Cherokee Ends 40-Year Title Drought, Captures Group 4 Crown in Dominant Fashion

It’s been four decades in the making — and it was worth every minute.

Behind a commanding pitching performance and a tight-knit, confident roster, Cherokee Baseball delivered a historic 6-0 win over Westfield in the NJSIAA Group 4 Championship, capturing the program’s first state title since 1984.

“This team is like a family,” said Henry Radbill, who crushed a home run and drove in two runs. “To be a leader for this team felt amazing. To keep everybody together and level-headed throughout meant a lot to me.”

The Chiefs (28-3) played a nearly flawless postseason, outscoring their opponents 59-7 across six tournament games. That dominant stretch was capped by their most complete performance yet on the state’s biggest stage at Veterans Park.

After three scoreless innings, Cherokee broke things open in the 4th and didn’t look back, adding three more in the 5th and tacking on another in the 6th. Senior Brett Jackson led the offensive charge with a 3-for-3 day, while Radbill's two-run blast was the exclamation point on a well-balanced lineup that delivered when it mattered most.

On the mound, Brett Gable was electric, tossing 5.1 shutout innings with nine strikeouts before Radbill came in to close the door. “We prepared for the state championship game by doing the same stuff we did all year,” Radbill said. “We did nothing extra to add pressure. We stayed calm throughout and knew we could win the chip by just being ourselves.”

Cherokee’s run to the title saw them knock off some of the state’s top programs — Washington Township, Howell, Kingsway, Eastern, Hillsborough, and finally Westfield. The Chiefs proved their regular season success was no fluke and leaned on consistency, chemistry, and leadership all the way.

Radbill, who opted not to play football in the fall to focus on baseball, credits that dedication for elevating his performance on the mound. “I had a lot of time to really focus on my improvement and development,” he said. “Throwing in the upper 80s and touching 90s helped, but I also trusted my defense more than ever. Having these brothers behind me helped me succeed on and off the field.”

The 2025 Cherokee Chiefs not only secured a championship — they carved out their place in program history and inspired a new generation of baseball in South Jersey. The drought is over. The title belongs to Evesham again.