Ten games. Ten victories. Zero blemishes. What began as a season filled with expectations has turned into one for the history books in Sparta, Tennessee.
The White County Warriors put the finishing touches on a remarkable regular season Friday night, shutting out the Stone Memorial Panthers 35-0 at Warrior Stadium to complete a perfect 10-0 campaign and put an exclamation point on the program’s first-ever Region 4-4A championship. But for the first six minutes of Friday night’s contest, the Panthers looked determined to spoil the celebration.
Stone Memorial entered the matchup with a 3-6 record, winless in Region 4-4A play, but with plenty of motivation. The Panthers had shut out White County 16-0 a season ago and held a 3-2 advantage in the previous five meetings between the programs.
And early on, it appeared the visitors from Crossville had brought a little something extra to Sparta.
Panthers Knock on the Door, but Dowell Slams It Shut
Stone Memorial took the opening possession and marched more than 60 yards down the field, consuming nearly six minutes of the first quarter. TJ McDowell was efficient, quarterback Max Werner looked poised, and the Panthers moved the football with confidence against a Warrior defense that had been one of the cornerstones of White County’s undefeated season.
With the football at the White County 2-yard line, Stone Memorial appeared ready to strike first. But that’s when the Warriors reminded everyone why they’re undefeated.
On third-and-goal, Werner attempted to throw back across the formation, and White County’s JoJo Dowell was waiting. Dowell intercepted the pass in the end zone and raced approximately 60 yards the other direction, turning what appeared to be a certain Panther touchdown into a momentum-changing defensive play. It was the kind of play that has defined this White County football team all season long.
The Warrior offense, however, wasn’t quite ready to get rolling. Penalties, mental mistakes, and some uncharacteristic miscues forced White County to punt on its opening possession. The Panthers continued to compete defensively, and when the first quarter came to a close, the scoreboard still read 0-0. For the first time in a while, the Warriors had a little adversity to work through. They responded like champions.
Second-Quarter Explosion Breaks the Game Open
White County finally found its offensive rhythm in the second quarter, and once the Warriors got rolling, there wasn’t much Stone Memorial could do to slow them down. Senior running back Cole Sims capped a Warrior scoring drive with a 1-yard touchdown run at the 9:54 mark of the second quarter, giving White County its first lead of the evening at 7-0. Then the Warriors reached deep into the offensive playbook.
On a beautifully executed trick play, senior quarterback Tucker Pinion pitched the football to Eli Smith, who pulled up and delivered a touchdown pass to Bryson Hogg. The perfectly executed play pushed White County’s advantage to 14-0 and brought the Warrior faithful to their feet. The White County defense quickly forced another three-and-out, giving the football right back to an offense that was beginning to find its stride.
This time, Lex Winfree finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown plunge, extending the Warrior lead to 21-0 with 2:28 remaining before halftime. White County nearly added another score in the closing seconds of the half, but Stone Memorial’s defense stuffed a rushing attempt from inside the 3-yard line with 10 seconds remaining. The Warriors carried a commanding 21-0 advantage into the locker room.
But perhaps the most impressive first-half statistic wasn’t found on the scoreboard. After allowing more than 60 yards on Stone Memorial’s opening possession, the White County defense surrendered just four additional yards of offense for the remainder of the first half.
That’s right. Four yards. The Panthers had come out swinging, but the Warrior defense had completely slammed the door.
Warriors Put the Game Away in the Second Half
White County wasted little time adding to its advantage after intermission. Senior quarterback Tucker Pinion found Eli Smith running wide open down the seam, and Smith hauled in the pass before racing 44 yards for another Warrior touchdown. The score pushed the advantage to 28-0, and by that point, the rout was officially on.
The Warriors continued to control the line of scrimmage, suffocate the Panther offense, and demonstrate the kind of complete-team football that has carried them through an undefeated regular season. And fittingly, the player who had already made his mark throwing and catching the football would get one more opportunity to shine.
With 5:41 remaining in the fourth quarter, Eli Smith powered his way into the end zone on a 7-yard touchdown run, providing the final points of the evening. White County 35. Stone Memorial 0. The perfect regular season was complete.
A Complete Team Effort — and a Glimpse Into the Future
While the offensive touchdowns will grab plenty of attention, Thursday night’s victory was another reminder that this White County team is much more than a handful of talented skill-position players. The Warriors got meaningful contributions from all over the field.
Bubba Connolly turned in another strong performance, continuing to establish himself as a dependable presence for the Warriors. Kaiden Clemons was a force along the interior, helping White County control the trenches and make life difficult for the Panther offense. Jiesyn Suggs and Raider Wordlaw continued to make impactful plays, demonstrating the depth and physicality that have become trademarks of this Warrior football team. Rick Foster was super active as well. He was in on lots of big defensive plays all night long for the fellas in Maroon and Gray. Azlan Mathurin has stepped up this season and given White County a player that can get after you coming off the edge.
And then there’s freshman Tate Pinion. If you’ve watched this young man develop throughout the season, you’re beginning to see something special taking shape. Pinion, who contributes at middle linebacker and as a reserve running back, was involved in numerous big plays Thursday night and continues to look more comfortable and confident with each passing week.
There’s a maturity developing in his game that goes well beyond his classification. He’s beginning to grow up right before our eyes.
And while White County is understandably focused on the opportunity in front of it this postseason, the emergence of players like Tate Pinion should have Warrior fans feeling awfully good about the future.
The Warriors have talented seniors leading the charge today, but there are younger players already showing that they’re ready to carry the tradition forward.
How often do you see a player throw a touchdown pass, catch a touchdown pass, and run for a touchdown in the same football game? That’s exactly what Eli Smith accomplished Friday night.
Smith delivered the touchdown pass to Bryson Hogg on a perfectly executed trick play, hauled in a 44-yard scoring strike from Tucker Pinion, and finished his night with a 7-yard touchdown run. Three touchdowns. Three different ways.
Smith’s versatility, athleticism, and ability to make plays whenever his number was called made him an easy selection as the Mountain Barn Builders Prime Time Performer of the Game.
What a night for the Warrior standout.
Perfection Is Earned, Not Given
There’s something special happening in Sparta, Tennessee.
And if you’ve followed this White County football team throughout the season, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
Going 10-0 in high school football is hard. Really hard.
There are injuries, distractions, emotional highs, difficult road trips, rivalry games, and Friday nights when things simply don’t go according to plan.
But somehow, someway, the great teams find a way to answer every challenge.
That’s exactly what these Warriors have done.
They’ve won with explosive offense. They’ve won with suffocating defense. They’ve won games when everything was clicking, and they’ve won games when they had to fight through adversity.
Friday night was a perfect example.
Stone Memorial came into Warrior Stadium with nothing to lose, marched right down the field, and looked ready to punch the Warriors in the mouth.
But White County didn’t panic.
JoJo Dowell made a game-changing play. The defense settled in. The offense found its rhythm. And before you knew it, the Warriors were in complete control.
That’s the mark of a championship-caliber football team.
What I appreciate most about this group is that it’s not about one player.
Sure, Tucker Pinion, Cole Sims, Bryson Hogg, and Eli Smith are capable of making spectacular plays. But look at the contributions from the guys in the trenches, the defensive unit, the role players, and the youngsters coming up through the program.
This is a team in every sense of the word.
And let’s not lose sight of what this group has accomplished.
The first region championship in White County football history in the current TSSAA playoff format. A perfect 10-0 regular season. And an opportunity to host playoff football in Sparta.
Those are accomplishments that will be talked about around this community for years to come.
But here’s the thing.
I don’t believe these Warriors are satisfied.
And they shouldn’t be.
Because while a perfect regular season is something to celebrate, the postseason offers an entirely different challenge.
The records are wiped clean. Everybody starts 0-0. And one bad Friday night can bring an incredible season to a sudden end.
White County will welcome Signal Mountain to Warrior Stadium next Friday night at 7:00 p.m. for the opening round of the TSSAA Class 4A State Playoffs.
And if I’m a Warrior fan, I’m making plans right now to be there.
Because seasons like this don’t come around very often.
The Warriors have already made history.
Now comes the opportunity to make even more.
Ten games. Ten wins. One historic regular season.
But something tells me this White County team isn’t ready to write the final chapter just yet.
Tri-Star Sports Network — The Voice of the Upper Cumberland.
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