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Noah Williams, No, 30, and Dade Anderson, No. 75, clear the way for Tripp Nix on a touchdown run during the second half of the Mountain Athletic Conference championship game Saturday night in Cleveland. (Photos/Mark Turner)
The White County Middle School football used a stellar defensive effort last week to win its first league title in more than a decade.
The Warriors (6-1) closed out the year with an 18-0 win over Fannin County, giving the Warriors the Mountain Athletic Conference eighth-grade championship. In the seventh-grade game, which was also played at WCMS, Pickens County knocked off Lumpkin County, 30-12.
The middle school title was the first for the Warriors' program since 2010, when former head coach Jason Nix led the squad to a 14-0 win over Banks County in the championship game. The 2010 team included future WCHS standout players such as AJ Vandiver, Max Taylor, Sam Turner and Maurice Sutton.
Much like the 2010 team which featured a dominant defensive unit, this year's squad leaned on it's defensive players to bring home the title. The Warriors never allowed the Rebels to put together a serious scoring drive, while the offense did it's part, scoring twice in the first half and adding a another touchdown in the third quarter to put the Rebels away.”
“That was the best game defensively we've played all year,” WCMS head coach Robbie Bailey said. “We came out and set the tone, we hit them in the mouth and that's what we had talked about all week. Offensively, we moved the ball, but we stalled out tonight, but the defense took it over. The defense was awesome and I'm proud of them.”
Members of the football team are Braxton Anderson, Tripp Nix, Riley Freeman, Nathan Hunter, Cash Holcomb, Hayden Vandegriff, Jon Scott Cohen Michaud, John Phillips, Davey Waller, Wyatt Powell, Josh Adams, Isaac Weakley, Tristan Orndorff, Jackson Mitchell, Bryson Philyaw, Hunter Brown, Noel Lammers, Brayden Roach, Jacob Biesterfeld, Malachi Nutting, Hayden Weakley, Koltyn Wallace, Noah Williams, Davin Lightsey, JJ Deck, AJ Carter, Cooper Adam, Toby Nickell, Alex Johnson, Cade Dockery, Tyler Autry, Hunter Foster, Tyler Seymour, Bryce Dockery, Dalton Robinson, Jaydon King, Jeremiah Jarrard, Matt Turner, Dade Anderson, Colton Adam, Clayton Stephens, Carson Rich, Grayson Pinson, Gavin Fountain, Trevor Butler, Jackson Krilla, Jason Revis, Roy Foster, Gunner Young, Ashton Chambers, Jad Dodge, Brennan Norris, Carson Anthony, Corbin Blank, and Tuck Leslie.
Along with Bailey, the Warriors are coached by Wil Stonecypher, Henry Powell, Jacob Booke, Will Hammersen, and Will Havlen.
“This is a special group; it's a big class with about 35 of them,” Bailey said. “There is a lot of talent in this group, and they have a lot of heart. They really grew up in a year. Last year at this point, we were playing this same bunch (Fannin) and we were up 14-0 at halftime and ended up getting beat (22-20). When we walked in the locker room at halftime, one of the kids said 'don't forget about last year.' We came out (in the second half) and punched one in and the defense took over.”
The Warriors got on the board late in the first quarter after a short punt by the Rebels gave the Warriors the ball on Fannin's side of the field. A couple of runs from Noah Williams and Tripp Nix pushed the ball down inside the Rebel's 10-yard line, and then the duo combined on a short pass play to give the Warriors a 6-0 with 1:54 left in the opening quarter.
Early in the second quarter, the Warriors defense snuffed out the Rebels' next possession, forcing a punt. The Warriors' got a pass play from Nix to Riley Freeman to keep their next drive alive, with Freeman's catch and run giving the Warriors a first down near the 15-yard line.
A couple of plays later, Nix capped off the drive, scoring on a 7-yard run for a 12-0 lead.
The defense continued it's dominant performance for the rest of the half, with John Scott picking up a sack, and then Trevor Butler capped of the first half with an inception to send the Warriors to the locker room with a two-touchdown lead.
The Warriors tacked on the final score of the night in the second half, with Williams scoring on a 12-yard run for an 18-0 lead.
Bailey said it was a total team effort on the defensive side with 17 players – Wallace, Butler, Hunter, Nix, Deck, Johnson, William. Rewis, Scott, Freeman, Young, Cade Dockery, Bryce Dockery, Dade Anderson, and Braxton Anderson – getting credit for the shutout.
“The entire defense played great; I really can't single any kids out because they are played well,” Bailey said. “They played their hearts our tonight and I'm really happy for them.”