Madison Academy running back Kenyon Cherry has been voted the ITG Next Alabama Male Athlete of the Month for December 2023, receiving 42.72% of the possible votes over three additional finalists. Alongside Cherry, those finalists were Elba running back Alvin Henderson, Central-Phenix City quarterback Andrew Alford, and Saint James quarterback KJ Jackson.
It’s clear the impact Cherry, a Madison Academy senior, had toward his team’s playoff run to the Class 3A state title game. In a 47-7 blowout win over Westminster Christian on November 3 – the Mustangs’ final game before the playoffs – Cherry turned in one of his top performances of the season, rushing for 223 yards and 4 touchdowns on 18 attempts, while also catching 3 passes for 55 yards.
When the Mustangs moved on to the 3A state playoffs, Cherry announced his presence immediately in a 57-20 win over Hokes Bluff. He rushed for 201 yards and 2 touchdowns on 11 carries in the first-round contest, setting up a showdown with a talented Mars Hill Bible team in the second round.
In a 21-14 win for the Mustangs, Cherry again made a big impact, rushing for 231 yards and 2 touchdowns on 20 attempts. He would then help book the Mustangs’ trip to the 3A state semifinals by rushing for 165 yards and 3 touchdowns on 14 attempts in a 35-28 win over Sylvania the next week. His heroics included a touchdown late in the contest to help Madison Academy claim the win.
For the month, Cherry rushed for 820 yards and 11 touchdowns on 63 carries. He topped 200 yards in three of the four games and averaged 13 yards per carry. During December, Cherry continued his stellar play as he helped lead Madison Academy to a Class 3A state runner-up finish and a final ranking of No. 6 in our Classes 1A-3A Top-25. For the season, he rushed for 2,500+ yards and 40 touchdowns to rank among the state’s leaders, and he averaged 10+ YPC.
Congratulations to Madison Academy’s Kenyon Cherry, the December 2023 ITG Next Alabama Male Athlete of the Month.
