By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director

Back in January, Cherokee County High School senior defensive lineman Tae Diamond was honored by the Alabama Sports Writers Association as a Class 4A Lineman of the Year finalist for the second year in a row.

His junior numbers eclipsed those of his sophomore year, when Diamond posted 98 tackles, including 27 for loss, with 20 sacks, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two passes batted down.

As a junior in 2023, Diamond delivered 130 total tackles, including 33 for loss with 22 sacks and forced four fumbles for the Warriors.

In both years, Diamond helped lead Cherokee County to a state runner-up.

So what’s in store for Diamond and the Warriors in 2024?

“As a team, I just want to win a state championship and bring home the blue (map),” Diamond said. “Individually, I want to get 30 sacks.”

Thirty sacks for a high school football player in a season is a pie-in-the-sky number for most, but not for Diamond. With the majority of his defensive teammates returning this season, and with 18 seniors on the Warrior roster, Diamond very well could reach his lofty goals – perhaps even more.

“Thirty is a crazy number, but so was 22, which is what he had last year, and so is 20, which is what he had as a sophomore,” Warrior head coach Jacob Kelley said. “He had 12 or 13 (sacks) as a freshman.

“Being in Montgomery two years in a row and not leaving with any hardware, I know that motivates him without him even having to say it. It’s not that he takes it personally. He’s been in that seat two years in a row. I know he’s driven to get back on that stage.”

There’s plenty driving the Warriors to get back on the state’s biggest stage.

For senior quarterback Carson Tittle, it’s adding to a gutsy playoff performance last season that fell just short of a storybook state championship ending.

Tittle suffered a torn ACL to his left knee early in the second quarter in the second round against Haleyville. Just two weeks following his injury, Tittle connected on all three of his pass attempts to now-senior Ben Frampton for 110 yards and two touchdowns in a 50-6 state semifinal rout at Westminster Christian.

“Going to the state championship is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You can’t take that for granted,” Tittle said. “I knew I could go out there and just throw the ball. I really don’t need my legs to throw. I just got out there and just let it loose.”

Tittle hopes he and the Warriors can ‘let it loose’ again this season.

“We all know what the main goal as a team is: to win a state championship.”

About the only question mark the Warriors have in 2024 is filling the void left by record-setting tailback Jacob Cornejo.

In just two seasons with the Warriors, Cornejo – last year’s ASWA Class 4A Back of the Year – ran for a school-record 5,583 yards and 69 touchdowns, leading the Warriors to 25 victories and two state runners-up. He signed with Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tenn., back in April.

“I don’t know if you can necessarily replace him, but we’ve got four or five guys who are their own monster in themselves,” Kelley said. “Jacob took the majority of the carries just because of the depth chart at other places. We wanted to keep other people fresh. But I can promise you between Tae, Tristan (Brown), Keyshawn (Woods), Tyson (Wood), a young one in Jayshawn Stroup, we’re not hurting for running backs at all.

“Replacing Jacob and replacing some of the linemen, it’s going to be tough, but we build young guys too.”

Blocking for the Warrior playmakers includes a group that consists of seniors Landon Ransum, Gavin Brown and Dawson Bartlett, along with sophomores Dylan Duncan, Asa Holbert, James Hunter and Jackson Doeg.

Ransum and fellow senior Caleb Harbour anchor the Warrior defensive line.

Brown, a two-time all-state performer, will also double on defense to lead the Warrior linebackers, along with Carson Chesnut and Ben Moseley. Brown and Chesnut are seniors. Moseley is a junior.

In the secondary, the Warriors lost three of last year’s starters, but Kelley said sophomore Keshawn Thomas, senior Luke Young and juniors Cooper Allen and Javierre Henderson “have all looked tremendous” at their respective positions.

As for the Warriors’ schedule, there are a lot of changes from a year ago. They still compete in Class 4A Region 6 along with Oneonta, Etowah and Ashville, but new additions to the region include Alexandria (down from 5A), Hokes Bluff (up from 3A), Anniston, and White Plains.

Following a scrimmage against North Jackson on Friday, the Warriors open the 2024 regular season at home against Highway 9 rival Piedmont on Aug. 23, then travel to Class 5A Arab on Aug. 30. Cherokee County also has a non-region contest at Class 6A Shades Valley on Sept. 27.

Kelley knows the Warriors will get everybody’s best game because of their recent success.

“The two years we’ve just had, everybody pretty much has us circled on the schedule. We know that, but that’s not something we focus on,” he said. “We just worry about us. Whoever it is coming up on Friday, we have our routines, we have our set practices. We’ll be locked in and ready to go.”

2024 Cherokee County Football Schedule

Aug. 23                 Piedmont

Aug. 30                 at Arab

Sept. 6                  at Oneonta

Sept. 13                Etowah

Sept. 20                at White Plains

Sept. 27                at Shades Valley

Oct. 4                    Anniston

Oct. 11                  at Hokes Bluff

Oct. 18                  Alexandria

Oct. 25                  Ashville