Homecoming: Peach County native Steve Cherry brings Gadsden County to Bear Brawl

The Gadsden County Jaguars were ahead by nearly 20 points but first-year head coach Steve Cherry could not get over the fact that his team was failing to pass the ball in an efficient matter. The Jaguars dominated the game from start to finish, going ahead 20-7 after the first quarter, then 40-22 at halftime and eventually would win their first round game of the Bear Brawl by 26 points over Peach County and still Cherry wanted answers, “Pass the ball, why wouldn’t you pass the ball?,” begged the coach during a stoppage in play. Cherry and his team from Havana, Florida, were in Houston County for the annual basketball tournament and for a homecoming of sorts. Cherry grew up in Peach County, played basketball, football, ran track and cross-country at Peach County High School and played in the Bear Brawl as a senior. “I don’t get a chance to come home often so when I had the opportunity to bring my team up here I couldn’t turn it down,” said Cherry following the game. 

Born in Byron, Cherry took his talents to Tallahassee Community College after leaving high school. In Florida he not only excelled at the junior college level, twice earning all-conference nods in the uber-competitive Panhandle Conference, but moved on to the Division I level at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga where he would go on to play on a Mocassins team that won a conference title earning a spot in the 2005 NCAA tournament. If anyone knows about traveling to play games in hostile gym it’s Cherry. “We want to get more exposure, some of the guys have never been out of the state to play basketball so we try to put them in an environment where it’s a fun environment where they can learn or grow,” said Cherry. “Pressure busts pipes.”

The Jaguars didn’t get an opportunity to be under too much pressure the entire night as seniors Paul Mathews (16 points), Ron Stokes (11 points) and junior center Keith Bush (16 points) had their way with the undermanned Trojans who came into the game with a 4-5 overall record. The Gadsden County defensive half-court trapping style and aggressive offense was too much for Peach County but for their alumnus it’s the perfect style of play for his team.

About his defensive philosophy Cherry said, “We want to pressure the ball and be aggressive on the ball to make teams uncomfortable,” said Cherry. “There’s two things for us, either you are comfortable or uncomfortable, and we are used to playing that style in Florida.”

Cherry began his coaching career at his alma mater, Tallahassee Community College, working as a volunteer assistant for his former coach Eddie Barnes for three years before spending three more as a member of the staff. Most recently he worked as an assistant coach at Florida State University School, a public charter school in Tallahassee, under former Florida State Seminole quarterback, point guard, Heisman Trophy winner and New York Knicks guard Charlie Ward before taking the job at Gadsden County. The experiences Cherry has had as a player and coach have helped the Jaguars (7-4 overall) find a way to win this season. “I don’t back down from challenges and this is a process for us and we want to click at the right time so I have to put my team in tough situations to know what they are made of,” said Cherry. 

Some of what the Jaguars are made of shined through when Stokes stole a Trojans pass and laid the ball in and followed that up with another basket to put his team ahead 68-38, the largest lead by any team during day one of the Bear Brawl. Senior center Machial Anderson would dunk to make the score 75-50 with less than a minute to play. The win was an overall team effort and a solid welcome home for Cherry who greeted well-wishers in the stands after the game.

 “It feels good to see family and friends,” said Cherry.