WCHS Warriors defeat reigning state champs 26-14

The Macon County Tigers came to Dee Harris Field, on Sept. 26, sporting a 16-game winning streak. They are the reigning state champions, and, in their last three games, they outscored their opponents 95-7. But the White County Warriors are their kryptonite. In the last 365 days, the Tigers have lost just twice – both times to the Warriors.

The Macon County Tigers brought a reputation and a quest to avenge last season’s loss with them to Dee Harris Field. The Warriors have been building a reputation of their own this season, and the result was a full 60-minute clash on the gridiron.

Halfway through the first quarter, Macon County would put the first points on the board. They moved down the field with a couple of chunk-yardage plays. Then a trick play in which the quarterback kept the ball on a fake handoff at the 38-yardline set them up at the one-yard line. They scored on the next play from scrimmage, and it was 7-0 Tigers.

Understanding it was going to be a long battle and that every possession counted, the Tigers opted for an onside kick. While they recovered the kick, they eventually turned the ball back over to the Warriors on downs.

Starting on their own 23, the Warriors had 77 yards to go to even the score. A trick play of their own moved the sticks, but then a false start moved them back. Cole Sims powered his way into Macon County territory, and then a second run by Sims had White County in the red zone. JoJo Dowell got the ball down to the five and then Sims inched it closer to the goal line. However, Macon County was able to hit Sims in the backfield on the next play and trip him up at the 6-yard line. Bryson Hogg was pushed out of bounds at the one after he pulled in a pass from Tucker Pinion, but Sims put the ball over the goal line on the next play.

The Warriors opted to try for a two-point conversion rather than have Noah Skeith kick the extra point. The try failed and White County trailed the Tigers 7-6 as the first quarter ended.

Late in the second quarter, still trailing, Lex Winfree forced a Tiger fumble and Mark Spedding recovered to give the Warriors the ball at their own 25. A few minutes later and a tipped pass set up a fourth-and-six. Dowell got off a booming punt that would have set up Macon County 15 yards shy of midfield. But the Tigers muffed the punt, and the Warriors were able to recover.

It looked like White County’s drive was going to stall again after Pinion was tackled for a loss of one on a third and 10 play. The Warriors opted to go for it on fourth and 11. Pinion’s pass fell incomplete, but a false start meant the play never happened. Faced with fourth and 16, the Warriors lined up with their offense still on the field. However, Pinion punted the ball and, unprepared for the trick play, the Tigers weren’t able to recover. Instead, it was Hogg who came up with the ball at the 20-yard line. A few short yardage plays and a defensive pass interference call set up a short run for Sims to give the Warriors their second score of the night. Needing to make up for the failed attempt after their first score, White County went for a two-point conversion again. This time, Sims found the goal line to make the score 14-7 in favor of White County.

Armed with the lead going into halftime, the Warriors buckled down even harder on the defensive side of the ball, and the Tigers would never recover.

White County took the second half kickoff. Cole Sims ran to the 45. A Pinion pass to Eli Smith and the Warriors were at the 25. However, they wouldn’t make it past the 10-yard line before the drive stalled. Wanting to ensure that the Tigers would have to score twice if they wanted any hope of a comeback, Foster sent the kicking unit onto the field and Noah Skeith, getting his first chance at points on the night, booted it through to extend the Warrior lead to 10.

That decision was important as Macon County answered the Warriors’ opening drive with one that ended in the endzone themselves to make the score 17-14. Again, White County moved the ball until they couldn’t. Once again, the Warriors called on Skeith after the drive stalled in the mid-fourth quarter. Skeith’s 25-yard kick put White County up 20-14 with nine minutes left to play.

On their next possession, it looked like the Warriors would try to extend their lead. On a second and 20, White County got 14. Then a fake to Sims and Pinion kept the ball, running up the middle to get the first down. The Tigers slowed things down and the Warriors were facing a fourth-and-two. Foster put Lex Winfree in the backfield. Winfree was hit in the backfield and spun around. He recovered and started pushing forward, but then a fumble set Macon County up for what they hoped would be a game-winning drive with 2:07 left on the game clock.

On first down, Hogg came off a corner blitz and dropped the Macon County quarterback, Cooper Carlisle, for a two-yard loss. On second and 12, Hunter Broyles hit Carlisle as he threw, causing the pass to sail high before falling incomplete. Third and 12 and pressure from the Warrior defensive line forced a quick pass that again was off its mark. An illegal substitution by the Tigers before the next play and they were facing a fourth and 17 with 1:12 left to play. As they have done all season, the White County defense put the pressure on Macon County, and their final attempted pass fell to the ground. Warrior ball.

All White County had to do was run out the clock for a minute to secure the 20-14 win. The Tigers had a pair of timeouts that they used, meaning that the Warriors would have to run actual plays rather than just take a knee. With the game clock 2.4 seconds ahead of the play clock, the Warriors were forced to run a play on fourth and four. Pinion handed the ball to Sims, who ended the night with 31 carries for 153 yards, with the intention of the White County back running just long enough for the last few ticks of the clock to expire. Instead, he broke through the line and found the endzone for the third time.

Final score: Warriors 26, Tigers 14.

The win moved White County to 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the region. Their next game, a non-conference match up, will be on the road in Warren County, on Oct. 3. They will host regional opponent DeKalb County a week later before getting a bye. After the bye, the Warriors will end the season with two straight road games, both against conference opponents.