Pioneers whip Warriors for first victory
It may not have been the moment the coin went in the air in pregame that the Pioneers had the game won, but it didn’t feel like it took much longer for Warren County to assert its will.
Warren County routed visiting Hunters Lane 41-12 Friday night, breaking through for its first win of the season in emphatic fashion at Nunley Stadium.
Junior AJ Whitman was again sensational, finishing with three total touchdowns and eclipsing 100 yards rushing for the third straight week, while Dylan Aguilar, Brant Damon and Carter Lee all had rushing touchdowns as Warren County built a 27-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back.
For coach Eric Belew, the blowout was certainly something to celebrate after two heartbreaking losses, but it also gave him another chance to reinforce what he believes the standard should be for his team.
“On both sides of the ball we played really hard. I think there’s some execution that we’ve got to tighten up on,” said Belew on the WCSA postgame show. “Obviously, scoring every possession is something you want to try to do and that was the MO when I talked to the team afterwards. That’s got to be the standard all the time.”
Warren County (1-2) didn’t hide its intentions after winning the coin flip. The Pioneers wanted the ball because they were confident in what they could do with it. And with Whitman again looking fantastic controlling the offense, Warren County immediately went to work.
Whitman capped a dominating four-play, 63-yard opening drive with a 5-yard TD run. After Aguilar opened the night with an 8-yard burst, Whitman ripped off runs of 32 and 18 yards before finishing the drive himself. Hunters Lane barely laid a hand on a Pioneer until Warren County runners were already well downfield.
It was the beginning of another huge night for Whitman, who finished with 124 yards and two touchdowns on just five carries. He also had a perfect passing night, going 2-for-2 for 27 yards and a score in just his third start at quarterback.
Whitman credited the guys in front of him for making his job easier.
“I can’t thank them enough. I wouldn’t be anywhere without them,” said Whitman of the Pioneer offensive line.
After Hunters Lane was stopped on fourth down inside the 20, Whitman didn’t need long to get the Pioneers back in the end zone, this time finding Marek Sadlon for a 9-yard touchdown on a screen pass.
It was a big moment for the senior receiver and one his quarterback was happy to deliver.
“He deserves the ball more. I mean, he’s a freak in the weight room. He’s not easy to tackle,” said Whitman. “I think we need to find more ways to get him the ball and put him in good positions.”
The Warriors couldn’t seem to stop giving the Pioneers perfect field position in the first quarter. Hunters Lane again went backward on its next possession and ultimately tried a punt that was blocked and settled inside the 15.
From there, Warren County went right back to work on the ground, feeding Aguilar for a touchdown as the points continued to pile up.
By the time Lee took a handoff on a jet sweep late in the first quarter and had time to walk into the end zone, the Pioneers had put a bow on a nearly perfect opening 12 minutes. Warren County had scored four times, gotten contributions from all over the offense and completely overwhelmed the Warriors.
“When we make it about us, that’s the standard that we can play. When we’re just worried about what our job is, we’re not being selfish and we can distribute the ball to a lot of different guys,” said Belew about the quick start. “I think four different guys touched the ball on that (opening) drive, so that’s something that we really want to take pride in.”
Despite it only being the first quarter, the mercy rule was put in place after the Pioneers’ dominant start. And it didn’t seem like anybody was going to argue on a hot night at Nunley Stadium.
Kayden Wynn did give the Warriors a first-half highlight when he was able to hit Stephon Curry over the top for a 71-yard touchdown in the second quarter, but it only took Warren County one play to answer.
Whitman, who thought he may be watching for the rest of the night, got one more snap and made it count.
He powered over the right side, broke through two arm tackles and showed off his speed on a 60-yard touchdown run that put the Pioneers up 34-6 by halftime.
There wasn't much lobbying required to get Whitman back on the field.
“To be honest, he told me I was done and then they scored,” said Whitman. “He looked at me and said, ‘One more play,’ and one more play it was.”
Whitman has made plenty of those plays through the first three weeks. After rushing for 158 yards at DeKalb County and 202 against Livingston Academy, the junior has now topped the century mark in all three of his starts.
His legs have quickly become the calling card of the Pioneer offense and the junior signal caller - now up to 484 yards in three games - doesn’t try to hide exactly what kind of quarterback he is.
“I think that’s my best asset,” Whitman said about his dual-threat ability at QB. “Brady’s last year was throwing and mine’s being able to make plays with my feet.”
While Whitman was stealing the show offensively in the first half, Cameron Redmore was creating his own highlight reel on the other side. The sophomore seemed to live in the Warriors' backfield in the first half, delivering several big hits and helping Warren County completely erase the Hunters Lane running game.
The dominance went beyond the scoreboard early - Hunters Lane managed just 93 yards before halftime and 71 came on Curry's lone touchdown catch. Warren County had 187 yards despite repeatedly being handed fields so short there wasn't much grass left to cover.
With the game firmly in hand, the second half became a chance for Warren County to get a look at the future.
Freshman quarterback Brant Damon took control and showed the Pioneer backfield could be in good hands. Whether it was handing off to fellow freshman James Mietling, a bulldozer who had 23 yards on four carries, or keeping it on the read, Damon was able to keep the offense on schedule.
And when Warren County got near the end zone, Damon showed he had some burst too. With the Pioneer line washing the Warriors out of the play, Damon raced untouched 16 yards for a touchdown right before the buzzer in the third quarter.
Damon finished with 48 yards on six carries in his first extended varsity action.
Damon’s TD answered another long TD pass from Wynn to Curry on fourth down on the opening drive of the second half, but it would prove to be the last time the Warriors would score. A host of Pioneer sophomores kept the Warriors out of the end zone in the fourth quarter to wrap up the victory.
The two long touchdown passes were the biggest blemishes for a Warren County defense that otherwise spent most of the night controlling the Warriors. The Pioneer front was consistently in the Hunters Lane backfield and the Warriors managed only 31 rushing yards.
Belew saw plenty to like, but he wasn't willing to overlook some late penalties or the explosive plays allowed through the air.
“Defensively, there was a lot of high spots and there was a lot of low spots too that we’ve got to get fixed,” said Belew. “The penalties have got to be cut out, especially post-snap penalties. That’s not our standard.”
There was also something different about the mood around Nunley Stadium when it was over.
For two straight Fridays, Warren County had walked off the field wondering how a game had slipped away. There was no such drama this time. Warren County got the ball, scored immediately and kept scoring until there was never any doubt about who would be celebrating.
“I just want them to know how important it is to soak up every moment,” said Belew, who met with his seniors after the victory, about his discussion with the team following the win. “You just snap your fingers and it’s over. It’s 15 years later and you’ve got kids and stuff running around. I just really wanted them to understand how important high school sports is and just these four years, soaking up as much as they can.”
The Pioneers will now get a chance to even their record next week when they wrap up a three-game homestand against Franklin County. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Nunley Stadium against the Rebels, who will enter the night 1-1 after defeating Howard 44-0 Friday night.
Stats
WC passing - AJ Whitman 2-for-2, 27 yards, TD
WC rushing - Whitman 5 carries, 124 yards, 2 TD; Brant Damon 6 carries, 48 yards, TD; James Mietling 4 carries, 23 yards; Dylan Aguilar 3 carries, 22 yards, TD; Carter Lee 1 carry, 3 yards, TD
WC receiving - Carter Lee 1 catch, 18 yards; Marek Sadlon 1 catch, 9 yards, TD
WC kicking - Gavin Looper 5/6 XP
HL passing - Kayden Wynn 9-for-21, 190 yards, 2 TD
HL rushing - Wynn 8 carries, 22 yards; Javonte Brown 1 carry, 19 yards; Zayden Mostiller 1 carry, 6 yards
HL receiving - Stephon Curry 4 catches, 154 yards, 2 TD; Stefon Couch 4 catches, 26 yards; Brown 1 catch, 10 yards
