The White County Warriors had enough playmakers in the right positions to run away from the Gilmer High Bobcats.
The Warriors jumped ahead early and built a solid four-score edge by the half. While GHS was able to cut the deficit to 14 points by the start of the fourth quarter, two more WCHS touchdowns saw Gilmer fall in a 52-25 defeat.
The Bobcats have dealt with injuries all season, and underclassmen continue to be mainstays in the varsity lineup.
“I’m proud of the way our kids fought back in the second half. We had some opportunities in the first half that we did not take advantage of,” said head coach Paul Standard. “Obviously we didn’t tackle very well, and that’s something we’ve got to keep working on.
“I thought we had some very courageous efforts by some of our players who are playing really banged up. (Sophomore) Blake Reece is one who has a bad hip pointer, but he’s played the whole time and it’s killing him. We got multiple guys who are playing banged up like a lot of teams at this time of year.”
Gilmer’s triple-option offense totaled 196 rushing yards, and halfback Kobe Stonecipher led the way with 124 on 24 attempts and two touchdowns. He was also there for a 20-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Seth Darling.
White’s hurry-up offense depended heavily on tailback Zion McMullen, and fellow senior Silas Mulligan proved to be a tough runner as well.
WCHS started the game with a pair of touchdown drives, and both needed seven plays to move 62 yards. They concluded with touchdown passes of 28 and 9 yards to Bryson Cronic and Darius Cannon.
GHS found itself down 13-0 with 3:16 left in the first quarter, and the Cats punted on their first two possessions before embarking on a 65-yard drive.
White surrendered very little up the middle, and junior fullback Brock Titus did not have much room to maneuver. Stonecipher collected runs of 5 and 11 yards before the Cats faced third down and 7 from White’s 45. Darling got loose for a 18-yard scamper before he completed a 24-yard pass to halfback Will Kiker down to the 2. Stonecipher tested the right side on the drive’s ninth play for touchdown.
Tony Olea added the point after as GHS trailed 13-7 moments into the second quarter. The Cats’ next three drives ended with a punt, fumble and turnover on downs.
White fumbled on its third possession and Gilmer sophomore Hayden Morrison recovered. The Warriors’ fourth series spanned 63 yards on seven plays and was capped by a 6-yard Mulligan touchdown run. White’s lead stood at 19-7 after Dominic Tarantino blocked the extra point.
Tarantino was there again when White’s offense returned to the field. He intercepted a first down pass, though Gilmer’s offense eventually stalled at the Warriors’ 34.
WCHS closed out the half with two scoring drives. Mulligan broke off a 49-yard touchdown run on the fifth play of the 66-yard drive for a 25-7 lead. After recovering an onside kick, WCHS strung together a 35-yard drive that ended on the fifth play with a 5-yard Mulligan run.
Trailing 32-7, Stonecipher rushed six straight times for 38 yards to start Gilmer’s final drive of the half to advance to White’s 13. A Darling pass fell incomplete four plays later to end the half.
Morrison jumped a quick pass for an interception on White’s first play of the second half. Five rushes were needed to cover 18 yards and Titus scored from 2 yards out to trim White’s lead to 32-13 three and a half minutes into the third quarter.
WCHS answered with a 10-play scoring drive where McMullen and Mulligan did most of the damage aside from the 9-yard touchdown pass that ended the 49-yard drive.
The Bobcats found themselves down 39-13 and responded with consecutive touchdowns. From midfield, Titus rushed twice for a total of 9 yards before Stonecipher slipped through the middle of the line for a 41-yard touchdown jaunt.
Gilmer recovered an onside kick and started at White’s 46. GHS picked up a first down before it was pushed back to the 43. Darling completed a 14-yard pass to Titus to move inside the 30. A pass interference granted Gilmer a fresh set of downs, and on the drive’s eighth play, Darling completed a 20-yard pass to a wide open Stonecipher down the seam.
With its lead cut to 39-25, Warrior Cannon returned the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown. GHS turned the ball over on downs, and White added a final touchdown on a 5-yard McMullen rush. The three-play, 22-yard drive made the score 52-25 with 8:01 to play.
GHS punted on its last dive and White knelt three times to end the game.
“I was really proud of our effort, especially in the second half,” Standard said. “I think we came out a little flat in the first half. I don’t know why. That’s on me, and something we’re obviously going to try to correct in our final game this year.”
The Cats will take on Union County (2-6) Friday to close out their season.
“We’re going on the road again and approaching it like we have every other week ... there’s nothing different. Even though it’s not a region game, it’s our next game and happens to be the last game,” Standard said.
“I told our seniors we’re going to go out on a great note for them because they’ve helped us lay a foundation for the coming years, and I’m appreciative of their efforts for that. (No matter what they’ve been through or what lies ahead), our kids have come to work every day and work hard, and I’m proud of them for that.”
Kickoff in Blairsville Friday is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.