Cherokee Eagles hold fundraiser
By Dennis Horne Sports Writer

DENNIS HORNE/Sentinel photo Members of the Cherokee County Eagles pull raffle tickets from a signed helmut.

The Cherokee County Eagles held a fundraiser on Saturday afternoon at Konehete Park. At first, the weather didn't cooperate but it quickly cleared up to be a fairly nice afternoon.

Families showed up in support of their sons, fathers, and husbands. A few fans also showed up.

Player #21 Adrian Austin was on hand to speak up for these newly charged gridiron warriors.

Expressing excitement for this first season, he said, "We really have a lot of camaraderie here, I feel like we've been blessed to have this opportunity to do what we love.

The Eagles will play their first game away in Atlanta against the "Atlanta Prime" on August 11. Andrews is the hopeful town hosting the team's home games. Player/Coach Nathan O'Neal expects a good crowd to come out in support of their county's team. Nathan has brought on board Coach Ronnie Townsend, who led his former high school team to a couple of state championships in Florida. "This will give me more time to concentrate on my performance on the field, "Nathan said.

DENNIS HORNE/Sentinel photos A signed football, left, was raffled off during the cookout held Saturday at Konehete Park. The Cherokee Eagles, right, are the area's new semi-pro football team. The team's first game is August 11 in Atlanta.

Most of the players have to get up in the morning and go to their day jobs and get to practice in the evening. "It's a little hard to juggle for some of these guys but they seem to look forward to getting on the field," said Nathan.

"This has been rewarding for me to see the fire in these guy's eyes, They really have been working hard at this."

Former Murphy Bulldog, #84 Corey Stalcup, is a possible future college candidate, and among others on the team, could be watched by scouts during the upcoming games.

A raffle was held and a signed football, a tee shirt and an autographed helmut was given away.

The cheerleaders for the Eagles are holding try-outs at the Andrews High School gym on August 4th from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on August 5th from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

DENNIS HORNE/Sentinel photos Far left, the lunch is enjoyed. Left, food is dished out. Right, a team member holds a football to be raffled off.