Two words describe Mound Westonka’s Isaiah Cherrier. Big time.
The junior’s Twitter bio is a quote by Santana Moss from his days playing at the University of Miami: “Big-time players make big-time plays in big games.”
The quote has been Cherrier’s mantra this season, and he lived up to it by making the biggest play of his career in the White Hawks' biggest game of the season.
“I saw their receiver coming in and he [Patriots quarterback Quentin Skinner] was eyeing him down the whole time,” Cherrier said, describing his third-quarter pick-6 that helped lift Mound Westonka over Minneapolis Patrick Henry 28-6 on Saturday in Twin City Red subdistrict play. “I started backing up to make it look like he was open, and once he released, I played the ball and picked it off and took it all the way in.”
Both teams entered the game undefeated on the season and tied atop the subdistrict standings.
Cherrier acts as the White Hawks' utility knife, playing running back, free safety and returning kicks.
“Two 5-0 teams, I know my team is going to need me. It [the quote] was running through my head on that pick-6. I knew we needed a touchdown to close the game,” he said.
Cherrier’s touchdown helped clinched a share of the subdistrict title for Mound Westonka (6-0), ending a 40-year league championship drought that dates back to 1975.
“It feels amazing. We’re going to go back home now, our friends are waiting for us. And when we get back to school on Monday, we have a pep fest because it’s homecoming week,” he said. “The crowd’s with us and the community's behind us.”
Hardened by a 10-year stay in the Wright County Conference where the White Hawks never finished with a winning record, Mound Westonka has found a new identity this season as one of Class 4A’s stingiest defenses having allowed only two touchdowns. The White Hawks are ranked No. 8 in Class 4A in the latest Associated Press state high school football poll.
“I would argue the Wright County is one of the best football conferences in the state,” Mound Westonka coach Nick David said. “Though we weren’t super successful in the 10 years we were in it, it made us a better program because of the speed and physicality that the conference had.
“Moving to a different district, playing different teams, we see we’re a much more physical team because of it.”
David is confident this year’s team could compete in the league had the move to district scheduling not occurred.
“If we were in the Wright County with this group of kids, I think we’d be a pretty darn good team as well,” he said.
In his third year as head coach, David has watched his squad develop since many players were underclassmen.
“They’ve just bought into our system three years ago,” he said. “We‘re very intelligent and can run multiple fronts and up to eight or nine different coverages. They’re smart, they understand how things work, and they execute really well.”
As a freshman, Cherrier showed he was one of those players who would make an instant impact. He’s started each year under David, who saw Cherrier's potential three years ago before his first varsity two-a-day practice.
“We could tell then he was a little bit different as a freshman from a mental standpoint with understanding how every works,” David said. “We knew right then it would be pretty nice having him for four years.”
Mound Westonka's Isaiah Cherrier (20) tries to run out of a tackle in the White Hawks' win at Patrick Henry on Saturday. Cherrier's third-quarter pick-6 helped seal a 28-6 victory. Photo by Drew Herron
First Report
Junior Isaiah Cherrier’s 60-yard interception return for a touchdown in the second half solidified Mound Westonka's 28-6 victory over the previously undefeated Patriots Saturday afternoon at Minneapolis Patrick Henry High School.
The White Hawks (6-0), ranked No. 8 in Class 4A in the latest Associated Press poll, clinched a share of the Twin Cities Red subdistrict title following the win, its first league championship since 1975.
Neither offense could get going in the opening quarter until Mound Westonka junior quarterback Brennen Boroughs connected with senior receiver Bailey Jensen on a 40-yard touchdown strike with 33 seconds left. The White Hawks capped their following offensive drive with a 10-yard TD run by Cherrier.
Both teams traded touchdowns in the latter minutes of the first half, but Cherrier was stopped short of a TD on the final play of the second quarter and Mound Westonka headed into halftime leading 20-6.
The White Hawks squibbed the second-half kickoff and Jensen recovered the ball on the Patriots' 28-yard line. Patrick Henry made a stop on fourth-and-3, taking over possession on their own 6-yard line.
Patriots junior quarterback Quentin Skinner completed 4 of 5 passes as Patrick Henry (5-1) marched across midfield. Skinner targeted his receiver on an inside cross, but Cherrier sniffed out the play and jumped the lane, resulting in his crucial defensive TD that put the White Hawks ahead by 20.
On the ensuing drive, Skinner fell to the ground with an injured hamstring and didn't return to the game. His departure allowed the Mound Westonka defense to neutralize the Patriots’ run game. The White Hawks defense has allowed just two touchdowns all season, outscoring their foes 219-13.
Boroughs completed 8 of 16 passes for 127 yards, while Cherrier totaled 110 all-purpose yards in the game.
