Warren County went back in black Friday night. AJ Whitman made sure the Pioneers went back to winning, too.
Sporting special black uniforms for Senior Night, the Pioneers celebrated their 15 seniors with a 41-6 victory over Glencliff at Nunley Stadium. Whitman put together one of his best performances of the season, rushing for 235 yards and three touchdowns while throwing for 140 yards and two more scores as Warren County improved to 5-5.
The victory gave the Pioneers consecutive wins for the first time since September and an opportunity to finish with a winning record for the second straight season when they host LaVergne in the Nurserymen's Bowl Thursday, Nov. 5.
It also gave coach Eric Belew a chance to celebrate a senior class that has helped shape his program over the last two seasons.
“Just super proud. I love these guys to death,” said Belew after the victory. “I just want them to know how much I appreciate them. Just seeing their growth over the last two years, it's just something that's super special.”
The celebration started before kickoff, when Warren County unveiled its black uniforms with red numbers and blue trim. The surprise gave the seniors another memory to take from their final regular-season game, even if they had to wait a little longer than expected to wear them.
Glencliff's arrival was delayed by traffic coming from Nashville, pushing kickoff back approximately 30 minutes. Once the Colts arrived, Warren County wasted little time taking control.
Senior Carter Lee intercepted a pass on Glencliff's opening possession and returned it to the Colts' 34-yard line. Two plays later, Whitman rolled to his right and fired a 21-yard touchdown pass to Marek Sadlon, giving the Pioneers a 7-0 lead just 70 seconds into the game.
The quick start didn't immediately turn into a runaway.
Warren County lost a fumble on its next possession and struggled with penalties that erased several promising plays. Glencliff, meanwhile, showed enough fight to keep the Pioneers from pulling away early.
Lee helped change that with another big play late in the first quarter.
The senior receiver went streaking down the field and Whitman connected with him in stride for a 58-yard touchdown with 1:38 remaining, extending Warren County's advantage to 14-0.
The Colts answered in the second quarter when quarterback Eumaurion Holman connected with Maverick Crane for a 38-yard touchdown. A muffed snap on the PAT and failed conversion left Warren County ahead 14-6, but Glencliff’s score kept the game tight after the Pioneers looked destined for a blowout in the first 70 seconds.
Warren County had opportunities to extend its lead throughout the quarter, only to see penalties and missed chances get in the way. The Pioneers also missed a field goal, leaving the Colts within striking distance.
A late defensive stop gave Warren County one more opportunity before halftime. And a strong punt return by Sadlon set it all up.
Sadlon, dynamic deep on punts all year, fielded a kick on the run and sprinted 24 yards to get the Pioneers in Colts territory with 2 minutes to go. Whitman did the rest, running a 2-minute offense with perfect precision.
The final two yards were covered with just three seconds remaining as Whitman’s first rushing TD sent Warren County into the locker room leading 21-6 and gave the Pioneers some breathing room.
The third quarter brought more of the same resistance from Glencliff. Warren County couldn't immediately capitalize on receiving the second-half kickoff, and the Colts continued to challenge the Pioneer defense.
Glencliff managed just 62 rushing yards for the game, however, and its passing attack couldn't consistently sustain drives. Holman finished 5-of-23 for 76 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
Warren County eventually put together another scoring march late in the third quarter, with Whitman carrying the offense into the red zone. Penalties again threatened to derail the possession, but the Pioneers kept moving.
On the final play of the quarter, Whitman powered across the goal line from a yard out for his second rushing touchdown. The score gave Warren County a 28-6 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
From there, the Pioneers finally put the game away.
Sophomore Cameron Redmore intercepted a pass early in the fourth quarter and returned it seven yards into Glencliff territory. The turnover gave Whitman another short field, and the junior quarterback soon broke loose for a 37-yard touchdown run to stretch the lead to 35-6.
It was Whitman's fifth touchdown of the night, completing a performance in which he finished 12-of-15 passing without an interception and averaged more than eight yards per rushing attempt as Belew was quick to share the credit with the players blocking in front of his quarterback.
“He's electric,” said Belew. “What we've got up front, they've really bought into protecting him. And anybody that's carrying the ball, anybody that's throwing the ball, I think our offensive line just deserves so much credit in that regard.”
The Pioneers weren't finished celebrating their seniors after Whitman's fifth touchdown.
With the game firmly in hand, Warren County turned to Dylan Aguilar, giving the senior several opportunities to finish a drive in the end zone. He appeared to score once, only to have the touchdown erased by a holding penalty.
The Pioneers went right back to him.
Aguilar eventually scored from four yards out with 3:20 remaining, providing one more Senior Night highlight and the final points in the team’s fourth 41-point night of the season.
Fittingly, senior Eli Sain ended the game with a sack as the Pioneers got to celebrate a night of big plays to end the regular season.
The victory wasn't without areas for improvement though. Warren County was penalized 10 times for 90 yards and lost two fumbles, mistakes that prevented the Pioneers from putting the game away earlier. Belew believes some of that had to do with the group across the field.
“I think Glencliff played a good game tonight. They were physical up front,” said Belew. “I think they did a lot of good things that put us in some binds, but I was just thrilled to see how we executed in all phases of the game.”
The final score was only part of the celebration. After the game, the seniors gathered around Belew for a spirited postgame interview, enjoying a victory that came with special uniforms, plenty of touchdowns and another chance to play together next week.
Belew said the surprise uniforms were a fitting reward for the group.
“Anytime you get a big win, 35-point margin is great. Just seeing the look on their faces when they got the uniforms, it's what they deserve,” said Belew. “They deserve to have special moments like that. They're special kids, and we're excited they got to be a part of that.”
Warren County will now turn its attention to LaVergne, a Class 6A opponent that will visit Nunley Stadium on Thursday. A victory would give the Pioneers a 6-5 finish for the second straight season under Belew.
Game Stats
WC passing - AJ Whitman 12-for-15, 140 yards, 2 TD
WC rushing - Whitman 29 carries, 235 yards, 3 TD; Dylan Aguilar 4 carries, 30 yards, TD; Cameron Redmore 2 carries, 7 yards; Christian Munoz 1 carry, 5 yards; Colton Gater 1 carry, 0 yards; Carter Lee 2 carries, -4 yards
WC receiving - Carter Lee 5 catches, 77 yards, TD; Marek Sadlon 3 catches, 24 yards, TD; Christian Munoz 2 catches, 16 yards; Colton Gater 1 catch, 16 yards; Wesley Romzek 1 catch, 7 yards
WC kicking - Gavin Looper 5/6 XP
Glencliff passing - Eumaurion Holman 5-for-23, 76 yards, TD, 2 INT
Glencliff rushing - Jermaine Buford 11 carries, 61 yards; Laron Spratt 4 carries, 10 yards; Asher Thompson 1 carry, 5 yards; Maverick Crane 1 carry, -2 yards; Holman 2 carries, -12 yards
Glencliff receiving - Maverick Crane 1 catch, 38 yards, TD; Jermaine Buford 2 catches, 21 yards; Tyquan Ottey 2 catches, 17 yards
