Football is back in White County! Unfortunately, the season did not start off on the right track.

The Warriors were unsuccessful in their scrimmage against the Stephens County Indians, losing 25-48. Early on, things looked bright for the Warriors, as senior DB Nix Burkett had an interception on their first defensive possession. Immediately afterwards, QB J. Ben Haynes found Jesse Thomas in the end zone for an early touchdown. However, this would be the only time all game that the Warriors held the lead.

The Indians scored two touchdowns to take a 13-6 lead to end the first quarter. The Warriors suffered a major blow in the first quarter, one which will affect their offense for the regular season. Junior wide receiver Jimmy King left the game midway through the first quarter with what turned out to be a dislocated left shoulder. Just like last season, King will likely miss the majority, if not all, of the 2019 football season.

As the first half progressed, things only got worse for the Warriors. They were unable gain any traction on offense until the end of the quarter, as Thomas caught another TD pass from Haynes. Meanwhile, Stephens County kept the foot on the throttle, scoring two more touchdowns to end the first half with a 27-13 lead.

Entering the third quarter, the Warriors were hoping to put six points on the board to give themselves momentum. On one hand, they put six points on the board. On the other hand, it was for Stephens County, as J. Ben Haynes threw a pick-6 to extend the lead for the Indians.

As the game progressed, both teams put in their second and third string players into the game. The younger Warriors played very well, as sophomore Silas Mulligan and junior Riley Stancil both scored touchdowns in the 4th quarter. However, their efforts were not enough to give the Warriors the preseason win.

Third year coach Tim Cokely will have a tough task leading this team to the playoffs. They have two state championship threats in their division in Marist and Blessed Trinity. Also, they have to deal with the always great Flowery Branch, and the up and coming Denmark. As for now, they will have two weeks to address their issues from today’s scrimmage before their season opener on August 30th vs. Lumpkin County.