McCreary's big day leads Montgomery Catholic to first Class 4A State Championship victory
TUSCALOOSA — Mission Complete.
The Montgomery Catholic Knights defeated the Cherokee County Warriors 35-0 in the Super 7 AHSAA Class 4A State Championship on Friday at Bryant-Denny Stadium. This is the first state title in program history after winning the region title for five straight seasons.
It was a scoreless opening quarter with both teams combining for 114 yards. The defenses forced the two teams to early punts and 0-3 on third down conversions in the first quarter. Catholic got on the board first with a 3-yard touchdown from Caleb McCreary to JJ Williams.
McCreary rushed for three scores, breaking for a 66-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter putting the game out of reach from Cherokee County. In his final game under center for the Knights, McCreary finished with four touchdowns and 257 all purpose yards in earning MVP honors.
Defensive Stands
Catholic's defense matched up against a Cherokee County's offense, who was led by dynamic running back Jacob Cornejo. Catholic held Cornejo to 48 rushing yards in the first half and made it hard for him to find an opening, as his longest run went for 15 yards.
Cherokee mustered two passing attempts in the first half which resulted in an incompletion and a near sack in the back of the end zone. In the third quarter they attempted a pass on a fourth down red zone attempt which was broken up by the Knights' Rickie Williams.
Jo Pierce and Zay Rudolph commanded the Knights' defense combining for 15 tackles. Rudolph and Miles Khatri each had fourth quarter fumble recoveries, which led the team. KJ Washington and Kam Miller combined for eight solo tackles.
Third Quarter Legacy Drive
Catholic the second half with the ball but fumbled on the opening drive, giving Cherokee County brief momentum in the third. After a goalline stand on fourth down, Catholic put together a drive that sucked the life out of the Cherokee County defense.
The Knights put together a 15-play, 90-yard drive that took 6:20 off the third quarter clock as Catholic marched down the field to extend their lead to double digits after a McCreary touchdown run. Catholic finished with 235 rushing yards wearing down the Cherokee County defenders by the end of the game.
Dominant Champions
Catholic finishes the season 15-0 claiming their name as one of the state's best teams. This victory was the Knights ninth shutout victory in 2023.
Jerry Humphrey III is a sports writer for the Montgomery Advertiser who covers area high school sports, Auburn recruiting and Alabama State athletics. Follow him on Twitter @jerryhump3.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Montgomery Catholic wins first Class 4A State Championship at Super 7
