High School

Cherokee Braves Set 2025 Football Schedule, Move to 2-A in NCHSAA Realignment

After a second-round playoff run in 2024, Cherokee transitions into a new 1A/2A super conference as part of North Carolina’s expanded eight-class system
Mike Duprez|
The Cherokee Braves are set to challenge a new classification in 2025.
The Cherokee Braves are set to challenge a new classification in 2025. | Cherokee Braves Football

Cherokee has set its 2025 football schedule as the Braves take a different path due to the most recent NCHSAA realignment in North Carolina.

The NCHSAA doubled the number of classifications from four to eight. As a result, Cherokee is moving up from 1-A to 2-A. The Braves are coming off a 7-5 season that saw them reach the second round of the state playoffs.

Realignment also means Cherokee is now part of a split 1-A/2-A super conference that has 12 schools. Joining the Braves will be Andrews (1-A), Blue Ridge Early College (1-A), Highlands (1-A), Hiwassee Dam (1-A), Nantahala (1-A), Robbinsville (1-A), Rosman (1-A), Summit Charter (1-A), Tri-County Early College (1-A), Hayesville (2-A), Murphy (2-A) and Swain County (2-A). Hiwassee Dam, Nantahala, Summit Charter, Blue Ridge Early College, Tri-County Early College and Highlands don’t have football teams. 

Murphy, Robbinsville, Hayesville, Andrews, and Swain County were all in the Smoky Mountain 1-A Conference the last four years, so it will be the same conference for football going forward other than the split classifications.

Here is the schedule:

Aug. 22 – North Buncombe

Aug. 29 – Tuscola

Sept. 5 – at Choctaw Central (Mississippi)

Sept. 12 – at Enka

Sept. 19 – Rosman

Sept. 26 – Murphy

Oct. 3 – at Hayesville

Oct. 17 – at Swain County

Oct. 24 – at Andrews

Oct. 31 - Robbinsville

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Mike Duprez
MIKE DUPREZ

Mike Duprez became a freelance sports journalist for Scorebooklive.com several months after retiring from the newspaper business. A native of Oakland, California, Duprez moved around as a child due to his father’s service in the United States Marine Corps. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1981. Duprez, who lives in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, had 30 years of experience in newspapers as well as other endeavors before retiring at the end of 2021. He covers stories in both North Carolina and South Carolina for Scorebooklive.com.

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