By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director

CENTRE – Cherokee County High School sophomore quarterback Adam Griffith took over the keys to the Warrior offensive machine for the first time as a starter on Friday night. He was thrust into the starting role following Carson Tittle’s potential season-ending knee surgery earlier this week.

As if that wasn’t enough, Friday night was a key Class 4A Region 6 game against Etowah, and it was also the Warriors’ homecoming.

But Griffith handled himself like a veteran. He completed his first five pass attempts, but a 58-yard touchdown toss to senior receiver Ben Frampton was called back on a penalty.

Griffith finished the game 5 of 12 for 91 yards and a touchdown. The Warrior running backs and defense took care of the rest in a 42-0 victory.

Griffith said Tittle and former Warrior quarterback Cade Hopper helped prepare him for his big moment Friday night. He said they both told him to “just stay within yourself.”

“Getting that first one (start) was big,” Griffith said. “Coming out early, especially that first drive with our tight end pop pass and their safeties coming up, it was nice to kind of throw it right behind them. When you play us, you’ve got to stop the run. Then when we go behind you and pass it, it’s explosive. I love that.”

So, too, did Warrior head coach Jacob Kelley.

“Griff did a great job tonight. He took what he was given,” Kelley said. “I feel bad that they called his touchdown back. We do that every week and that’s the first time it’s ever been called, but it is what it is. I know there’s a few balls he wants back. There were some things there, but for his first game ever starting, he did a fantastic job. I’m proud of him.

“He prepares the right way. He was ready for the moment. A lot of times when you’re starting a new kid, turnovers and not being able to field the snaps and not being able to get people lined up (is a problem), but I thought Griff did a great job tonight just being that next man up, and we did a great job of just making the game easy for him. All-in-all, it was a solid night for him.”

It was a solid night for Warrior senior running back/defensive end Tae Diamond as well. Diamond delivered 198 yards and scored three touchdowns on 20 carries. He also had another big night on defense for the Warriors.

“We just had a good game plan coming in and we executed it real well. We did what we’re supposed to do and you see the result,” Diamond said. “We knew we were going to have to throw Adam in there. Adam has had enough experience going against us on scout-O (offense). He was ready. I wasn’t really worried about him.

“We came into the game knowing we had to stop No. 2 (Etowah dual threat quarterback Jameson Scissum). We had to keep him contained in the pocket. We couldn’t let him get outside.”

The Warriors (3-1, 2-0) didn’t let Scissum get into a comfort zone. The Blue Devils made it inside the 10-yard line only twice, with both of those drives coming in the second half.

Both times the Warriors denied them.

Late in the third quarter, Scissum guided the Blue Devils down to the Warrior 10, but on a fourth-and-goal, Scissum’s pass fell incomplete in the end zone.

Etowah had another chance to prevent the shutout late in the fourth quarter. The Blue Devils drove the ball to the 1-yard line, but again, on a fourth-and-goal, the Warriors turned them away. This time, running back Kason Nelms was tackled for a 1-yard loss, turning the ball back over on downs.

“Our guys are selfish. They don’t like to give up points,” Kelley said. “It doesn’t matter what yard line it’s on, whether it’s the one going in or it’s the one coming out, they’re just very stingy. Our coaching staff hammers that into them. That’s what you want. I thought they did a great job just containing (Scissum). I was really, really proud of them tonight for keeping them out.”

Scissum finished the game completing 13 of 27 pass attempts for 152 yards. He had zero yards on the ground.

Diamond scored on runs of 5 and 19 yards in the first quarter to give the Warriors a 14-0 advantage.

Etowah fumbled on a punt return early in the second quarter, which was recovered by the Warriors’ James Hunter inside the Blue Devil 30. However, the Warriors couldn’t convert the turnover into points.

Following another Blue Devil punt, Tristan Brown capped a six-play, 30-yard drive with his 5-yard touchdown run to give the Warriors a 21-0 edge at halftime.

Diamond opened the third-quarter scoring with his third touchdown run, a 4-yarder just 51 seconds into the quarter.

Griffith connected with Frampton on a shovel pass for a 42-yard score with 7:46 remaining in the game. Frampton had four catches for 71 yards and a touchdown.

Tyson Wood finished the game off with a 17-yard touchdown run with 1:04 remaining for the final.

Wood finished with 49 yards on three carries with a score. Keyshawn Woods added 87 yards on 17 carries for the Warriors.

Cherokee County travels to White Plains on Friday for another region battle. Etowah hosts Ashville.