-way logjam atop the Region 4 standings. All three teams are 4-1 in region play. The Warriors lost at Handley last week 42-14, but defeated Anniston 21-20 back on Sept. 10.

The loss dropped Cleburne County to 2-3 in the region and 4-4 overall.

CJ Gresham got the Warriors (6-2 overall) on the scoreboard first with a 55-yard touchdown run. Daniel Mejia’s extra point made it 7-0.

Mejia added a 21-yard field goal in the second quarter to put the Warriors up 10-0, but Cleburne County countered with Devante Cantrell’s 66-yard touchdown run to make it a 10-7 game.

The Warriors went back up by 10 points before halftime on Ramsey’s 1-yard touchdown run, giving Cherokee County a 17-7 lead at the break.

Tae Diamond’s 3-yard touchdown run in the third quarter put the Warriors in front 24-7. Diamond gained 60 yards on eight totes with a touchdown.

The Tigers’ Noah Morgan closed out the third-quarter scoring with his 20-yard field goal to trim the Warrior lead to 24-10.

Lamycal Mitchell put the Warriors up three scores again with his 3-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. He finished with 42 yards on eight carries with a touchdown.

Cleburne County quarterback Kyler McGrinn connected on a 27-yard touchdown pass with Andrew Adams later in the fourth for the final.

McGrinn completed 10-of-22 pass attempts for 100 yards and a touchdown. He also led the Tiger ground game with 140 yards on 20 carries. Cantrell finished with 91 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.

Cherokee County travels to Jacksonville in its regular-season finale next Friday. Cleburne County hosts Anniston.