Warriors triumphant over Red Bank for playoff win

On Nov. 8, the White County High School Warriors delivered an impressive performance at Dee Harris Field, defeating the Red Bank football team 31-6 in the first round of the playoffs.

The Warriors took an early lead, ending their first drive of the game with a 47-yard rushing touchdown by Isaiah Kelso, followed by a successful extra point from kicker Noah Skeith, putting White County ahead 7-0.

 Red Bank attempted to respond with a field goal after a lengthy drive, but the kick fell short. The Warriors regained possession, only to fumble the ball, allowing Red Bank to capitalize on the turnover. The visiting team quickly moved 34 yards to the end zone in just three plays, but their attempt for the extra point was unsuccessful, leaving the score at 7-6 by the end of the first quarter.

 In the second quarter, the Warriors extended their lead when quarterback Tripp Pinion rushed for a 6-yard touchdown. Skeith added another extra point, bringing the score to 14-6.

The Warriors’ defense shone in the third quarter, highlighted by an interception that set up Skeith for a field goal after the drive stalled at the 21-yard line. Skeith’s kick, who was perfect on the night, added the 3 points to make the score 17-6 in favor of White County.

 After forcing Red Bank to punt on the next possession, the Warriors took over at their own 12-yard line. On first down, Demarious Dowell electrified the crowd with an 88-yard touchdown run, followed by yet another successful extra point from Skeith. At the end of the third quarter, White County held a commanding 24-6 lead.

 The Warriors continued to add to their lead in the fourth quarter when Cole Sims powered into the end zone from the 2-yard line, with Skeith again converting the extra point, resulting in a final score of 31-6.

 As the clock wound down, both teams exchanged turnovers on downs, but Red Bank made one last effort to score. Their hopes were dashed when the Warriors intercepted a pass, allowing them to run out the clock and secure the victory.

“I think our kids done what we asked them to do,” Coach Curtis Beaty said. “They worked hard all week, executed when we come out. It got a little tough. Tripp went down and everybody got nervous. But our kids have been battle-tested this year with that and they fought, fought, fought and produced a product that we’re proud of. These kids play hard for each other and believe they’re a good team even if 3 can’t be 3.”

 Looking ahead to the next round, Beaty said the Warriors are excited for the challenge.

“We’re excited. We have to play our brand of football,” Beaty said in reference to the next playoff game. “Sparta’s got to run the ball and get some big plays and continue to play well on defense. We’ve just got to go on the road and play.”