CENTRE – By his own admission, Cherokee County football coach Tripp Curry found it hard to get himself going on Wednesday morning.

He wasn’t sick or tired, but he did have five good reasons for feeling the way he did.

That’s the number of his seniors who put pen to paper on National Signing Day, which officially ended their high school football careers and turned the page to a new chapter in their football lives.

Among them was Alabama’s 2009 Mr. Football, quarterback Coty Blanchard.

Blanchard, along with receiver Gabriel Chambers, signed their letters of intent with Jacksonville State University. Defensive back Desmond Brown signed his declaration for Clemson, while linebackers Caleb Crane and Daniel Miller both signed on with Shorter College.

All five athletes signed together at a ceremony in the Warrior football field house.

“It’s a great time, but it’s a sad time because now you know that is the final chapter – them signing and moving on and playing for another coach,” Curry said. “I’m happy for them.

“This is just a testament of a good football team. I really believe these guys will not only make it athletically, but I think they’ll make it academically. That’s saying a lot for Cherokee County High School.”

The numbers backed up why several colleges and universities were touting this decorated group. All were vital parts for a Warrior team that posted the only 15-0 record in 2009, culminating with a Class 4A state championship victory over Jackson at the University of Alabama’s Bryant-Denny Stadium in early December.

Blanchard completed 200 of 289 passes for 2,916 yards and 35 touchdowns. He also led the Warriors with 1,161 rushing yards on 151 carries with 20 touchdowns.

Blanchard, who’s father Fran was a standout receiver for the Gamecocks in the 1980s, said he’s ready to begin his collegiate athletic endeavors – not just in football, but in baseball as well.

Blanchard decommitted to play baseball at Mississippi State back in November and opted to become a two-sport athlete with the Gamecocks.

“It’s going to be a challenge, and I’m willing to accept that challenge,” Blanchard said of playing two sports. “It’s definitely a great fit. I’ve got a lot of resources to talk to about it. It’s close to home. I’ve been there my whole life. I know it like my home. I think it’s going to be great for me and Gabriel going up there. I think we made the right decision.”

Chambers agreed. He decommitted to Arkansas State to join Blanchard at JSU.

“Me and Coty played tee-ball together, and we’ve always been there for each other,” Chambers said. “We’ve still got that relationship, and we’re going to take that to Jacksonville State and hopefully help them win a national championship.”

Like Blanchard, the talented receiver has family connections to Jacksonville State in cousins Damion Chambers and Maurice Dupree.

In fact, Chambers already has a personal goal to break Dupree’s JSU receiving and special teams’ records.

“I talked to Maurice and told him ‘Get ready to take pictures with me, because I’m going to break your record.’ He said ‘Which one?’ I said all of them, and he just started laughing,” Chambers said. “He said ‘That’s good cousin, because that means two people from Centre made it.’”

Chambers led the Warriors in receiving last season. He hauled in 71 passes for 1,181 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Brown, who transferred from Model High School in Rome, Ga., his junior season, chose Clemson over offers from Arkansas, Mississippi State and Tennessee. He’s rated by Rivals.com as the nation’s No. 24 prospect at safety, a position in which he had 27 tackles and two interceptions as a senior.

Brown also saw time as a running back with the Warriors. He rushed for 571 yards on 101 carries and scored four touchdowns. Brown also caught 24 passes for 340 yards and seven scores.

He said he chose Clemson because of “the camaraderie I had with the coaches.”

“They act so genuine, and you can’t fake happiness,” Brown said. “When you’re at Clemson and around the Clemson community, you’re just happy. I’ve been to Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi State, but this is just so homely. You feel like you haven’t left home at all.

“I’m just excited about the opportunity to play at Clemson. Eighteen months ago, I never would have pictured this. I’m just excited about the future. There’s nothing but great things ahead of me, academically and on the field.”

Crane, a Class 4A Lineman of the Year finalist as a junior, posted over 150 tackles with three sacks, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and an interception to lead the Warrior defense last season. He also saw playing time at fullback.

Crane said he also received interest from JSU, but the coaches at Shorter “make you feel like family.”

Having Miller sign there as well also helped make his decision easier.

“It’s like taking a new step now, but it’s a good feeling,” Crane said. “It’s great somebody’s going up there that I know. It won’t be like me going up there and not knowing anybody. I think it will be great up there.”

Miller said he’s excited to see what he and Crane can do on Shorter’s defense.

“Putting me and him together is going to be one heck of a linebacking corps,” Miller said. “They’ve been looking at me as an inside linebacker, and since we’ve got a 3-4 defense here, they run the same defense up there. I know I’m going to have to work hard to do everything I need to up there.”

Miller posted 43 total tackles and had a fumble recovery last season for the Warriors. He also doubled as an offensive lineman, where he graded out at 72 percent or better in eight of the Warriors’ 15 games.

Miller said Wednesday was a bittersweet day for him.

“Breaking up with your fellow teammates you’ve been with for six, seven years … it’s going to be hard without having everyone that you’ve bonded with,” he said.

A sixth Warrior is expected to sign later with West Alabama in multi-purpose back D.J. Fife.

Fife was second on the Warriors in rushing, with 1,115 yards on 132 carries with 12 touchdowns. He also caught 38 passes for 551 yards and four scores.

“Every one of these guys are going to a place they’re going to be able to play, and play early,” Curry said. “That’s the thing about going to college. You want to go some place where you can play early. They’re excited about that, and they should be.”