Warriors explode in second half to beat York 53-21

York Institute came to Dee Harris Field Friday night and, early on, looked ready to make it a long night for the Warriors.

White County had other plans.

After taking just a one-score lead into halftime, the Warriors blew the game open in the second half on their way to a 53-21 Senior Night win over the Dragons.

York struck first, but White County answered, and the two teams finished the opening quarter tied. The Warriors eventually moved in front, but the Dragons refused to go away. At halftime, White County held just a 20-14 advantage.

Then Cole Sims went to work.

It took just one play after the second-half kickoff for Sims to give the Warriors some breathing room, taking the ball to the house for a touchdown. Then he did it again, and suddenly a six-point halftime lead had turned into a three-score advantage.

And White County wasn’t finished.

Jo Jo Dowell got in on the scoring with a blocked punt that he scooped up and carried into the end zone. Then he did it again.

Two blocked punts. Two touchdowns.

Just like that, the Warriors had turned what had been a close game into a 47-14 lead.

With the game firmly in hand, White County turned things over to its backups, but the scoring didn’t stop. By the time the clock hit zero, the scoreboard read 53-21 and the Warriors walked off Dee Harris Field with a win in their first home game of the season.

White County improves to 2-0 after opening the season last week with a 49-6 win at Soddy Daisy.