COMING WEDNESDAY: All-Cherokee County Girls Basketball Team

By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director

CENTRE – Cherokee County High School freshman guard Tatum Perry has shown flashes of brilliance on the basketball court the past two seasons, but his play was never more spectacular than his Jan. 16 game against Sand Rock in the Cherokee County Tournament semifinals at Richard Lindsey Arena.

The Warriors rallied from a 27-point deficit after three quarters. Perry capped things off with a buzzer-beating shot, taking an in-bound pass from Keyshawn Woods underneath the Warrior basket, then sinking the game-winner as time expired to complete the improbable comeback. The Warriors won by the final of 69-67, with Perry leading the way with 33 points.

“Everybody thought we were going to lose (the county tournament semifinal game), but I just kept telling my teammates ‘We’ve got to keep going, keep pushing, and we will come through with the win,” Perry said. “After I hit that game-winning shot, it just felt great.”

Cherokee County High School head coach Caleb Hays likens Perry to another young Warrior basketball sensation back in the day.

“Maurice Dupree is the last I can remember coming up as an eighth grader making an impact like that,” Hays said. “Obviously the last shot (against Sand Rock in the county tournament) was one of the bigger shots in tournament history, possibly one of the biggest in our school’s history. He did things like that all season.

“Him being a freshman, I keep forgetting that. He doesn’t play like a freshman. He seems like a senior. I have trust in him to be able to make those plays.”

For the season, Perry posted 17.1 points, four rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 2.6 steals per game, but it’s not just the numbers Hays has come to expect from his freshman sensation.

It’s also his leadership.

“He’s just a special player,” Hays said. “With that comes a lot of responsibility, a lot of leadership opportunities. It’s not just competing.”

Those court qualities recently helped Perry earn the county coaches’ choice for their All-Cherokee County Boys Basketball Most Valuable Player.

“It feels good (to earn MVP), but I’m not satisfied. I’ve still got a long way to go,” Perry said. “It’s a lot of pressure with me being young, thinking about how people look up to me, but coach is always telling me to fight through the adversity and go with it.”

Hays calls Perry “one of the most competitive kids I’ve ever been around.”

“It makes it a challenge to coach someone that special,” Hays said. “You know he’s talented, but I also know where there’s no limit and no ceiling for him. He’s still growing and he’s extremely mature.

“Just finding ways to push him, to challenge him, and get him to go to that next level, I think the sky’s the limit for him.”

Joining Perry from Cherokee County High School (9-19) on the all-county boys basketball team is Jayquan Diamond, Keyshawn Woods, and Alex Rogers.

Diamond delivered nine points, seven rebounds, two steals, and a block per game. Woods averaged seven points, five boards, five assists, four steals and a block. Rogers tallied five points, four assists, four rebounds, and two steals.

Sand Rock (21-12) has three selections in Jonas Browder, Will Cleere, and Wyatt Miller.

Browder accounted for 14.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and a steal per game. Cleere accounted for 14.5 points, 7.8 boards, an assist, and 1.2 steals. Miller managed 9.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, an assist, and a block.

Representing Cedar Bluff (20-12) is Shon Gleen, Kuper Bradley, and Zach Jones.

Gleen gained 16.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 4.1 steals. Bradley averaged 9.9 points, 4.2 boards, 3.1 assists, and 2.2 steals. Jones accumulated 10.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, a block, and 3.3 steals per contest.

Chosen from Spring Garden is Zane Edwards and Brady Ruark. Edwards averaged 7.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.2 steals. Ruark accounted for 6.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.

Jack Sentell was selected from Gaylesville. Sentell averaged 11.9 points, six rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.8 steals per contest for the Trojans.