Tigers trip up Pioneers in OT
Brent Carden photo
It seemingly couldn’t have been a better setup for the Pioneers in overtime. DeKalb County started by marching backward, while Warren County was going to get to know exactly what it would need to potentially snap the Tigers’ winning streak in the series.
And then nothing went right.
DeKalb County was able to move close enough for Adrian Prater to kick a 27-yard field goal and the Pioneers, pushed back by a costly overtime penalty of their own, saw the game end on a fumble as the Tigers escaped with a 10-7 victory Friday night in Smithville.
“I got to do a better job leading our team,” said coach Eric Belew. “We’ll get it fixed.”
It was the first-ever overtime game between the teams, who have now battled every year since 2005. Warren County looked poised to pull the series even at 11-11 when overtime started with DeKalb County already facing a major setback.
The Tigers were assessed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after a player slammed his helmet following the final seconds of regulation. DeKalb County had been trying to move into position for a game-winning field goal, but instead started overtime going the wrong direction.
The Tiger ground game got just enough yardage back to give Prater a chance.
Senior QB Jesse Foutch, who finished with a team-high 92 rushing yards and the lone DeKalb touchdown, had a five-yard run before Collin Donnell, the most effective of the three Tigers who ran Friday, broke loose for 10 more. Prater came on and knocked through the 27-yarder to give DeKalb County a 10-7 lead.
Still, it seemed perfectly set up for the Pioneers. Warren County needed only 10 yards for a touchdown and the win after already marching through the Tiger defense late in the fourth quarter to force overtime.
Warren County went to the Power I and Cameron Redmore, a standout on both sides of the ball, lowered his shoulder for three yards. After the play, however, a scuffle ensued and a Pioneer lineman was whistled for a personal foul and ejected.
Suddenly pushed back to the Tiger 22, Warren County once again put the ball in the hands of AJ Whitman.
The junior QB had been a one-man weapon at times for the Pioneers, but his final attempt to churn out extra yards ended when three Tigers converged and knocked the ball loose. DeKalb County recovered the fumble and the game was over.
It was Warren County’s third turnover of the night in a game where both defenses continually erased scoring opportunities.
Whitman was intercepted twice by Aiden Harris, while Carter Lee had a huge interception at the Pioneer 1 in the first half to stop what appeared to be a certain Tiger touchdown. Warren County also forced a pair of fumbles, none bigger than the one the visitors jarred away from Foutch near the goal line. The ball rolled into the end zone and the Pioneers recovered for a touchback, wiping away another prime DeKalb scoring opportunity.
With both offenses struggling to hold onto the ball and defenses repeatedly rising in the biggest moments, the game remained scoreless through three quarters.
Foutch finally broke the stalemate on the first play of the fourth, scoring on a four-yard keeper to give DeKalb County a 7-0 lead.
Warren County had the answer late, and it was a heaping dose of Whitman on the ground.
Countless times throughout the contest, Whitman found a way to weave past would-be tacklers, shed Tigers or flat-out run through them as he piled up a game-best 158 rushing yards. On the game-tying drive - a six-play, 59-yard march set up by a fumble recovery following a big hit from Marek Sadlon - Whitman went to work.
He opened the drive with an 11-yard scamper, then got some help when Dylan Aguilar ripped off 11 more to move Warren County into Tiger territory. Whitman followed with the biggest offensive play of the night for the Pioneers, carrying Tigers on his back during a 28-yard rumble all the way to the DeKalb 4.
From there, Warren County wasn’t going to change up the calls.
Whitman took the snap, plowed forward and scored. Gavin Looper knocked through the PAT and the Pioneers pulled even at 7-7 with four minutes to play.
The final four minutes turned into a chess match, with both coaches using timeouts while searching for a chance to win in regulation. DeKalb County eventually moved into Warren County territory, but the clock expired before the Tigers could put points on the board.
That set up the wild overtime ending, one that finished with the Tigers celebrating a third straight victory in the border battle. DeKalb County now holds a 12-10 advantage in the series since the teams began meeting annually in 2005.
The Pioneers have to get back to work quickly. Warren County kicks off a three-game homestand next week with a Friday, Aug. 28 matchup against Livingston Academy. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. and the Warren County Sports Authority will broadcast the game live.
Check out the second half and OT from Friday night on the Warren County Sports Authority Facebook page.
Individual Game stats
WC Passing - AJ Whitman 5-for-14, 55 yards, 2 INT
WC rushing - Whitman 19 carries, 158 yards, TD; Dylan Aguilar 5 carries, 25 yards; Cameron Redmore 5 carries, 17 yards; Kayden Solomon 1 carry, -4 yards, Carter Lee 1 carry, -5 yards
WC receiving - Lee 2 catches, 34 yards; Isaac Smith 2 catches, 14 yards; Marek Sadlon 1 catch, 7 yards
WC kicking - Gavin Looper 1/1 PAT
WC punting - Looper 3 punts, 31.7 yard average
WC returns - Lee 1 KR, 20 yards; Sadlon 2 PR, 15 yards
DC passing - Jesse Foutch 4-for-7, 45 yards, INT
DC rushing - Foutch 19 carries, 92 yards, TD; Collin Donnell 13 carries, 63 yards; Aiden Harris 6 carries, 18 yards; Reed Midgett 3 carries, 8 yards
DC receiving - Preston Cantrell 1 catch, 23 yards; Levi Cripps 1 catch, 12 yards; Keegan Taylor 1 catch, 6 yards; Midgett 1 catch, 4 yards
DC kicking - Adrian Prater 1/1 FG, 1/1 PAT
DC punting - Prater 4 punts, 37.3 yard average
DC returns - Rocky Cantrell 1 KR, 16 yards
