Stone Memorial made sure Warren County’s big night never turned into a celebration.
On a Friday where the Pioneers were looking for their fourth straight win and honoring one of the program’s all-time greats, the Panthers spoiled the party in emphatic fashion, rolling to a 42-7 victory at Nunley Stadium.
Stone Memorial used big plays to build an early lead, then poured it on with a 21-point second quarter to take a commanding 28-0 advantage into halftime. By the end of the night, the Panthers had piled up 420 yards of offense and snapped Warren County’s three-game winning streak.
The Pioneers had chances early to make it a different game. Dylan Aguilar intercepted Stone Memorial quarterback Max Warner on the Panthers’ opening possession and the Warren County defense later bowed its neck at the goal line, stuffing Stone on fourth down.
But when the Panthers hit, they hit big.
TJ McDowell broke loose for an 80-yard touchdown in the first quarter, the first of several explosive plays that plagued the Pioneers. McDowell finished with 156 yards and two touchdowns on just 13 carries, leading a Stone rushing attack that amassed 285 yards.
Things really started to snowball in the second quarter.
Warner found Carson McCoy for a touchdown on fourth down to stretch the lead, then connected with Kadyn Page for another score. McCoy delivered another crushing blow just before halftime, fielding a short Pioneer punt and racing 25 yards for a touchdown with 55 seconds remaining to make it 28-0.
Warren County never found the answer after the break. McDowell added his second rushing touchdown in the third quarter and Warner connected with Dylan Phillips for another score in the fourth as Stone stretched the advantage to 42-0.
Warner finished 16-of-23 for 135 yards and three touchdowns, while Page was his favorite target with 11 catches for 68 yards and a score.
Even on a difficult night, AJ Whitman was able to reach a major milestone.
The junior entered Friday needing 78 yards to reach 1,000 rushing yards for the season. Stone made him earn every one, but Whitman finally broke through late, finishing with 81 yards on 19 carries to push his season total to 1,003 yards through six games.
Whitman also completed 12-of-20 passes for 103 yards and helped Warren County finally break through in the final minute. After eclipsing 1,000 yards on the ground, Whitman found Wesley Romzek for a 14-yard touchdown with 57 seconds remaining.
Marek Sadlon led the Pioneers with four catches for 52 yards, while Carter Lee hauled in five passes for 25 yards.
It wasn’t the night Warren County envisioned, but there won’t be much time to dwell on it. The Pioneers (3-3) will hit the road next Friday looking to bounce back when they travel to Sparta to face White County.
Individual Game Stats
WC passing: AJ Whitman 12-of-20, 103 yards, TD
WC rushing: AJ Whitman 19 carries, 81 yards; Dylan Aguilar 3 carries, 4 yards; Cameron Redmore 1 carry, 1 yard
WC receiving: Marek Sadlon 4 catches, 52 yards; Carter Lee 5 catches, 25 yards; Wesley Romzek 2 catches, 20 yards, TD; Dylan Aguilar 1 catch, 6 yards
WC kicking: Gavin Looper 1-of-1 PAT
WC punting: Oswaldo Duenas 2 punts, 68 yards; Gavin Looper 2 punts, 49 yards
WC returns: Carter Lee 2 kick returns, 45 yards
WC defensive highlights: Dylan Aguilar INT
Stone Memorial passing: Max Warner 16-of-23, 135 yards, 3 TD, INT
Stone Memorial rushing: TJ McDowell 13 carries, 156 yards, 2 TD; AJ Vandever 6 carries, 79 yards; Lincoln Eldridge 2 carries, 39 yards; Max Warner 3 carries, 10 yards; Kadyn Page 1 carry, 1 yard
Stone Memorial receiving: Kadyn Page 11 catches, 68 yards, TD; Dylan Phillips 3 catches, 34 yards, TD; Carson McCoy 2 catches, 33 yards, TD
Stone Memorial kicking: 6-of-6 PAT
Stone Memorial returns: Carson McCoy 25-yard punt return TD
