Nine and oh. And champions

A year ago, the White County Warriors couldn't find the end zone against Upperman. Friday night, they found it twice in less than nine minutes.

And they were just getting started.

The Warriors came into Friday's matchup with a perfect record, but they were facing an Upperman team that had lost just one region game since 2018. The same Bees who had handed White County a 42-0 loss a year ago.

This time, the Warriors had something to say about it.

Behind a four-touchdown performance from Bryson Hogg and a defense that refused to back down, White County knocked off Upperman 35-15, improved to 9-0, and claimed the Region 4A-District 4 championship with one game still remaining on the regular-season schedule.

And they left little doubt about who deserved it.

Hogg wasted no time getting things started. Just five minutes into the first quarter, he broke around the left side and raced into the end zone to put White County on the board.

The Warrior defense followed with a three-and-out, and Hogg made sure the Bees paid for it. He fielded the punt and took it all the way back for his second touchdown of the night. Marshall Phillips connected on his second extra point, and with 3:42 still remaining in the opening quarter, White County was up 14-0.

Upperman answered on its next possession, cutting the lead to 14-7 with a minute remaining in the quarter.

And for a while, it looked like the Bees might be finding their footing.

Upperman forced a turnover on downs early in the second quarter and began methodically working its way toward the end zone. But the Warriors weren't about to give up their lead without a fight.

Facing fourth-and-19, the Bees attempted a field goal. White County blocked it, and JoJo Dowell scooped up the football and raced 80 yards for what appeared to be another Warrior touchdown.

A flag erased the score, however, and gave Upperman another chance, this time facing fourth-and-nine.

The Warrior defense answered again, denying the Bees the points and keeping the lead intact.

With 5:26 remaining before halftime, White County took possession at its own 10-yard line. The Warriors couldn't get anything going offensively, but Dowell launched a punt that pushed Upperman back across midfield.

Freshman Tate Pinion delivered a huge hit that knocked the ball loose, although the Bees managed to recover near their own 40-yard line.

Upperman put together another drive, but once again, the Warrior defense came up big when it mattered.

Eli Sparkman and Cole Sims combined to stop the Bees in the backfield on third-and-six, setting up fourth-and-nine with just 11 seconds remaining before halftime.

Upperman went for the end zone.

Eli Smith had other plans.

The White County defender came down with the interception, shutting down another scoring opportunity and sending the Warriors into the locker room with their 14-7 lead intact.

A year ago, White County had trailed Upperman 28-0 at halftime. This time, the Warriors were the ones in control, and their defense had made sure of it.

The Bees received the second-half kickoff, but the Warrior defense picked up right where it left off, forcing another punt.

Hogg broke tackles and raced up the sideline on the return, giving White County excellent field position at the Upperman 40.

The Warriors couldn't capitalize on that possession, turning the ball over on downs, but the Bees couldn't do anything with their opportunity either. Another three-and-out sent the Upperman punt team back onto the field.

But Hogg was waiting - again.

He fielded the punt, broke two tackles, and took off for a 60-yard touchdown return. Phillips added the extra point, and with 1:42 left in the third quarter, White County had stretched its lead to 21-7.

Upperman desperately needed something to go its way, but the White County defense simply wasn't cooperating. On fourth down, the Bees came up inches short. The chains came out, the measurement confirmed the stop, and the Warrior sideline erupted.

White County had the football near midfield, a 14-point lead, and 11:01 remaining on the clock.

Then came Hogg's fourth touchdown.

The Warriors lined up in the wildcat, with Sims appearing ready to take the football to the right. Instead, Sims stopped and delivered a pass downfield to Hogg, who turned the trick play into another touchdown.

Phillips added another extra point, and the Warriors were rolling, 28-7.

Upperman was running out of time, but White County still remembered last year.

Another hard hit knocked the football loose, and Tristan Cavanagh was there to scoop it up. Cavanagh took off downfield and carried it all the way to the end zone for White County's fifth touchdown of the night.

Phillips remained perfect on extra points, and with eight minutes still remaining, the Warriors had built a commanding 35-7 lead.

Upperman managed one final touchdown with less than two minutes remaining and added a two-point conversion, but they were nothing more than consolation points as White County took the 35-15 win.

The Warriors had already made their statement.

Hogg finished the night with four touchdowns — one rushing, two on punt returns, and one receiving — while the White County defense repeatedly turned away an Upperman offense that had dominated the matchup a year earlier.

The Bees had entered the game with just one region loss since 2018. Friday night, White County handed them another.

The Warriors are 9-0. There's still one game left to play in the regular season. But the district title?

That already belongs to White County.