Anniston holds off Warriors 20-13, takes control in Class 4A, Region 6

Keyshawn Woods breaks away on a 36-yard touchdown run in the second quarter at Anniston on Friday night. Photo courtesy of Brad Campbell/sport-shutter.com.

By Joe Medley, East Alabama Sports Today

ANNISTON – Fifth-ranked Anniston had the right medicine for its ailing head football coach Friday.

Kyree Lewis’ blocked punt, short recovery and return for a touchdown to the Bulldogs started, and a key Tariq Judkins’ fumble recovery kept them on the right path in a 20-13 victory over fourth-ranked Cherokee County at Lott-Mosby Stadium.

Anniston (6-0) moved to 4-0 in Class 4A, Region 6 and stands alone in first place, having beaten the other three top contenders … Alexandria, Cherokee County and Hokes Bluff. The Bulldogs still face region games against Etowah, Oneonta and White Plains over the next three weeks.

Anniston has control of its destiny while seeking its first region title since 2022.

Cherokee County (5-2, 3-1), which entered this season on a streak of three consecutive region titles and state runner-up finishes, plays host to Hokes Bluff and at Alexandria over the next two weeks, before closing out at Ashville.

“We’re still building to try to get where we’ve been in the past,” Cherokee County coach Jacob Kelley said. “We’ve always kind of been at the top of the region. This is a big one tonight, but we’ve got to continue to fix us, work on us, and fix the things that kind of got us beat tonight.”

Anniston coach Rico Jackson worked Friday’s game while wearing a mask to cover his mouth and nose. He said he came down with flu-like symptoms Tuesday and started feeling better later in the week.

Jackson probably began feeling worse again when Anniston drove away the game’s first 8:03 and came away with no points. A holding penalty doomed the Bulldogs to turning the ball over on downs at the Cherokee County 6-yard line.

Jackson began feeling better when Lewis blocked his second punt in two weeks, recovered the ball on the run. and finished off the final three yards for the game’s first touchdown.

Quarterback Damon Pope’s conversion run gave Anniston an 8-0 lead at 3:48 of the second quarter.

Keyshawn Woods answered for the Warriors with a 36-yard touchdown run at 1:53. The Warriors’ conversion attempt failed, and Anniston clung to an 8-6 lead at halftime.

Judkins’ fumble recovery at Anniston’s 40-yard line set up the Bulldogs’ next score, a 4-yard Pope scramble to make it 14-6 at 1:44 of the third quarter.

Jabari Williams’ 6-yard, second-effort touchdown run bulged Anniston’s lead to 20-6 at 10:49 of the fourth, but Cherokee County answered with Jayshawn Stroup’s 1-yard run to make it 20-13 at 4:20.

“We were in it the whole time,” Kelley said. “I feel like our guys, when we got down, I was proud of them for fighting back.”

“Anniston’s a really good football team. Hats off to them. They had their way with us at times on defense. We just couldn’t get off of the field.”

Anniston got the ball back and never gave it back. Pope scrambles keyed a possession that ended with him kneeling away the final minute in the victory formation.

Pope finished with 170 yards rushing and 198 total yards. Williams rushed for 122.

Cherokee County High School’s Jayshawn Stroup attempts to break an Anniston tackle on a run Friday night. Photo courtesy of Brad Campbell/sport-shutter.com.

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