Warren County was less than a minute away from having a chance to win the Nurserymen's Bowl. One costly turnover instead brought the Pioneers' season to a heartbreaking end.
Kindrae Walker intercepted an AJ Whitman pass and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown with 59 seconds remaining Thursday night, lifting the Wolverines to a 21-14 victory and celebrating a bowl win at Nunley Stadium.
The loss left Warren County at 5-6 and snapped its two-game winning streak. LaVergne, which entered the matchup winless since 2023, finished 1-10 and took home the bowl trophy.
The Pioneers controlled much of the first half, opening the scoring with an impressive 16-play, 94-yard drive that consumed more than seven minutes. Whitman capped the march with a short touchdown run with 21 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
LaVergne answered early in the second when Aaron Samuel connected with Kayden Curtis for a 28-yard touchdown. Isaiah Thompson added the two-point conversion to give the Wolverines an 8-7 lead.
Warren County responded with another sustained drive, highlighted by a 26-yard Whitman run. The junior quarterback eventually scored from two yards out with 4:56 remaining before halftime, giving the Pioneers a 14-8 advantage.
Those would be Warren County's final points.
The Pioneers had opportunities to extend their lead, including excellent field position in the third quarter following a LaVergne special teams mistake. Warren County couldn't capitalize, missing a 37-yard field goal attempt that would have made it a two-possession game.
LaVergne finally broke through again early in the fourth quarter. Walker took a direct snap on fourth down and scored from three yards out with 11:22 remaining. Warren County was able to stand up on the 2-point try though, leaving the game knotted at 14-14 late.
Warren County's defense delivered a potential momentum-changing play later in the quarter when Carter Lee deflected a Samuel pass into the hands of Wesley Romzek for an interception.
The Pioneer offense couldn't turn the takeaway into points, however, as LaVergne's defense continued to frustrate Whitman and company.
After a Wolverine punt pinned Warren County at its own 34 with 1:54 remaining, the Pioneers attempted to engineer a winning drive. Walker had other plans, jumping a pass intended for Lee and racing 50 yards for the decisive score.
Whitman finished with 123 rushing yards and both Warren County touchdowns. By reaching Pioneer paydirt twice Thursday, Whitman moved into sole possession of third place in the single-season rushing TD category with 17 scores, trailing only Jeff Womack (34 - 1980) and CJ Taylor (23 - 2020) on the list.
He also passed for 86 yards but was intercepted three times. Marek Sadlon caught five passes for 35 yards, while Romzek added three receptions for 37 yards.
Samuel threw for 130 yards and a touchdown for LaVergne, leading to the sophomore QB being named the game’s offensive MVP. Thomas Dixon Jr. was the team’s top rusher, finishing with 65 yards.
Walker, who scored both fourth-quarter touchdowns, was named the game's defensive MVP.
The Warren. County Way will wrap up football coverage this season with an end-of-season interview with coach Belew. Be on the lookout in the coming days for a final chat before the Pioneers begin putting together their 2027-28 schedules in the coming weeks.
