Wolfe scores 5TDs to lead Braves to Cracker Bowl win
By Scott McKie B.P.
One Feather staff
ANDREWS – Jayce Wolfe could not be stopped. He darted. He dipped. And, he just plain outran the Murphy defenders as he scored five touchdowns to lead the Cherokee Braves midgets team to a Cracker Bowl Championship over the Murphy Bulldogs on Saturday, Nov. 7 at Andrews High School. The regular season champion Braves started out strong and just kept going as they beat the Bulldogs 36-8 on a chilly night made for football.
Jayce Wolfe (#5) scored five touchdowns to lead the Cherokee Braves Midgets Cherokee wasted no time in this game, as Wolfe scored his first touchdown just one minute into the game. Spencer McCoy ran for the two-point conversion and the Braves took an early 8-0 lead.
Murphy would turn the ball over on downs on their first possession and the Braves took over at the Bulldogs 29 yard line. Two plays later, Wolfe scored his second of the game on a 30-yard run. McCoy added the two-point conversion and Cherokee led 16-0 with three minutes left in the first quarter.
Starting from their own 30 yard line, the Bulldogs tried to get something going on their next possession. They converted a 3rd and 8, but a penalty on first down caused their drive to stall and they turned it over on downs.
On first down, the Braves would add to their lead as Wolfe ran 45 yards for his third score of the game. McCoy added the two-point conversion and Cherokee led 24-0 with 6:47 left in the half.
Murphy turned the ball over on downs on their next possession and Cherokee took over at midfield with time running down in the half.
After completing a pass for a first down to the Murphy 40 yard line, Wolfe ran 35 yards to give the Braves a 1st and goal from the 5 yard line. Following a sack which put the ball on the 8 yard line, Wolfe took it in for his fourth score of the game with 19 seconds left in the half. The two-point conversion failed and Cherokee led 30-0 at halftime.
Murphy tried to put something together coming out in the third quarter. But, on the third play they fumbled the ball which was recovered by the Braves Damon Ledford at the Cherokee 28 yard line.
Cherokee put together a nine play drive that ate up most of the third quarter and culminated in a 20 yard touchdown run by Wolfe. The two-point conversion failed and Cherokee extended its lead to 36-0 with 43 seconds left in the quarter.
Going into the fourth quarter, Murphy would finally get something going as they put together a 10 play drive that ended in a 4 yard touchdown run by Gaige Cox with four minutes left in the game. Cox added the two-point conversion to make it 36-8.
Cherokee started their final possession from midfield and just ran out the clock to take the win and the championship.
The results of the other three Cracker Bowl games played on Saturday are as follows:
Pee Wees –
Jackson County 14
Hayesville 6
Termites –
Jackson County 20
Robbinsville 18
Mites –
Swain County 16
Jackson County 6
To view a photo gallery of this event, please follow the link below:
https://www.nc-cherokee.com/onefeather/photo-galleries/?album=28&gallery=32
