HSHUDDLE

Braves deliver Cherokee nation its 1st state football title

David Thompson
The Citizen-Times

RALEIGH - They did it for a nation.

With a 21-13 win Saturday over North Duplin at Carter-Finley Stadium, Cherokee won the school's first state football championship and finished a dream season for a community longing for a title.

The Cherokee crowd celebrated in the stands as snow fell on their faces, mixing with tears of joy. Their team had earned the respect they'd always longed for.

"This means so much to so many people," said coach Kent Briggs, who has been battling thyroid and prostate cancer throughout the season. "No matter what happened, our kids stuck together. We said before the game, this would be something we would remember forever."

After the game, senior quarterback and defensive back Tye Mintz was named most valuable player after scoring two of Cherokee's three offensive touchdowns and finishing with a game-high 13 tackles and an interception. 

His 51-yard run in the first minute of the fourth quarter broke a 7-7 tie and turned the tide for an offensive that struggled in the first half. 

North Duplin attempted a fake punt on their next possession deep in their own territory that was stopped by the Braves. Two plays later, Isaiah Evans scored on an 11-yard run to give his team a 21-7 lead after Mintz converted the two-point conversion.

Cherokee head coach and the rest of the Braves cheer while taking a group photo after defeating North Duplin 21-13 to win the NCHSAA 1A State Champion title at Carter-Finley Stadium at NC State University in Raleigh on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017.

The celebration was on.

More:Tye Mintz finishes storied Cherokee career as a champion

"I think at that point we knew the game was ours, but we knew we still had to make some stops," Mintz said.

North Duplin cut the score to 21-13 with 2:42 left in the game after a three-yard run from Kenny Sheppard, but after using all three timeouts on the drive, the Rebels never saw the ball again on offense. Bobby Crowe recovered the onside kick for Cherokee and the offense ran out the clock.

Cherokee senior Holden Straughan takes down North Duplin quarterback William Archer in the backfield during the NCHSAA 1A State Championship game at Carter-Finley Stadium at NC State University in Raleigh on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017. The Braves defeated the Rebels 21-13 to win the state title.

The Rebels' high-powered run offense was held well under their 320-yard rushing average by the Braves' defense. Cherokee senior Zak Perez was named the defensive MVP after the win.

"They were a hard team to stop, but we made stops when we had to," said Perez, who finished with 13 tackles. "I wanted this so bad for our community, our coach, this team. It's amazing."

Cherokee trailed 7-0 at halftime after North Duplin quarterback William Archer - later named the East's offensive player of the game - scored on an 11-yard run with 52 seconds left in the first quarter.

A combination of rain and snow created five total fumbles for both teams in the first half as the Braves were held to 109 yards at halftime. 

Cherokee junior Isaiah Evans makes his way around the North Duplin defense during the NCHSAA 1A State Championship game at Carter-Finley Stadium at NC State University in Raleigh on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017. The Braves defeated the Rebels 21-13 to win the state title.

"We knew it was going to be tough conditions coming into this game," said Mintz, who completed 6-of-13 passes for 56 yards and added 110 rushing yards on 14 attempts. "Every time we had a mistake, we got back in the huddle and tried to pick them up. It showed in the second half when we didn't quit."

On their second possession of the third quarter, Cherokee's Will Davis recovered his second fumble of the game, giving his team the ball on the Rebels' 22-yard line. The Braves marched down to the five-yard line before Mintz ran in the end zone to tie the game. 

 "As soon as we put the ball in the end zone, we were a different team," said Briggs, who embraced his family outside the locker room after the win. "We knew we could do it."

Fans waited for the team to emerge out of the locker room after the win. The celebration had already begun. It will continue all the way back to Cherokee.

"I just feel so blessed to be apart of it," Briggs said. 

Cherokee senior Holden Straughan looks at the championship trophy after the Braves defeated North Duplin 21-13 to win the NCHSAA 1A State Champion title at Carter-Finley Stadium at NC State University in Raleigh on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017.