With just a couple of games left on the regular season schedule, every game is a must-win for the White County Warriors in the race for a state playoff spot.
The Warriors (3-5) answered the bell last Friday, posting a 49-13 win over Lumpkin County. The win improved the Warriors' Region 7-AAA record to 2-1, and the team can clinch a playoff spot this week with a Homecoming win over Gilmer County. The Warriors still have a chance to finish as high as third place in the region race, but will need a win over Gilmer and then Cherokee Bluff during the final week of the regular season, along with an upset or two in the other region games during the final two weeks of play.
Cherokee Bluff and North Hall meet this week in a game that could decide the region title. A win for Cherokee Bluff would give the Bears their second consecutive region title, while the Trojans would need to beat both Bluff and Dawson County over the final two weeks to claim the title outright.
Win over Indians
It took the Warriors a little time to get going in the matchup with the Indians last week in Dahlonega, but after a scoreless first quarter, WCHS took control of the game and ran away, 49-13.
Late in the first quarter, Colton Turner picked up a fumble to give the Warriors the ball at the Indian 32-yard line. On the first play of the second quarter, Bryson Cronic capped off the short drive with a 3-yard run and Hayden Vandegriff added the extra point for a 7-0 lead with 11:55 left in the first half.
The Warrior defense set up the next scoring opportunity two minutes later when Turner and Noah Williams stopped Lumpkin running back Tavion Lawerence short on a fourth down and two play from the Indians' 45-yard line.
WCHS quarterback Tripp Nix and receiver Kanaan Cleveland hooked up on a 30-yard pass play to get the drive going, and four plays later, Nix found Alex Thornton down the right seam for a 21-yard touchdown play for a 14-0 lead. Thornton made a nice catch on the throw, getting one hand on the ball moments before a Lumpkin County defender flew across his face.
The WCHS defense forced a punt on the Indians' next possession, taking over at their own 19-yard line.
Silas Mulligan took a screen pass and turned it into a 28-yard gain, and then picked up five more yards on a running play to get the Warriors inside Lumpkin territory.
Two plays later on a fourth down and five play at the 48-yard line, Nix found Darius Cannon wide open in the middle of the field on a deep pass. Cannon made the catch around the 24-yard line and then sprinted past the final Lumpkin defender into the end zone for a 21-0 lead with 3:52 left in the half.
Lumpkin closed out the half with an eight-play, 74-yard drive to break the Warriors' shutout. Lumpkin's Cooper Scott and Cal Faulkner hooked up on a 33-yard pass play to get deep into Warrior territory, and then Scott found Harper Davenport in the end zone to make it 21-7 heading into the break
Cannon needed just a few seconds to extend the Warriors lead to 28-7 to start the second half, taking the kickoff back 77 yards for a touchdown. The kickoff return was Cannon's second of the season.
Four minutes into the second half, the Indians answered Cannon's big play with a score of theit own as Faulkner found the end zone on an 15-yard run. The Indians' two-point try was no good, leaving the Warriors with a 28-13 with 8:15 left in the third quarter.
The Indians recovered an onside kick following Faulkner's touchdown, but White County's defense came up with another big play to stymie Lumpkin's comeback attempt. Cronic picked off a pass on the second play of the possession, grabbing back the momentum in the game.
The Warriors used the running of McMullen and Mulligan to close out the third quarter with another score. McMullen had five carries for 42 yards, and Mulligan had a pair of carries for 32 yards, including a 29-yard scamper into the end zone for a 35-13 lead with 2:35 left in the quarter.
Lumpkin threatened late in the third quarter, but Turner came up with another big play, picking off a pass at the 4-yard line and returning it 42 yards to the 46-yard line. Five plays later, Nix found Cronic wide open in the right side, and Cronic sprinted untouched into the end zone on a 42-yard scoring play.
The Warriors played out the string in the fourth quarter with reserve running back Ryan Fowler getting most of the work. Fowler, a sophomore, carried the ball 12 times during the quarter, rushing for a game-high 73 yards. He picked up the Warriors final touchdown of the game with a 29-yard run that sealed the 49-13 win.
Nix finished the night 15-23 for 282 yards and three touchdowns.The passing yardage is a career-high for Nix. Cannon caught five balls for 107 yards and a score, while Cronic had six receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown. Cleveland had two catches for 42 yards, Mulligan had one for Thornton had one for 28 yards, and Thornton had one for 21 yards and a score.
Along with Fowler's career-high total, Mulligan rushed for 64 yards on 14 carries, while McMullen had 55 yards on seven carries. Cronic finished with 18 yards on four carries, and Nix had five yards on two runs.
Defensively, the Warriors were by senior defensive end Malachi Zellars with 13 total tackles, including three tackles for loss, and a fumble recovery. McMullen had nine total tackles, including three tackles for loss, while Turner had six tackles, an interception, a fumble recovery, and a caused fumble.
Williams had nine total tackles, with a tackle for loss, while Teddy Strange had seven total tackles and caused a fumble. Jacob Holbrook had six tackles, Cronic was in on five tackles and had an interception.
Cleveland, Fowler, Thornton, and Jeb Robinson all had three tackles, Mulligan and Riley Turner each had two tackles, and Cannon, Elijah Nelson, and Jack Autry all had one tackle.