by Rusty Ellis
The scenario is pretty simple for the White County Warriors after their 31-28 loss to Wilson Central a week ago.
Win Friday’s game against Hillsboro, and you likely make the playoffs. Lose, and the postseason is likely gone for the second consecutive year in this new seven-team region.
Hunters Lane is sitting at 0-3 and likely out at this point with games against Green Hill, Sparta and Station Camp still on the schedule, and that last game will be just as important to Station Camp depending on what happens in White County on Friday.
It all becomes even more complicated when you factor in the loss to Wilson Central for the Warriors. Now that both of those teams are sitting at 2-2, Wilson Central now owns the head-to-head tiebreaker, meaning White County could be on the outside looking in if they don’t beat Hillsboro.
There were plenty of positives to take away from last week’s loss, mainly anything regarding Tripp Pinion. The sophomore quarterback has experienced a big year-two jump in his development and he’s become one of the most important pieces for Mark Fraiser’s Warriors.
This is evidenced in both his game against Mt. Juliet, as well as what he did against Wilson Central. In a tight 45-43 defeat to the Golden Bears, he ran for 120 yards and three touchdowns, including the go-ahead two-point conversion with just 17 seconds left in the game. Last week, he was a threat with both his arms and his legs. He threw for 110 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 190 yards and two more scores.
It’s pretty safe to say that to beat Hillsboro, the Warriors need a big game from Pinion.
That last point is exacerbated even more if Malaki Dowell is unavailable or less than 100%. After not playing the majority of the game against Wilson Central, it’s unclear whether or not Dowell will be fully ready to go, but if he is, the Warriors’ chances look much better.
The other aspect of all of this is the defense, one that appeared to show strides against Green Hill by holding them to 20 points in a one-point victory before taking a step back last week.
The secondary in particular will need to be good, especially considering all of Hillsboro’s athletes on the outside. If they’re unable to contain the receiving group the Burros offer, it could be a long night in Sparta.
Still, it’s high-level football with potential postseason berths on the line. What more could you want on a Friday night in the South?
The game will be broadcasted on Upper Cumberland Reporter 2, with pregame coverage beginning at 6:45 P.M.