Thursday, November 12, 2026
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Cherryville, NC (WNN) - The Cherryville Ironmen will head to the mountains of Sparta, NC, for a second-round playoff matchup at Alleghany High School on Friday, November 13, 2026. The number five seed, Alleghany Trojans, were idle last week after earning a first-round bye. Cherryville, the number twelve seed, is coming off a dominating 63-0 performance at home against Elkin High School. This time of year is what many refer to as the second season, or the real season. Each game matters; simply put, you win, you advance; if you lose, your season is over. Each round, the competition potentially gets tougher as fewer teams remain in contention for the coveted state championship.
The Trojans finished 5th in the Mountain Valley 2A/3A/4A Conference with a 4-3 record and have an overall record of 7-3. This is the same conference as last week’s opponent, Elkin. Obviously, they have a common opponent in the Buckin’ Elks of Elkin High School. Alleghany defeated Elkin 42-0 in the regular season finale, and Cherryville defeated Elkin 63-0 in the opening round of the playoffs. Both teams enter the contest with two-game winning streaks. The Mountain Valley Conference consists mostly of run-heavy offenses, whereas the Southern Piedmont Conference has more teams with balanced attacks and high-powered offenses. Alleghany has only faced one opponent with a similar offensive makeup as Cherryville.
The Trojans have 983 yards passing for 10 touchdowns and 1,741 yards rushing for 25 touchdowns; they have fumbled 5 times and lost all 5. They have averaged 272.4 total yards and 26.3 points per game, while allowing 15.1 points per game. The defense has averaged 48.9 tackles per game and 1.2 sacks per game.
The Ironmen are 7-4 as they enter the second round. Cherryville has passed for 2141 yards and 25 touchdowns and rushed for 2155 yards and 34 touchdowns. They have averaged 390.5 total yards per game, 39.4 points per game, and allowed 27.3 per game. The defense averages 48.9 tackles and 1.2 sacks per game.
Key players for the Trojans include quarterback Connor Ramirez, who has thrown for 983 yards, 10 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, and a QB rating of 104.3 in the regular season. He also has 171 yards rushing and 5 touchdowns on the ground. Aiden Love is the leading rusher with 603 yards and 9 touchdowns, followed by Javon Galyean rushing for 514 yards
and 6 touchdowns. Top receivers are Christian Carrillo with 447 yards and 4 touchdowns, followed by Lance Shatley’s 294 yards and 3 touchdowns. Aiden Love is also strong on defense, as he is the leading tackler, averaging 6.5 tackles per game, with Kade Parlier close behind at 6 per game.
Jayden Adams directs the Ironmen offense at quarterback with 2141 yards passing, 25 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions, with a QB rating of 121.7, and adds 256 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground. The running attack features Jackson Heavner with 1138 yards and 12 touchdowns, complemented by JJ McElhaney with 524 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. Adding to the explosive offense is Enijahe Whitworth with 594 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, followed very closely by Elijah Proctor’s 584 yards and 9 touchdowns. Defensively, Landry Pruitt is the leading tackler with 78 total tackles, and Maddox Carrigan adds a total of 71 tackles.
Last week’s victory tied the Ironmen for the most wins in a season in the modern NCHSAA era with 7; a win Friday night would set a new single-season win mark in the modern era at 8. The all-time most wins was set by the 1953 Ironmen with a record of 11-1. It would also advance them to the third round of the playoffs, tying the modern-era (1972-present, when the NCHSAA began) record set by the 2006 team. Cherryville has one state football championship; one they share with Lexington from the 1934 season.
Several players are having breakout seasons and closing in on etching their names into the record books as well. Jackson Heavner, although having missed several games due to obligations to the U.S. Army and minor injuries, is 263 yards away from breaking the single-season rushing record of 1400 yards set in 2018 by Jayden Blanton. Jayden Adams has a shot at several single-season records and is moving up the all-time list in several categories as well. The junior quarterback needs 162 yards to set a new single-season passing record, previously held by Grant Henderson at 2302 yards in 2014. He is also 4 passing touchdowns away from breaking the single-season record of 28 set by Ben Lastra in 2003. Adams is currently 4th all-time in career passing yards and would move up to number two with 106 more yards. He is also 4th in career passing touchdowns at 36, will move to number 2 with 3 more, and needs 11 more to set a new school record. These records will be unofficial until verified by school and NCHSAA officials after the end of the season.
Individual and team records are nice; however, the only record that the Ironmen are concerned about right now is the wins and losses. Their goal is to add 5 more wins and a state championship, and that requires focusing on one game at a time. The current week is the only one that matters; if they don’t take care of business each week, the season ends.
Both teams are similar in some areas, such as weight and height, as well as the number of healthy players. The weather is forecast to be much colder than any game Cherryville has played this season, with kickoff temperatures right at freezing. This is an advantage for Alleghany, as they are more accustomed to the cooler temperatures and to playing at home. Most every other area is an advantage to the Ironmen. They are a faster team with a more explosive, balanced attack, and playing on turf should increase the speed of the running backs and wide receivers. Cherryville also plays in one of the strongest conferences in the state. They are more battle-tested, having played more playoff-caliber teams throughout the season. None of those things guarantee a win; both teams still have to line up and execute their game plans. This is the playoffs, and with the season on the line each week, anyone can beat anyone else.
The Trojans will need to win the battle up front to slow down the quick strike offense of the Ironmen. Cherryville is an extremely fast team, and the best way to counter that is to close the running lanes and put pressure on quarterback Jayden Adams. Alleghany has had success stopping the run this season. Still, Cherryville is just as dangerous passing the ball, so again being more physical and winning the line of scrimmage is crucial. The Ironmen have been good against the run as well; they have given up some long passing plays, yet the Trojans are more run-heavy. Cherryville will need to win the battle up front to contain Alleghany’s run game and force them to pass. Whichever team can control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and commit fewer penalties will have a distinct advantage. If Alleghany loses that battle, it could be a long night. If Cherryville loses that battle, it could mean the end of the season.
This game is in the mountains, and it is going to be colder than recent weather, with game-time temperatures around 32 degrees and a wind chill of 19 degrees. Temps are supposed to remain steady but could dip into the high 20s before the game ends. The chance of snow flurries is for predawn and early afternoon. All precipitation is forecasted to be out of the area well before game time. Bundle up if you plan to attend, and although kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., games sometimes begin a few minutes early.
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