WCMS Warriors fall in last-minute score

On Sept. 15, the White County Middle School Warriors took on the visiting Clay County Middle School Bulldogs in football action.  Both teams came out firing on all cylinders on the offensive side of the ball. 

The Warriors took the opening kickoff and drove 65 yards to paydirt to start the game.  Tripp Pinion found his way into the endzone on a five-yard run to give the Warriors the lead.  The extra point was no good, and, with 5:15 left to play in the first quarter, the Warriors led 6-0.  It did not take long for Celina to get on the board as they drove 50 yards and scored with a 28-yard touchdown run.  The extra point was no good. With 1:46 left on the clock in the first quarter, the score was tied 6-6.

In the second quarter, Pinion once again scored from eight yards out.  Cage Stephenson caught the pass for the extra point and gave Sparta a 14-6 lead, with 4:46 left to play in the half.  Clay County answered right back with a 24-yard option play that went for a touchdown.  The extra point was good, and, with 4:05 left in the second quarter, the score again was tied 14-14.

With four minutes to play in the half, the Warrior offense moved the ball down and scored on a nine-yard Pinion run.  The extra point was good, and the Warriors took a 22-14 lead.  Once again, the Bulldogs took the deep kickoff that was caught on the 20-yard line, and Adams weaved his way through the Warriors’ kick coverage and scored on an 80-yard special teams return for touchdown.  With the extra point good, the score again was tied 22-22.

 With 1:29 left to play in the first half, the Warriors took the kickoff and moved down the field. With 2.6 seconds to play before the halftime, Pinion scored from 17 yards out to once again put the Warriors up 30-22.  The Warriors came out of the half and held the Bulldogs to a turnover on downs.  The Warriors fumbled the ball, and Clay County recovered, with 1:29 left to play in the third quarter.  Both defenses held most of the fourth quarter.  With a big fourth down and goal from the 12-yardline, the Bulldogs faked a roll right and threw back to the left to score the touchdown.  The extra point was good and the game was tied, with 1:34 left to play in regulation. 

The Warriors took the ball and were driving until a Pinion pass was intercepted by the Bulldogs and returned for a touchdown, however, with flags on the play, the touchdown was waived off, and Celina took possession of the ball at midfield.  With the time winding down, Clay County’s quarterback, Nate Adams, threw a strike to his receiver in the endzone for a 40-yard touchdown pass and added the extra point to make the score 38-30, with 24 seconds remaining.  The Warriors could not complete the drive, and the clock ran out on the Warriors.  Clay County won the game with a 38-30 exciting game.

 The WCMS Warriors moved to 4-2 on the season.  The Warriors take on Warren County next Tuesday night, in Warren County.