WCHS Athlete of the Week

Warren County was looking for a way out of its three-game slump Friday night, and A.J. Whitman helped lead the charge.

The Pioneer standout accounted for three touchdowns and 235 yards of total offense in Warren County's 41-18 road victory over the Howard Hustlin' Tigers in Chattanooga, earning him the Main Street Journal's Reddick Brown Ford WCHS Athlete of the Week honor for Oct. 18-24.

Whitman was at the center of an offensive resurgence that saw the Pioneers score touchdowns on their first three possessions and find the end zone six times overall. After managing just 23 points across their previous three games, Warren County erupted for 41 against Howard, including 27 in the first half.

The quarterback led the charge on the ground, rushing for 132 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries while completing six passes for 103 yards and another score.

Whitman wasted little time making his presence felt, breaking free for a 17-yard run on Warren County's opening possession before powering into the end zone from 14 yards out to give the Pioneers an early 6-0 lead.

He struck again later in the first quarter, connecting with Carter Lee for a 30-yard touchdown pass down the right sideline to double Warren County's advantage, but perhaps Whitman's biggest highlight came midway through the second quarter.

After Howard trimmed the lead to 13-6, Whitman escaped a tackle in the backfield, found an opening up the middle and raced 35 yards for his second rushing touchdown of the night, restoring Warren County's two-touchdown cushion and sparking a stretch of 28 unanswered Pioneer points.

Whitman also helped keep another scoring drive alive in the third quarter, finding Marek Sadlon for a 32-yard completion on third-and-29. Warren County eventually capped that possession with Cameron Redmore's three-yard touchdown run, extending its lead to 41-6.

The performance helped the Pioneers improve to 4-5 and regain momentum heading into their final two games of the season, both at home.

With three Athlete of the Week selections now to his credit, Whitman's latest showing provided another reminder of his importance to the Warren County offense, and helped put the Pioneers back on the winning side of the scoreboard.