Cherokee’s 38-12 win over Carver-Atlanta on Wednesday in Canton may have been lopsided and sloppy at times, but it was high school football and for fans around the the state, it was exciting to see.
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The 29th annual Corky Kell Classic — and the first game of the high school football season in Georgia — was ushered in by a dominant Warriors effort, highlighted by the performance of junior running back Keith Adams.
Adams rushed for two touchdowns and 164 yards on 18 carries before leaving in the second half with an injury. A member of the Warriors staff said Adams, who holds an offer from Middle Tennessee, was taken out as a precaution due to cramps and will be available next week.
The Warriors, who compete in 7A, scored the game’s first 24 points and led 10-0 at halftime. Adams’ 3-yard scoring run and Joel Stahl’s 21-yard field goal capped the first half, and Adams ran for a 73-yard touchdown early in the third quarter.
With 9:15 remaining, the Panthers scored on Lorenza Lennon’s 56-yard pass to Tobias Robinson to make it 24-6 after a failed 2-point conversion. The Warriors would respond with two more touchdowns — an AJ Swann 67-yard pass to Adam Fullen and a Keegan Baker 50-yard punt return.
Adam Sheely’s 4-yard run for Carver brought the score to its final margin with 2:35 left to play.
The Panthers, who compete in 3A, took the field after only a few days of practice, as they had been sidelined for two weeks following the positive COVID-19 test of a player, Lennon’s father said.
Carver will play Lovejoy (6A) at Lakewood Stadium on Sept. 12, and Cherokee hosts Sequoyah (6A) on Sept. 11.
Wednesday’s game was originally scheduled for Aug. 19 at West Forsyth, but concerns over the coronavirus changed those plans. The Kell Classic, which was supposed to run from Aug. 19-22 and feature 11 games spread across four venues including Mercedes-Benz Stadium, became a nine-game event with all games hosted at separate venues.
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