The big men in the trenches helped the Pioneers pile up 41 points an produce a pair of 100-yard rushers in Hixson.
Warren County had a million reasons to be focused Friday night. The Pioneers played like it.
A week that included the Warren County A&L Fair, a day out of school, a long road trip, a different pregame routine and an opponent still searching for its first victory never knocked Warren County off course. Instead, the Pioneers leaned on another dominant night from AJ Whitman, big plays from Marek Sadlon and a defense that continued creating turnovers to roll past Hixson 41-12.
Warren County has now won three straight after an 0-2 start, improving to 3-2 at the midway point of the regular season.
Whitman continued to be the driving force. The junior quarterback carried 32 times for 194 yards and four touchdowns, giving him 922 rushing yards and 11 rushing scores through five games. He also completed 7-of-12 passes for 92 yards and a touchdown, accounting for 286 yards and five scores Friday.
Dylan Aguilar joined Whitman over the century mark, needing only six carries to gain 104 yards. Warren County finished with 323 yards on the ground and controlled the ball for more than 30 minutes.
The final score may have looked comfortable, but Hixson made Warren County earn it early.
The Pioneer defense forced a three-and-out on Hixson's opening possession, but Warren County was stopped on fourth down when it first got the ball. Two plays later, Camron Holder recovered a Hixson fumble and the Pioneers went to work from there.
Whitman eventually finished the 45-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to give Warren County a 7-0 lead with 6:29 left in the first quarter.
It took Hixson 12 seconds to answer.
Easton McEntyre hit Deuantre Baulding Jr. on a screen and the speedy Wildcat turned it into a 65-yard touchdown. But when Hixson looked poised to tie the game, Colton Wood shot through the middle and blocked the extra point to keep Warren County in front 7-6.
Hixson's speed continued to cause problems. Baulding later broke loose on a punt return that covered roughly 90 yards and appeared to give the Wildcats the lead, only for a penalty to bring the play all the way back.
It helped Warren County escape the first quarter still holding its 7-6 advantage, a break that would allow the team to settle down before creating separation.
Whitman scored his second touchdown on a 12-yard run with nine minutes remaining in the second quarter. And he wasn’t done guiding the Pioneers to paydirt.
With just over a minute remaining before halftime, Warren County struck through the air when Whitman hit Sadlon on a short screen pass and the senior did the rest. Sadlon avoided two tacklers before sprinting down the sidelines for a 50-yard score that put the Pioneers up 21-6 at the break.
Sadlon's impact went far beyond the touchdown.
He finished with two catches for 58 yards and was a threat every time Hixson kicked him the football. He set up both second-quarter TDs with long punt returns, ultimately finishing with 82 yards on four punt returns. Sadlon nearly took a kickoff all the way back for another touchdown before the return was wiped away by a penalty.
Coach Eric Belew wasn't surprised to see Sadlon deliver.
“Marek deserves to make those types of plays, No. 1, because of the type of kid he is, but No. 2, because he's earned it,” said Belew. “I just couldn't be more proud of him.”
For Sadlon, the performance was another example of what Warren County's players believe has been building since long before the season started.
“You know, it feels really good. (We did) A lot of work this offseason, man, and it just feels great to put all that work and get it going into the field,” said Sadlon. “Everybody works hard in the weight room. This whole team works all that work in the weight room just to be like this out on the field.”
Warren County didn't give Hixson much opportunity to make things interesting after halftime.
Whitman added his third touchdown on a 19-yard run less than three minutes into the third quarter, stretching the lead to 28-6 as the Pioneers punished the Wildcats on the ground. The team just bulldozed its way down the field, then relied on the QB’s great vision and speed to get into the endzone.
Hixson answered when Baulding scored on a 19-yard run with 2:17 remaining in the quarter - a questionable play where it looked like Hixson tried a shovel pass that Baulding dropped before corralling - but the two-point try failed and Warren County still held a commanding lead.
The Pioneer defense made sure it stayed that way.
Hixson finished with 328 yards, but Warren County repeatedly kept the Wildcats from turning yards into points. McEntyre completed 11-of-24 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown, but the Pioneers intercepted him twice. Anden Green came away with one pick while Carter Lee grabbed another on the final play of the night. Warren County also recovered a Hixson fumble to win the turnover battle.
Green's interception was particularly rewarding for Belew. The basketball standout only recently joined the football program, but his work since arriving has quickly earned the coach's attention.
“As soon as he got with our program, all he's done is worked and he's improved,” said Belew. “What is so special about him is how he responds after something bad happens. When he has made a mistake, he has been urgent to fix it.
“When you have that mentality of solving those problems and fixing things, it's what makes him a great basketball player. We couldn't be more excited to have him.”
Brent Carden photo
After Green’s interception, Whitman immediately ripped off a run of more than 15 yards, planting his foot and cutting away from a Hixson defender to move the Pioneers across midfield. After a nine-yard run by Dylan Aguilar gave Whitman a brief rest, the junior quarterback returned and went back behind Warren County's big package.
With Colton Wood and Colton Gater usually paving the way, Whitman - along with strong running from Cameron Redmore - got the Pioneers in scoring position. Warren County kept pounding away until Whitman finished the drive himself, scoring from 3 yards out with 7:13 remaining.
Then Aguilar supplied the final big play.
With 1:21 left, the senior broke free for an 84-yard touchdown, pushing Warren County past 40 points for the second time during its three-game winning streak.
The final score didn't completely reflect the athleticism Warren County had to deal with throughout the night. Hixson showed several times how quickly it could create a big play, but the Wildcats managed only two touchdowns.
Belew came away impressed with how his defense handled the challenge.
“They've got all kinds of athletes. That's the fastest team we've seen all year and probably will be the fastest team we'll see all year,” said Belew. “So to hold them to 12 points, I couldn't be more thrilled.”
And for Sadlon, suppressing the Wildcats’ speed was just another example of Warren County's ability to handle challenges by going back to the bond the Pioneers have built.
“We just all work together,” said Sadlon. “I've heard a lot of people talk about chemistry. This is the team with the most chemistry I've ever played on in my life, to be honest. I feel like it all works together in the weight room. It goes from the weight room to out to the field. We all just have that bond and it really helps out on the field.”
Warren County will return home next week looking for its fourth straight win when it hosts Stone Memorial at Nunley Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. The Warren County Sports Authority will be on the scene to broadcast the matchup, which will also feature the retirement of former Pioneer standout CJ Taylor’s No. 1 jersey.
Individual Game Stats
WC passing: AJ Whitman 7-of-12, 92 yards, TD
WC rushing: Whitman 32 carries, 194 yards, 4 TD; Dylan Aguilar 6 carries, 104 yards, TD; Cameron Redmore 2 carries, 11 yards; Carter Lee 1 carry, 11 yards; Colton Gater 1 carry, 3 yards
WC receiving: Marek Sadlon 2 catches, 58 yards, TD; Carter Lee 3 catches, 22 yards; Colton Gater 1 catch, 6 yards; Dylan Aguilar 1 catch, 6 yards
WC kicking: Gavin Looper 5-of-5 PAT
WC returns: Marek Sadlon 4 punt returns, 82 yards; Dylan Aguilar 1 kick return, 10 yards
WC defensive highlights: Anden Green INT; Carter Lee INT, 25-yard return; Camron Holder fumble recovery; Colton Wood blocked PAT
Marek Sadlon was selected as the R3 Logistics player of the game by the WCSA.
Hixson passing: Easton McEntyre 11-of-24, 133 yards, TD, 2 INT
Hixson rushing: Keyon Burney 12 carries, 78 yards; Braylon Hutchins 10 carries, 62 yards; Deuantre Baulding Jr. 3 carries, 38 yards, TD; Braxton Donaldson 1 carry, 11 yards; Azaiah Sandridge 1 carry, 7 yards; McEntyre 4 carries, minus-1 yard
Hixson receiving: Baulding 7 catches, 94 yards, TD; Devin Rens 2 catches, 18 yards; Isaiah Rangel 1 catch, 12 yards; Rishun Burney 1 catch, 9 yards
Hixson punting: Gavin Springer 4 punts, 123 yards
