Cherokee entered their contest against Walton on Friday without any home losses, but there's a first time for everything. The Cherokee Warriors fell 28-21 to the Walton Raiders. It was the first time this season that the Warriors let down their fans at home.
Despite the loss, Cherokee saw an underclassman step up: Brandon Hamilton rushed for 85 yards and two touchdowns on only six carries. Those 85 rushing yards set a new season-high mark for Hamilton. Tanner Savasir was another key player, having thrown for 252 yards and onetouchdown.
Cherokee wouldn't let Walton keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Cherokee can thank Gracen Sexton and Charley Dahlen for forcing both of them.
Walton got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Kaeden Gilstrap out in front who rushed for 165 yards and a touchdown on only 11 carries. The dominant performance gave Gilstrap a new career-high in rushing yards. Lucas Farrington also helped out as he racked up 145 rushing yards.
Cherokee's defeat ended a four-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 4-4. As for Walton, they pushed their record up to 5-3 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Cherokee will welcome North Cobb at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. North Cobb will roll in looking for their eighth straight win, something Cherokee surely won't give up without a fight. As for Walton, they will be playing at home against Etowah at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Walton is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 27.9 points per game this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
