HEFLIN – Cherokee County senior quarterback Tanner Young completed 11 of 24 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for two more scores, but they weren’t enough to lead the Warriors to victory at Cleburne County on Friday.

Cherokee County fell to 0-4 on the football season with a 51-34 loss. It’s the Warriors’ first 0-4 start since 1995.

Junior running back Trey Bolton was a one-man wrecking crew for the Tigers (1-3, 1-2 Class 4A, Region 5). He rushed for 265 yards on 39 carries and scored four touchdowns (all in the second half), but it was Tiger senior tailback Blake Turner who got Cleburne County on the board first.

Turner scored on a 3-yard run for the only touchdown of the first quarter, putting the Tigers in front 7-0. He ended with 42 yards on 11 carries with two scores.

Cleburne County sophomore quarterback Brady Padgett gave the Tigers a 14-0 lead with a 1-yard run in the second quarter. He finished the game completing 9 of 12 passes for 99 yards and rushed for 39 yards on seven carries with a touchdown.

The Warriors answered with Young’s 1-yard touchdown run later in the quarter. Eric Burgess added the extra point to make it 14-7 Tigers.

Turner scored his second touchdown of the game on a 2-yard run. Tito Roblero’s extra point increased Cleburne County’s lead to 21-7 in the second quarter.

Young connected with Jacob Whitmire on a 35-yard touchdown pass for the Warriors’ next score. The point after was no good, keeping the score at 21-13 Tigers.

Junior running back Ty Green brought the Warriors even closer with his 3-yard touchdown run before the half, making the score 21-19 heading into the locker room.

Green finished with 24 yards on 13 carries with a touchdown.

Bolton took the Tigers on his shoulders in the second half, scoring the first of his four touchdowns on a 23-yard run to open the third-quarter scoring. Roblero’s kick made it 28-19 in favor of Cleburne County.

But the Warriors battled back with Young’s 6-yard touchdown run. Burgess’s kick brought the Warriors back within two points at 28-26.

A Tiger safety pushed Cleburne County’s lead to 30-26. Bolton scored the next two Tiger touchdowns on runs of 20 and 5 yards to give Cleburne County a 44-26 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Whitmire cut that lead to 44-33 with an 85-yard kick return for a score, but Bolton put the game away with a 1-yard run late in the fourth for the final.

Junior receiver Wade Griffith was the Warriors top pass catcher, snatching five receptions for 153 yards. Senior tailback D.J. McAllister led Cherokee County’s ground game with 39 yards on six carries.

Cherokee County looks to get into the win column next Friday at home against Class 2A Ider. Cleburne County tangles with St. Clair County.