Smoky Mountain took care of business in their home opener on Friday. They came out on top against the Cherokee Braves by a score of 34-21. That result was just more of the same for these two, as the Mustangs also won the last time the pair played back in August of 2023.
Ayden Johnson was a one-man wrecking crew for Smoky Mountain as he rushed for 283 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 11.3 yards per carry. Another player making a difference was Jarek Jones, who rushed for 137 yards and a touchdown on only 13 carries.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Smoky Mountain was moving up and down the field and finished the game with 513 total yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Cherokee only gained 197.
Smoky Mountain wouldn't let Cherokee keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force three fumbles. It was truly a group effort as Weston Winchester, Weston Winchester, and Dallas Farmer picked up one apiece.
Although Cherokee took the loss, they still got scores from Elijah Lineberry, Luke Smith, and Jonathan Saylor.
Smoky Mountain will challenge Swain County at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. As for Cherokee, they will look to defend their home field on Friday against Cosby at 7:00 p.m. Cherokee is looking for their season?s first victory.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
