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That seems to be working out quite nicely for the Warriors.

All 12 players scored at least two points Tuesday night against Class 4A, Area 12 rival Jacksonville in a 60-32 victory.

Chris Roden led the Warriors (2-0, 1-0) with 12 points, five rebounds and four steals. Quartez Henderson added 11 points, four boards, three steals and an assist. Kyle Burgess, Colin Edwards and Zae Wright each contributed six points. Josh Dobbs finished with five points.

“We feel like we’ve got a lot of depth, a lot of kids who can go in and contribute,� Coach Wester said. “We still have some parts and pieces that we’re still trying to put together, but we feel like we’ve got a deep team. I thought everybody made a good contribution and did their job.�

Coach Wester was particularly impressed with the performance the Warriors turned in during the second and fourth quarters. They broke open a 15-13 first-quarter lead by going on a 12-4 run in the second to take a 27-17 lead into halftime. Cherokee County extended its advantage to 42-29 at the end of the third quarter, then finished the game off with an 18-3 run in the fourth for the final.

“We were able to create some turnovers,� Coach Wester said. “We’re not real big, so we’re going to have to use our hustle and our work ethic to create turnovers and get us easy baskets. Our defense is going to have to generate offense for us, and I thought our kids really hustled tonight. I think our depth really got to them in the second and fourth quarters.�

Alex Davis led the Golden Eagles (2-3, 0-1) with 10 points and eight boards. Rivan Hill had five points and eight rebounds. DeAndre McCain finished with five points, three boards and an assist.

“ItÐÔÊӽ紫ý been a really good start for us,â€� said Wester, whose Warriors squeaked out a 61-58 victory at Glencoe in their season opener on Friday. “We’ve got some new guys and they’re just beginning to really figure out how to play the game with each other. ItÐÔÊӽ紫ý been a good start, but I do see a lot of room for improvement. I think our guys will keep working hard. I think we’ve got a chance playing in a tough area.â€�

Girls

Cherokee County 56, Jacksonville 44

CENTRE – Two years removed from a seven-win basketball season, the Cherokee County Lady Warriors seem to put their growing pains behind them.

In their home opener on Tuesday against Class 4A, Area 12 rival Jacksonville, the Lady Warriors improved to 5-0 with a 56-44 victory.

Crimson Mahannah sparked the Lady Warriors with 19 points, seven rebounds and four steals. Emily Williams contributed nine points. Coley Battles tallied eight points and eight boards. Kendal Perry posted seven points and Jensen Alexander finished with six points, nine rebounds and three assists.

“One of the things I feel thatÐÔÊӽ紫ý really special about this team is we’ve got several who have the potential to be the leading scorer. They’re very unselfish,â€� Lady Warrior coach Leah Nelson said. “They just want to win. ItÐÔÊӽ紫ý just nice to know we’re not a one-man show. We’re not just ‘letÐÔÊӽ紫ý give it to this player.’ ItÐÔÊӽ紫ý the beginning of what I believe is a good season.â€�

The Lady Warriors jumped out on a 13-0 run to begin the game and didn’t look back. They led 23-7 at the end of the first quarter and held a 34-15 advantage at halftime. Cherokee County held a 47-28 lead at the end of three quarters.

JacksonvilleÐÔÊӽ紫ý Kyra Williams led all scorers with 24 points. She also had eight steals, two rebounds and an assist for the Lady Golden Eagles (4-2, 0-1). Kayla Broom and Tatiyana Thomas both finished with five points.

“We’re just 5-0 right now, but itÐÔÊӽ紫ý definitely a great start,â€� Nelson said. “We’ve beaten several good teams. We beat Etowah for the first time since I’ve been coaching. We beat Southside and James Clemens, which is a 7A school. I’m just trying to keep them hungry and not be content, don’t let up and letÐÔÊӽ紫ý continue to improve every single game.â€�