State of the Program ... Cherokee (GA)
Cherokee (GA)
Head Coach: Nathan Oertley (3rd year as Cherokee’s Head Coach)
Staff: O’Bryan Shelley, Nick Watson, Mark Knaggs
Cherokee was far from a one man wrecking crew a year ago, but it would be remiss to not mention how important Jacob Silka was to the Cherokee team (for the last four years). Silka was an absolute hammer - a 2x State Champ (and I believe a 2x Runner-up). Silka wasn’t the only hammer Cherokee lost from last year’s top 20 team … Lain Watson also qualified for (and won matches) in Macon a year ago.
This will be a much younger squad than Cherokee has had in the past, but they have a core in Javon Hobson, Colt Daniel, and Devin Mays to lead the way. Hobson, Daniel, and Mays each qualified a year ago and will look to climb onto the podium in 2023. Cherokee will also look for Christian Tabb, Braden Iovino, and Tristan Blackburn to make an impact in 2022-23. Keep an eye on some new faces to make their mark this season.
“The Young Cherokee Wrestling Warriors are preparing for a War this year! While losing a few star seniors (Jacob Silka and Lain Watson), we are looking forward to the growth of several of our young wrestlers!”
NOTE: All mentions of placers and qualifiers in the body are based on the 2021-22 season. If a wrestler placed higher or lower in a previous year it is not captured above.