The Colts hit the mark: Coahulla Creek archery team continues first-place success

Published 8:15 am Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Looking at the performance of Coahulla Creek High School’s archery team during the 2024-25 school year, team captain Hudson Sherrets said one particular accomplishment “stuck out” more than the rest.

“I think us finishing as the No. 1 public high school in the state following the Conasauga Classic was the best moment by far,” he said. “That’s not easy, but it’s a good thing we have so many kids willing to come out and practice, work on their technique and show up every day. It doesn’t come easy, so working hard to be that No. 1 team is definitely what I’m most proud of.”

Coahulla Creek’s team of 25 archers, which includes 14 boys and 11 girls, had stellar showings in its final two tournaments of the year in March — the Mountaineer Classic on March 1 and the second annual Conasauga Classic on March 22, which were both held in Murray County.

The Colts placed first out of five teams in the Mountaineer Classic region tournament, defeating Northwest Whitfield High School, Southeast Whitfield High School, Murray County High School and North Murray High School with an overall score of 3,321 and 132 10-point scores.

During the Conasauga Classic, the Colts placed first out of seven teams, including Northwest, Southeast, Murray County, North Murray, Ringgold and Forest Park, with an overall score of 3,219 and 137 10-point scores.

In the region tournament, Keara Gay and Charles Cobb, two junior members of the team, each scored their first “perfect 50” points in the center of the target, said head coach Ambrea Walker.

“Out of all of the area high schools, they were first this year,” Walker said. “And this was our second year in a row placing as the first public high school in state competition. I am extremely proud of these students; they have worked really hard.”

Walker said there were several standout archers this year, including sophomores Madison Mooney and Mikayla Ford.

“Madison broke the school’s individual high score record this year when she scored 292 points in February,” Walker said.

The previous record of 288 points was by Ren Dempsey in 2023.

“Mikayla Ford actually tied that record earlier in the school year,” Walker said. “We were really excited when she matched that.”

Walker said she will travel with Ford and Mooney to Louisville, Kentucky, on May 9 for the 2025 U.S. Easter Nationals tournament.

“I’m taking these two girls specifically because they have a chance at a scholarship through the Georgia (Department of Natural Resources) if they score high enough in the tournament,” she said.

Of the 25 members of the Colts archery team, the top five scorers this year were Mooney with a season average of 281 points, Ford with 275 points, freshman Desmond Sherrets with 274 points and freshman Harley Hall and senior Nick McClure, who both averaged 272 points.

Walker, who served as an assistant archery coach under Terry Coker in 2022, stepped into the role of head coach for the first time this year.

Walker said helping lead Coahulla Creek’s archery program, which began during the 2016-17 school year, is a “joy.”

“When the team comes in to practice or a tournament, they get right to work,” she said.

Also a coach for North Whitfield Middle School’s archery team, Walker said members of the Coahulla Creek team are “quick to help” younger archers.

“Some of them come and shoot with the middle-schoolers just to get extra practice time in,” she said. “They’re all very dedicated kids.”

A member of the team for all four years, Hudson Sherrets said he has enjoyed taking on a leadership role as a senior.

“It was definitely kind of interesting being the captain,” he said. “But I was glad to take that challenge and try to help teach my younger teammates and all of the elementary-schoolers and middle-schoolers how the sport works and how everything is done. It feels good just to try and help them with technique and everything I’ve learned over the years.”

He said he is proud of his teammates’ success, including his younger brother Desmond.

“To be able to win side-by-side with him, that’s awesome,” he said. “Winning is everything to me. It’s the best feeling in the world and there’s nothing else like it, so to win consistently every year no matter how many seniors we lose, it’s not lost on us. We always have one goal and that’s being the best team, so it’s been super fun to be a part of that and it makes me really proud.”