By Michael Lindsay
“New” is the word in Sparta this season as White County enters 2023 with a new head coach, a new region and 14 new starters.
“New faces and a new region, but the same mentality,” said Sparta’s first-year head coach Curtis Beaty. “We’re still working towards being the physical football team that people have known Sparta as for the past four years.”
Beaty previously served as White County’s defensive coordinator until his promotion to head coach following the departure of former HC Mark Frasier. Joining Beaty on the 2023 Warrior coaching staff are Mike Sloan, David Foster, Steve Wilson, Jordon Bailey, Derrick Sparkman, Jacob Sparkman, Allen Selby and Jeff Glass.
White County went 9-3 overall in 2022 in a historic season led by Class 5A Mr. Football finalist Malaki Dowell. The Warriors graduated 22 seniors from last season and have 9 seniors in 2023.
White County returns 3 offensive starters and 5 on defense for the upcoming season. With the departures from 2022, new players have stepped into leadership roles in Sparta.
“(Linebacker) Owen Adams and (quarterback) Tripp Pinion have really taken on those leadership roles,” said Beaty. “Both of those guys started playing as freshmen so they’re older in years than they are in grade. Owen demands a lot of the guys on the defensive side of the ball and Tripp wants perfection on offense.”
Pinion returns as a 3-year starting quarterback of the Warriors. Alongside him in the backfield will be a mix of Adams, Cole Sims, Jojo Dowell and Isaiah Kelso at running back.
At receiver, the Warriors are slated to use a rotation of Antonio Purvis, Darvon Richmond, Demarious Dowell, Peyton Simpson and Gage Stephenson.
Hunter Broyles and JG Wallace are expected to contribute at tight end.
Up front, White County expects to start Dayman Conley and TJ Dodd at the tackles, Max Baker and Keaton Sparkman at the guards and David Robertson at center with Colton Gentry and Johnny Humphrey rotating as needed.
The Warriors will look to expand on their current identity offensively.
“When we had Malaki back there, it easy to just turn to him and ask ‘Which way do you want to go?’” Beaty said. “We bring back Tripp Pinion as a 3-year starter and his arm is more developed. We’re going to try and let him throw the ball more. We’re still going to run a lot of our run scheme things and try to go to the air a little more if teams allow it.”
Defensively, the Warriors will have a new look under defensive coordinator David Foster.
“We want to be the most physical football team in this region,” Beaty said. “Are we there yet? I don’t think so, but we know the recipe to success is as simple as block, tackle, win. If we can do that, we can make some noise in this region.”
Expected contributors on the defensive line include AJ Hunt, Colton Gentry, TY Marable, Shaun Gomez, Kayden Blaylock, Johnny Humphrey, David Robertson and Lex Whinfree.
Owen Adams, Isaiah Kelso and Gage Stephenson are expected to rotate in the linebacker spots while Darvon Richmond, Asher Kelso, Tripp Pinion, Payton Simpson, Exavior Gamblin and Cole Sims are slated to play in the secondary.
Demarious Dowell will punt for the Warriors while Payton Simpson and Noah Skeith are slated to share kicking duties.
Perhaps the biggest change at White County this season is their move from Region 5-5A to Region 4-4A. The Warriors are leaving opponents in the greater Nashville area behind as new region foes include Cumberland County, DeKalb County, Livingston Academy, Macon County, Stone Memorial and Upperman.
“It’s exactly what White County has needed for the past 30 years,” said Beaty. “This is what I grew up in; I’m a Livingston guy, and I came up through this. The local rivalries that basketball and the other sports have, now we get them.
“There’s nothing more fun than walking out on Friday night with a love-hate relationship with the other team,” Beaty said. “I’m excited about Sparta finally getting to enjoy that.”
Non-region foes for White County include their opener at Silverdale Academy, a week 2 trip to Warren County, a week three showdown with Cookeville and a contest with CAK on Oct. 6.
“That game with Cookeville is one of the top rivalries in the state,” Beaty said. “We’ll play them year in and year out. Warren County is also one of those county-line rivalries we want to keep.”
White County is set to open the 2023 season on Friday, Aug. 18 as they travel to Chattanooga to face Silverdale Academy. The opener will be live-streamed on the UCR Media Network on Facebook.
