By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director

CENTRE – First-year Cherokee County High School football head coach Bayley Blanchard said he was driving to Warrior Stadium early Thursday morning getting fired up for the day.

His team was hosting a 12-team 7-on-7 football tournament, but it wasn’t just any ordinary passing camp. It was in honor of his father James Blanchard, who died almost two years ago following a battle with cancer at the age of 59.

“This was something we shared and loved together,” Bayley recalled of his high school days at Piedmont when he was a receiver and his father a defensive coordinator. “I just miss him and I love him. I know he was looking down on us today and he was happy to see a bunch of high school kids competing and getting after it. That’s what he loved. Football was his escape.”

Just prior to coaching his first scrimmage in the Coach B. Memorial Tournament on Thursday at Warrior Stadium against Hope Christian of Oxford, Bayley stopped to share a full-circle moment with several special people in his life.

“I got to be the ball boy when Coach (Tripp) Curry was here and dad coached here, and to have my cousin (Coty Blanchard), one of the best players to ever come from Cherokee County and the state of Alabama in my opinion, and my uncle (Fran Blanchard), and getting to have my whole family here, it was a fun day.”

The Warriors fell a game short of making the tournament semifinals. Their “A” team went 3-2 for the day with wins over Hope Christian, Westbrook Christian and Gaston. They suffered losses to Weaver and Fort Payne.

When the event was over, Jacksonville emerged victorious, capping a 6-1 day with nail-biting 20-19 victory over Cleburne County.

But for Bayley, the day wasn’t so much about wins and losses as much as it was about honoring his dad.

“I appreciate the teams that came, and I want to give a huge shout out to all the coaches, parents, players, everybody who had a part of in making this a reality,” he said. “I’ve got a great staff, great support system, a lot of buy in to make this day happen, and I appreciate every single one of them.”

One other Cherokee County team also participated in the Coach B. Memorial on Thursday, the Sand Rock Wildcats. Sand Rock went 0-5 on the day.

Warriors receive ‘big’ roster boost

As if honoring the memory of James Blanchard wasn’t a big enough day for Bayley Blanchard and the Warriors, they also welcomed their newest member to the sideline.

Six-foot-4, 290-pound senior defensive lineman transfer from Chattooga (Ga.) Kadin Fife made his first official appearance with his new Warrior teammates. Fife recently moved back to Cherokee County, but his football status wasn’t officially cleared by the Alabama High School Athletic Association until Wednesday.

“We wanted to make sure everything was done the right way,” Blanchard said. “We want to follow the AHSAA’s guidelines and rules and do what we’re supposed to do. You want to do right by the kid and you want to do right by your team.

“We’re happy to have him. This is his home. He got to play with these guys growing up through peewee and junior high. We’re excited to have him. I think the kids are excited for him to be back home. We’re looking forward to him putting on the black and gold. I think he’s looking forward to getting in there with these guys and growing a bond.”

Fife, who played his freshman year at Cedar Bluff, is excited to be back in Cherokee County.

“I like it here,” Fife said. “It wasn’t a hard decision. I wanted to come back. I just wanted to play in front of my home fan base and my family.

“(Warrior teammates) Keshawn (Thomas), Tatum (Perry) and Jayshawn (Stroup), they’re the real reasons I moved back. They tried to get me to come back the year before, but I didn’t. This year, I feel like we’ve got a good chance to win. We’re seniors and I think we can go all the way.”

Fife is considered one of the top prospects in the Class of 2027 and holds offers from several SEC programs, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Texas. He recently de-committed from Tennessee and announced his plans to attend Louisville.

“I feel like they bring a lot to the table,” Fife said of Louisville. “They produce D-linemen and develop them. I feel like me and (Executive Director of Football Personnel and Recruiting) Coach (Vince) Marrow have a good relationship. He kept recruiting me even when I had committed to Tennessee. Ultimately, I just felt like that was home. I feel like I fit in well up there and I can make a big impact early.”

But before he moves on to the next level, Fife wants to help the Warriors win a championship.

“I feel like I can help a lot on the defensive line, and the offensive side too,” he said. “I feel like what Bayley is doing here is good for the program. I think we’re going to make a deep playoff run and hopefully win the whole thing. I’m excited to be back. I just want to win.”

Blanchard said he this he and Fife are on the same page.

“When he got here (Thursday) morning, I told him we were happy to have you, just like those other 55 guys in the locker room. I’m going to treat you just like those other 55 guys. We’re going to coach you up just like those guys as well. I hope you want to be coached hard, but we’re also going to love you and care about you, and want what’s best for you. That was kind of the first conversation we had this morning when he got on campus.

“I know he’s getting a lot of interest from colleges, and that’s to his credit of working hard up to this point. We hope he continues that coming here and plays Cherokee County football.”