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The 2016 Cherokee County Warrior football team dealt with all of those scenarios, and they made the most of what was thrown at them.

Before the season even began, expectations were high for the Warriors. With a boatload of talent returning, comparisons to the 2009 Class 4A state championship team were abundant.

But that sparkle began to fade after the Warriors lost their first two games of the season.

“I really think we woke up after that,� junior linebacker Riley Russell said of the preseason hype. “We started realizing it wasn’t going to be easy. We knew we were a great team, but we knew we’d have to play ball for us to win.�

“A lot of our guys kind of got caught up in that,� junior quarterback Tyren Dupree said. “After those two losses, we just decided to start playing for ourselves, stop worrying about the 2009 team, stop worrying about what everybody else was expecting of us and just play like we know how to play. That helped us out. It kind of settled us down a little bit.�

As Russell and Dupree suggest, waking up and settling down might be a bit of understatements to what the Warriors wound up accomplishing. They reeled off 10 consecutive wins, earning the Class 4A, Region 5 championship and a state playoff berth along the way.

The momentum the Warriors built carried them into the third round of the playoffs, but they ran into a similarly rejuvenated team in the Hokes Bluff Eagles, who ended Cherokee CountyÐÔÊӽ紫ý season at 10-3.

Russell and Dupree were two of the catalysts for the Warrior turnaround. Russell wreaked havoc on opposing offenses by accumulating 144 total tackles, including 15 for lost yards with 11 sacks, five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions.

Dupree delivered 1,615 passing yards and 16 touchdowns. He also ran for 1,350 yards and 20 scores.

For their efforts, Russell earns The Cherokee County HeraldÐÔÊӽ紫ý All-County Defensive Player of the Year, while Dupree claims the All-County Offensive Player of the Year honor. Warrior head coach Tripp Curry is The HeraldÐÔÊӽ紫ý choice for All-County Coach of the Year.

All three Warriors are humbled by their honors.

“I probably wouldn’t have this if I didn’t have such a good team around me,� Russell said. “The other players on our defense really helped me out by doing their job. They really helped me to run free and just go play ball. Nobody was touching me blocking-wise, so it made it a whole lot easier for me.�

Like Russell, Dupree credits his teammates for his honor.

“ItÐÔÊӽ紫ý not about individual play. ItÐÔÊӽ紫ý the athletes I have around me,â€� Dupree said. “I was just blessed to be a part of a great team. I had a great offensive line. They were kind of undersized at times, but they learned their blocking schemes and did whatever they could to help our offense. I was also surrounded by a bunch of athletes. We were all just one out there. I’d really like to share this (honor) with all of them. I couldn’t have won the offensive MVP without them. ItÐÔÊӽ紫ý more of a team award to me than an individual one.â€�

Curry said both Russell and Dupree are deserving of their honors.

“They’re good kids. They’re humble. They’re modest. They realize itÐÔÊӽ紫ý not a one-man show,â€� Curry said. “They realize there are other good players out there with them who helped them make big plays.

“Riley was really dominant on defense. I don’t think we played anyone who was close to him, as far as our region goes. Tyren is just Tyren. He just makes play after play. HeÐÔÊӽ紫ý one of those guys when you’ve got to have a play, heÐÔÊӽ紫ý the guy to go to.â€�

Curry also remarked on just how tough his Player of Year duo is.

“Early in RileyÐÔÊӽ紫ý career, he broke his collarbone, and heÐÔÊӽ紫ý done some other things where heÐÔÊӽ紫ý had to sit out, but this year he was 100 percent and ready to go. He showed it out there too. HeÐÔÊӽ紫ý something special.

“When Tyren broke his ankle (against Hokes Bluff in the third round), heÐÔÊӽ紫ý handled it the best I’ve ever seen. We always talk about laying things out on the field. Tyren would not lay down on that field. He demanded he get up and get off that field, and thatÐÔÊӽ紫ý what he did. When you break a bone, thatÐÔÊӽ紫ý not easy to recover from. You can be the tough guy all you want, but when you actually do it, it speaks volumes of what kind of kid he is. They’re both the definition of a Warrior.â€�

As for CurryÐÔÊӽ紫ý honor, he said heÐÔÊӽ紫ý proud of it because it signifies the Warriors are ‘getting back to the level we want to be.’

“That speaks to how good this football team really was,â€� he said. “ItÐÔÊӽ紫ý never been about I. ItÐÔÊӽ紫ý about we. The awards are great, but they really speak to how good our program is, and I’m tickled to death about that.â€�

Joining Russell, Dupree and Curry from the Warriors on the All-Cherokee County Football Team is Jacob Graves, Kyle Horton, Will McKinney, John Bannister, Dawson Foshee, Zach Fife, Terry Stephens, Quartez Henderson, Caleb Ransum, Chris Roden, Mason Rodgers, Gunnar Gable and James Sewell.

Warrior honorable mentions are Kevin Harp, Kaleb Gravett, Colin Brewer and Sidney Perry.

Class 1A, Region 6 champion Cedar Bluff (8-4) earned 10 selections, including Seth Bishop, Ivory Starr, Ross Johnson, Jonathon Shinn, Derick Pearsey, Davion Fife, Dylan Oglesby, Ethan Teague, Isaiha Jones and Tray McMeekin.

Tiger honorable mentions are Lucas Tracy, Bailey Agan, Dalton Richardson, Anthony Dingler and Thomas Wirtzfeld.

Class 1A, Region 6 runner-up Spring Garden (10-2) earned eight selections, including Ben Ivey, Dakota Lambert, Quintin Downey, Taylor Hardin, Christian Crider, PJay Smith, Hunter McCord and Draevan Bowman.

Panther honorable mentions are Jacob Molock and Dylan Rogers.

Class 2A, Region 6 runner-up Sand Rock (9-3) has nine selections, including Bradon Carver, Race Clausen, Josh Sarratt, Charley Cleaver, Jansen Alexander, Carson Carver, Gabe Daniel, Tony Gentry and Trey Gowens.

Wildcat honorable mentions are Cade Clark, Brett Jackson and Brett Lawless.

Landon Lawson and Will Smith represent the Gaylesville Trojans (3-7). Keith McGraw, Joseph Lewis and Michael Milligan are the Trojans’ honorable mentions.