Warriors flip the script in season-opening rout

White County wasted little time setting the tone for the 2026 season.

The Warriors found the end zone early and often Friday night, building a five-touchdown lead before halftime and rolling to a 49-6 road win over Soddy Daisy.

White County scored on all but one of its possessions while piling up a little more than 400 yards of offense. On the other side of the ball, the Warrior defense held the Trojans to less than 175 yards.

Senior Cole Sims started the scoring with a 77-yard touchdown run, and Eli Smith followed with an 11-yard run into the end zone.

The Warriors weren't finished.

Quarterback Tucker Pinion connected with Sims for a 35-yard touchdown and later found Smith for a 28-yard score as White County continued to pull away. By halftime, the Warriors had built a commanding 35-0 advantage.

And they picked up right where they left off after the break.

White County took the opening kickoff of the third quarter and drove back into the red zone. Facing fourth down, Pinion kept the ball on a 14-yard naked bootleg and took it into the end zone, pushing the lead to 42-0.

Soddy Daisy finally broke through in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter. The Trojans missed the extra point, however, leaving White County comfortably ahead 42-6 with a running clock and less than nine minutes remaining.

The Warriors weren't quite done, adding one more touchdown to push the final as Grant Austin connected with Drayden Jackson on a 29-yard touchdown pass for White County's seventh trip to the end zone, making it 49-6.

Soddy Daisy was trying to put together one final scoring drive when time expired.

The lopsided win was a much different ending than the last time the two teams met. Soddy Daisy edged White County 14-13 in last season's opener, handing the Warriors a one-point loss to begin the year.

This time, White County left little doubt, opening the season 1-0 with a statement win on the road.

Next week, the Warriors return to Sparta for their home opener, as they host York Institute at Dee Harris Field.