It was hardly what Cherokee could have expected.

Fresh off a 22-point rout of Douglas County, the Warriors looked to topple another region foe and secure their spot in second place in the 5AAAA standings.

But on a rain-soaked Friday night at East Paulding, Cherokee had no such luck, dropping a 31-0 decision to the Raiders at the Bone Yard.

The Warriors (5-3, 5-2 region) managed just 112 yards of total offense, while East Paulding (7-1, 6-1) racked up 228 yards – 196 on the ground – and scored on five consecutive possessions in the first half.

Following runs of 20 and 10 yards by senior tailback Steve Delzince that put the Raiders into Cherokee territory on the opening series, East Paulding’s drive stalled when Warriors senior linebacker Adam Nichelson dropped Delzince for a 4-yard loss and Raiders quarterback Chas Henry threw back-to-back incompletions.

But Henry, who has committed to the University of Florida as a punter, aired out a perfect punt to pin the Cherokee offense on its own 2.

After the Warriors managed just six yards and were forced to punt, Henry and the East Paulding offense took over on the Cherokee 22, thanks in part to a 28-yard return by Zack Gonosz.

Five plays later, Henry put the Raiders on top, 7-0, with a 9-yard scoring strike to Matt Benton.

For the remainder of the first half it was all downhill for the Warriors from there, with East Paulding starting each of its next four possessions at its own 40 or better, including beginning inside the Warriors 30 twice.

That led to a Henry 29-yard field goal and touchdown runs 8 and 24 yards by Derek Holloway and Chris Smith, respectively, before Delzince all but officially put the nail in the coffin with a 60-yard touchdown run 1:30 before the break.

Delzince’s gallop came just one play after Cherokee committed its first of two turnovers of the night.

Down 24-0 and starting on their own 38, the Warriors began to show signs of life late in the second quarter.

Junior running back Bobby Allen opened the drive with a 7-yard run and picked up a first down – Cherokee’s first of the evening – two plays later with a 1-yard push up the middle. Chris Pruitt followed with an 11-yard run on a quarterback keeper and a 6-yard gain by Allen moved the Warriors to the East Paulding 35.

But an illegal shift on third down, followed by the Cherokee fumble on the 40, left the door open for Delzince’s scoring gallop.

As the heavy rains moved back in during the second half, the Warriors defense got back on track, holding the Raiders to just 9 yards of offense over the final two quarters of play.

Cherokee, meanwhile, threatened to score on a pair of occasions in the fourth, but turned the ball over on downs on the Raiders 4 with 5:20 left to play and again on the East Paulding 16 in the closing seconds.

Allen led the Warriors offense with 74 yards on 19 carries, while the Raiders’ Delzince led all rushers with 124 yards
on 15 totes.

In attempt to take over third place or even potentially move back into a tie for second in Region 5AAAA, Cherokee hosts former offensive coordinator Mike Collins and his Pebblebrook Falcons (6-2, 6-1) Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Since dropping a 10-7 decision to Douglas County on Sept. 22, the Falcons have won five straight, including a 34-17 victory over East Paulding on Sept. 29 – a game in which the Raiders committed five turnovers.

Pebblebrook and East Paulding are currently tied for second at 6-1, one game behind unbeaten Sequoyah (8—0, 7-0), which hosts the Raiders this Friday, a game in front of Cherokee and two games ahead of Douglas County (4-4,4-3).

East Paulding 31, Cherokee 0
Cherokee 0 0 0 0 -- 0
E Paulding 10 21 0 0 -- 31

Scoring Summary
First Quarter
EP: Chas Henry 9 pass to Allen Gardner (Henry kick)
EP: Henry 29 FG
Second Quarter
EP: Derek Holloway 8 run (Henry kick)
EP: Chris Smith 24 run (Henry kick)
EP: Steve Delzince 60 run (Henry kick)

Team Statistics
CHS EP
6 First Downs 9
91 Rushing 196
20 Passing 32
112 Total Yards 228
1/7 Comp./Att. 3/9
0 Interceptions 0
4/2 Fumbles/Lost 3/0
3/15 Penalties 4/25
5/38.8 Punt 3/39

Individual Statistics
RUSHING: Cherokee – Bobby Allen 19-74, Chris Pruitt 9-12, Brody Smithwick 7-6, Nick Blaylock 2-3, Elijah Edmondson 1-(-3). East Paulding – Steve Delzince 15-124, Derek Holloway 7-48.