By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
ONE FEATHER STAFF
The final score wasn’t the true story of the game for the Cherokee Braves this past Friday night. They didn’t win the game and didn’t advance in the State 1A playoffs, but one of their own set a mark few ever touch.
Dorian Walkingstick (left) gets a big hug from his father Chris after Friday’s game at Elkin in which the sophomore running back surpassed the 2,000 yard rushing mark on the season. (Photo courtesy of Deb Foerst)
Sophomore Dorian Walkingstick surpassed the 2,000 yard mark for the season with a superb effort on Friday in which he gained 206 yards on 21 carries and scored three TDs.
“Two thousand (2,000) yards was my goal at the beginning of the season and it was cool to pass that, but as a competitor I wanted to win all of our games,” said Walkingstick. “I will do better next year.”
As for his future plans, he says, “I’m definitely going to college. Sports are uncertain.”
Not only does Walkingstick lead his team, but he leads all western North Carolina rushers, of all school sizes and conferences, according to highschoolsports.net. On the season, Walkingstick gained a total of 2,139 yards on 308 carries, 18 TDs, and averaged an amazing 6.9 yards per carry.
“I’m very proud of Dorian,” said his father Chris Walkingstick. “He had an outstanding sophomore season. But, football is a team sport and his accomplishments this season are something the whole team can be proud of and something the Braves can build on for next year.”
As a teacher at Cherokee Middle School and a team statistician for the Braves, Debora Foerst gets to see a lot of Dorian. “It was an awesome experience to watch Dorian on the field this year. My dad and I keep stats from the sidelines for ‘away’ games, and everywhere we went, officials and members of the ‘chain gang’ commented to us what a great athlete and running back he is.”
She added, “It is doubly special for me because I also have Dorian in tenth grade English, and he is a great student as well.”
Dorian’s Yards Game-by-Game
Date Team Carries Yards
8/20 Smoky Mtn. 22 191
8/27 Wake Christ. 29 219
9/3 Towns County 32 229
9/10 Choctaw 22 131
9/17 Highland Tech 17 163
9/24 Hayesville 14 56
10/1 Murphy 38 242
10/15 Swain 24 162
10/22 Rosman 25 211
10/29 Andrews 35 154
11/5 Robbinsville 29 175
11/12 Elkin 21 206
Totals 308 2,139
