Poole eligible to run - Index of - The Cherokee Ledger-News

16 the cherokee ledger-news sports november 7, 2012
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PreP FOOTball rOUNDUP
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Knights rally past Pickens to secure AAAA state berth
By Brandon Michea
sports@ledgernews.com
Rallying from a 16-point,
fourth-quarter deficit, the River
Ridge Knights knocked off Pickens,
28-26, Friday night, in Jasper.
Trailing 26-10 heading into the
fourth, the Knights, who claimed
the Region 7AAAA sub-region A
title and clinched state berth in
the program’s first year of eligibility
with the win, used touchdown
runs by E.J. Ellis and
Vince Njoku and a 53-yard scoring
strike from Steven Spears
to Austin Terrell in the final
frame to surge past the Dragons.
Best known for its ground attack,
River Ridge (5-4, 4-0 subregion)
went to the air for nearly
half of its offensive damage
on Friday, as Spears completed
8-of-16 attempts for 154 yards,
including a pair of touchdown
passes to Terrell, who hauled in
four receptions for 94 yards.
On the ground, Njoku rolled up
84 yards and a touchdown on 11
carries, Ellis made 15 carries for
60 yards and a score, and Terrell
added 22 yards rushing.
Defensively, Will Redding
made 13 tackles, Ray Stephenson
had 10, and Ellis finished
with seven.
Rounding out the scoring, Wes
Bearden converted a 43-yard
field goal attempt.
Next up for the Knights is a
trip to Rossville this Friday (7:30
p.m.) for a rematch against subregion
B champion Ridgeland,
with the 7AAAA title on the line.
The Panthers (8-1) defeated River
Ridge, 42-8, on Sept. 14, though
the Knights went on to win five
of their last six since the loss.
The winner of Friday’s bout
will not only claim the region
crown but earn 7AAAA’s No. 1
seed for the state playoffs, while
the loser settles for the region’s
No. 2 state seed. Both teams will
host in the opening round of state
on Nov. 16.
• • •
Creekview blows by Spartans
Working on a little fine-tuning
before their upcoming Region
7AAAAA playoff battle at Riverwood,
the Creekview Grizzlies
won their sixth-straight game
with a 44-0 trouncing of North
Springs last Friday night, in
Atlanta.
Behind seven different ball
carries, the Grizzlies (9-1, 5-0 subregion)
racked up 272 yards and
four scores on the ground, while
senior quarterback Hayden
Hall completed 8-of-10 passes for
93 yards and two touchdowns.
Leading the rushing attack,
junior Isaiah Rodgers and senior
Will Kirby tallied 80 and 78
yards, respectively, and a touchdown
apiece, and senior Austin
King made three carries for
49 yards and a score. Also reaching
the end zone, sophomore
Chandler Wold rushed for 41
yards, bringing his team-leading
season totals to 692 yards and
11 touchdowns on 94 attempts.
Continuing his run as Hall’s
top target, senior Hunter Udall
made three grabs for 59 yards
and a pair of touchdowns and
has 696 yards receiving this fall.
Defensively, Creekview, which
recorded its program-best third
shutout of the season, had 12
sacks, led by senior Austin
Weaver’s four and junior
Austin Murphy’s two. Weaver
also topped the team with eight
total tackles; while junior Logan
Ridings (sack) tallied seven
total tackles; junior Joseph
Sorrentino (sack) made six total
tackles; Udall had an interception
and a fumble recovery;
senior Joey Noll had an inception;
and sophomore Chris
Reddick recovered a fumble.
In hopes of securing their
first state berth since 2009, the
Grizzlies travel to Sandy Springs
this Friday at 7:30 p.m. to take
on sub-region B No. 4 seed
Riverwood (6-3). The Raiders,
who were on a bye last Friday,
have lost three of their last four
since starting out the season 5-0.
• • •
CHS, EHS, WHS fall
In Region 5AAAAAA action
last, Cherokee, Etowah and
Woodstock all suffered setbacks.
Cherokee lost a 49-7 decision at
Milton , while Etowah’s upset bid
against Walton came up short in
a 21-16 loss, and Woodstock lost
31-9 at Wheeler.
RECORD: Ingleton’s 1,919 currently second in state
FROM PAGE 15
with a 296-yard performance in
the Chiefs’ season-opening victory
over Ridge Ridge, before
hanging 386 yards on 25 carries
against Northview on Oct. 26.
Making Ingleton’s accomplishments
even more impressive is
that Hall and Wheeler racked up
their totals over a 12-game span,
with the Chiefs reaching the second
round of the Class AAAA
state playoffs in 2000, while
Foster tallied his 1,800 yards in
13 games.
In addition to his line, Ingleton
also attributes his success to
time spent with a trainer
last spring, as well as joining
Sequoyah’s track team in 2011,
running both the 100- and 200-
meter events and relays.
“I’ve definitely gotten faster,”
he explained. “Last season, I
couldn’t really split two defenders
to get into the open field.
This year, I’m splitting and outrunning
them. I’m getting those
game-breaking runs.”
While he cannot deny enjoying
the personal success, Ingleton
added that his team’s success this
fall is what has meant the most,
as the Chiefs are on the brink
of reaching the state playoffs
for the first time since 2008 —
needing only a win over Sprayberry
in the Region 7AAAAA
playoffs this Friday to advance.
“Ever since we lost to Riverwood
(on Sept. 21), we’ve really
pulled together tighter as
a team,” said Ingleton, whose
Chiefs have gone 5-1 and averaged
39.2 points per game since
the defeat. “And we’ve gotten
after it.”
According to Teter, Ingleton
has been a big reason why.
“Blake has been crucial to what
we’re doing,” he said. “He’s forcing
teams to key on him in the
middle and that’s opening things
up around the outside for (Dustin)
Dawson and (Stuart) Glassic, as
well as our passing game.
“The thing is, he’s a lot more
comfortable with what he’s
doing, and we talk all the time
about how much he’s matured.
Last year was the first time he
played fullback, and now that
he understands everything, you
can see how much it’s helped his
confidence level.”
Heading into the final week of
the regular season, in which Sequoyah
(6-3) travels to Sprayberry
for a Region 7AAAAA playoff
game in hopes of securing its first
state berth since 2008, Ingleton’s
1,919 yards were second-best only
to Cedartown junior Nick Chubb.
Leading the state, Chubb entered
last Friday’s game — a
35-0 loss to Gilmer — with 2,360
yards and 35 touchdowns on
263 carries. Chris Jordan, of
Class AAA No. 2 Thomson, is
third behind Ingleton with 1,882
yards, while Evan Kasian, of the
Walker School (Class A - Private
School) is fourth with 1,709 yards
and 21 scored on 184 carries, and
Walton senior and University
of Alabama committee Tyren
Jones is fifth with 1,672 yards and
16 touchdowns on 288 touches.
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