Calling the Bears' bluff

For the first time since 2017, the White County Warriors have a ticket for the state high school football playoffs, and appear to be peaking at the right time after demolishing Cherokee Bluff last week in the regular season finale.

Two weeks ago, Cherokee Bluff secured the program's first region title with a win over North Hall, but the Warriors were the much better team last Friday night in Flowery Branch as they dominated in every phase of the game on the way to a 48-7 rout.

“It was a team win,” WCHS head coach Tim Cokely said. “We've emphasized team play this year and this team has been so unselfish. They just want to win. I feel like we're been gaining some good momentum the last few weeks. We've already faced a bunch of adversity this year. We seem to be on the upswing at the right time."

The Warrior head to Rockmart Friday to take on the Region 6-AAA champions. The first round matchup is the only one in the state featuring two state ranked teams.

Rockmart has been in the Top 10 all season and is currently ranked No. 8. Thanks to the Warriors' big win over Cherokee Bluff, WCHS jumped back into the CalPreps.com poll at No. 9.

Rockmart finished off a perfect run through their region schedule with a 35-12 win over Ringgold last weekend. The Yellow Jackets' lone loss came in the opening game of the season when Rome handed Rockmart a 28-21 loss.

The teams look a lot alike on paper. The teams finished the regular season as the two top scoring offenses in Class AAA. Rockmart averaged 41 points a game, while the Warriors averaged 40 points per game.

Defensively, the Yellow Jackets allowed 14 points per game, and the Warriors are giving up 19 points per game.

Rockmart's high-powered attack is led by senior quarterback Javin Whatley, who has passed and rushed for almost 2,000 yards this season.

“Rockmart is a really good football team,” Cokely said. “The quarterback is really good and they've got three or four other guys that can make plays. They force you to defend the whole field.”

White County will combat the Yellow Jackets' offense with a defensive unit that has gotten better and better each week.

In the win over Cherokee Bluff, the Warriors completely dominated the Bears' offense, which came into the game averaging more than 37 points a game.

Cherokee Bluff managed just 163 total yards in the game, with about a third of that coming in the fourth quarter against the Warriors' reserves.

“Since we had the goal line stand against North Hall, the guy have gotten better and better,” Cokely said. “Coach (Greg) Moore and the defensive staff have done a great job preparing the kids each week and I love the way we're playing right now.”

The Warriors were dealt a tough blow on the defensive side during the win as senior linebacker Riley Stancil suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Offensively, the Warriors put on a show last week and with quarterback J. Ben Haynes healthy and ready to go, Cokely feels confident his team can put points on the board against any team in the playoff field.

“For us, it's all about getting good reps in practice,” Cokely said. “Coach (Chad) Bennett and the offensive staff doesn't let our guys take off plays in practice. J. Ben played well, and those guys he's throwing the ball to are pretty good. We've got some really good receivers. Rockmart has a lot of speed on defense, they've got several guys that can run and make plays. It should be fun.

The winner of the first round game will take on either Cedar Grove or Monroe Area in the second round on Dec. 4. Cedar Grove, the No. 1 team in the state, enter the playoffs as third seed due to having to forfeit three games for using an ineligible player, while Monroe Area was the runner-up in Region 8-AAA.

Warriors blow out Bluff

Going into last week games, Cherokee Bluff was riding high after clinching the program's first region championship.

But after the first half, it was obvious that the Warriors were the best team on the field.

WCHS jumped out to a 14-7 lead in the opening quarter, and then tacked on three more touchdowns in the second quarter to take a commanding 34-7 lead into halftime.

After the teams traded punts on the opening two possessions, the Warriors got things going with a 70-yard scoring drive. Silas Mulligan had a 25-yard run, and Haynes and Cooper Turner hooked up on a 9-yard pass play to get the Warriors deep into Bluff territory.

Haynes and Darius Cannon finished off the the drive with 13-yard scoring play for a 7-0 lead.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Bears mishandled a pooch kick and Bryson Cronic recovered the loose ball at the 36-yard line. Four plays later, Haynes and Cannon connected again, this time on a 36-yard scoring play for a 14-0 lead.

Late in the first quarter, the Bears put their only scoring drive of the night together, going 65 yards in five plays that ended with Sebastian Irons scoring from a yard out to make it 14-7.

The Warriors answered with a 75-yard drive. Haynes found Clayton Rogers up the left sideline for 40 yards to start the drive. Rogers and Jimmy King each had a reception later in the drive, and then Haynes found Cannon for his third touchdown of the half on an 11-yard passing play for a 21-7 lead.

The Warriors got a pair of interceptions on the Bears' next two drives. Cronic picked off a pass near midfield, and the Cannon had an interception at the Bears' 27-yard line.

After Cannon's interception, the Warriors struck quickly with Haynes firing his fourth touchdown pass of the half, this time to Turner on a 25-yard scoring play for a 27-7 lead.

Late in the second quarter, the Warriors found the end zone again with an eight-play, 69-yard drive. Mulligan started the drive with runs of 16 and 22 yards, and then Zion McMullen had an 11-yard run to push the ball deep into Bluff's end of the field. On a third and 14 play from the 25-yard line, Haynes and Turner kept the drive alive with a 19-yard pass play.

One play later, Haynes scored on a 3-yard run for a up the advantage to 34-7.

Cronic closed out the dominating half, picking off a Hail Mary pass in the end zone.

The Warriors turned to the running game to put the game away in the third quarter, with Mulligan capping off a 60-yard drive with a 1-yard scoring run.

Midway through the third, Mulligan ripped off a 70-yard run, and two plays, later scored on a 5-yard run to make it 48-7.

Haynes finished 14-of-18 for 216 yards, with Cannon recording five receptions for 83 yards and Turner finishing with five catches for 68 yards. Rogers had two catches for 43 yards, Reece Dockery had one for 18, and King had one for three.

Mulligan had a big night on the ground, finishing with 207 yards on 20 carries and a pair of touchdowns.

McMullen led the defense with seven total tackles, while Malachi Zellars had six tackles, and Dylan Archer, Jesse Moose, Alex Thornton, Ny'Zavier Whitfield, Heaven Gholston, and Cronic were each in on five total tackles. Seth Stonecypher and Teddy Strange each had four tackles.

McMullen, Moose, Zellars, Strange, Stonecypher, and Cannon each had a tackle for loss, and Tyler Davis recorded a sack.