CENTRE – Cherokee County’s football opponents have found it hard to keep up with them on the scoreboard this season.

On Friday night, the Jacksonville Golden Eagles had an added bonus in their hopes of keeping the score manageable: Mother Nature.

Rain throughout the night slowed the pace of the game down, but the Class 4A, No. 2 Warriors still managed to rack up 439 yards worth of offense in a 24-12 victory.

“We had a lot of yards, but we just didn’t finish on some drives,” Cherokee County coach Tripp Curry said. “We didn’t capitalize on some things we needed to capitalize on. They tried to take the pass away, but Coty (Blanchard) still had a great night.”

Blanchard, who was named to the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic on Thursday, completed 12-of-21 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 85 yards on 10 carries and scored another touchdown to lead the Warriors (7-0, 5-0 Region 6) in the victory.

But, it was D.J. Fife who got the Warriors rolling early. He scored Cherokee County’s first touchdown on a 2-yard run in the first quarter to help put the Warriors in front 7-0.

Fife led the Warrior ground attack with 101 yards on 14 carries with a score. He also had four catches for 35 yards. Desmond Brown added 71 yards on nine carries.

Jacksonville (5-2, 3-2) countered with a 9-yard touchdown run from quarterback Jackson Pearson in the second quarter. The Golden Eagles failed to make the extra point, keeping the Warriors in front 7-6.

Blanchard accounted for his first touchdown of the night on a 13-yard pass to Gabriel Chambers later in the quarter. Isaac Jones added the extra point for a 14-6 Warrior lead at the half.

Chambers finished with three receptions for 73 yards and a score.

Blanchard got the Warriors rolling in the third with a 52-yard touchdown run. Jones’ extra point made it 21-6.

Jacksonville tightened the game with a 49-yard touchdown run from Coryell Elston to open the fourth-quarter scoring. Elston’s score made it 21-12 in favor of Cherokee County.

Elston rushed for 65 yards on just four carries with a touchdown. Cordero Little led the Golden Eagle ground game with 76 yards on 17 carries.

Jones added a 25-yard field goal for the Warriors to cap the night’s scoring.

The win almost assures the Warriors of their second straight region title. With two region games left, the Warriors have the tiebreaker over second-place Oneonta (6-1, 4-1) in their head-to-head matchup.

Cherokee County travels to Locust Fork next Friday and finishes region play at home against Ashville on Oct. 23.

Oneonta’s next two region opponents are Alexandria and St. Clair County.

“The thing for us now is staying focused,” Curry said. “We never really set goals. We just want to do the right thing and be perfect on every play, and at the end of the season let the chips fall where they may.”