Hall County is home to some of North Georgia’s fiercest rivalries. From the Battle of Oakwood to the Flowery Branch-Gainesville rivalry, the county routinely produces some of the biggest and most entertaining games of the year.

One of the newest rivalries in the state is North Hall and Cherokee Bluff. With the Flowery Branch-Gainesville, Gainesville-North Hall and Flowery Branch-North Hall rivalries suspended due to regional realignment, the Cherokee Bluff-North Hall rivalry has become the most impactful in the county.

The team first met in 2018 when Cherokee Bluff opened the schedule. Since then, they have played each other six times, with North Hall leading the series 4-2. While the first three games of the series were all lopsided, with no game decided by less than 17 points, the last three came down to the wire, with a combined 14 points. North Hall is currently on a two-game winning streak that Cherokee Bluff is looking to break.

Cherokee Bluff is experiencing a rebound after the down years of 2022 and 2023.

Under freshman starter Brooks Brien, the team is throwing the ball like never before. Throughout the school’s history, the Bears have been a ground attack; this season, however, the offense has seen the most dominant passing attack in school history. Brien has thrown for 455 yards and five touchdowns while completing 62 percent of his passes through the first two games of the season. Behind him in the backfield are Jackson Pirkle and Connor Griffin, both of whom have shown they can complement the passing game as rushers and receivers out of the backfield.

North Hall has undergone an offensive revolution under third-year head coach Sean Pender. Pender modernized the Trojan offense when he arrived in 2021, switching from the familiar wing-T to a modern spread offense. Behind the duo of Smith McGarvey and Alex Schlieman, who combined to go 21 of 31 for 248 yards in their first game against Wesleyan, the team has flourished. In that game, sophomore wide receiver Cole Cable had his breakout performance, catching six passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Paired with Luke Jenkins, who had 100 yards, they will be a tough pair for a secondary to stop.

Cherokee Bluff’s defense has consistently been one of the best in the state in recent years. Three of the last four years, the Bears have allowed fewer than 20 points per game and fewer than 18 PPG total in that time. The team will be led by fourth-year starting linebacker Connor Griffin, who has made the all-region team in back-to-back years. Along with him, Ryan Ackerman, Landon Kemp and KT Thompson will anchor the team’s linebacker and defensive back units, which will make it difficult for the dominant Trojan passing attack to succeed.

North Hall is led on the defensive side of the ball by junior safety Walker Davis. Davis is coming off a season with 61 tackles and five PBUs. The defensive line is led by senior Charlie House. In the first game, House had three tackles while consistently pressuring the quarterback, recording three quarterback hurries. The secondary and defensive line will be crucial in making Brooks Brien uncomfortable and allowing North Hall to come out of the game with a win.