Fast start sends Warriors to 5-0

It took White County all of 16 seconds to find the end zone Friday night.

Bryson Hogg took the opening kickoff to the house, giving the Warriors a 7-0 lead almost before the night had a chance to get started. From there, White County never trailed, beating Livingston Academy 27-14 to remain undefeated through the first five games of the season.

The Warriors held that 7-0 lead through the first quarter before adding to it midway through the second. Freshman Tate Pinion broke free for a 54-yard touchdown run, pushing White County's lead to 14-0.

Livingston answered about two minutes later with a long touchdown run of its own, cutting the lead back to seven. But White County wasn't finished before halftime.

This time, Tucker Pinion found Hogg, who turned the pass into a 53-yard catch and run for his second touchdown of the night. A missed extra point left the Warriors with a 20-7 advantage heading into the break.

Neither team found the end zone in the third quarter, but Livingston made things interesting early in the fourth. The Wildcats scored with nine minutes remaining, cutting White County's lead to 20-14 and making it a one-score game for the first time since the second quarter.

The Warriors didn't let it stay that way for long.

Three minutes later, White County punched it in again. Marshall Phillips was on the money with the extra point, giving the Warriors a 27-14 lead with six minutes left to play.

This time, the score held.

White County walked off Dee Harris Field with a 27-14 win and a 5-0 record. More importantly, the Warriors opened district play 1-0.

Head coach David Foster had put the stakes pretty simply to his team before the game: When the clock hit zero, one team would be tied for first place in the district, and the other would be tied for last.

Guess we know which one the Warriors wanted to be.