MOORESVILLE
Whiteland’s football team had come so close twice against the top teams of the Mid-State Conference. The Warriors finally closed the deal Friday at Mooresville.
After Whiteland scored a go-ahead touchdown with 3:58 to play, the host Pioneers marched to the Warriors’ 20-yard line. The drive stalled, and on fourth down with 1:07 to play, a Mooresville pass to the end zone fell incomplete, allowing Whiteland to hold on for a 17-13 victory.
“We’re working on our skill set and our mindset every day,” Warriors coach Darrin Fisher said. “We were shaken (by the earlier losses), but our kids have fought back in practice. You’re beginning to see those fundamentals up front and in our secondary.”
Whiteland (4-3, 3-2) had lost to Class 5A No. 10 Decatur Central 43-36 on Sept. 6, then followed that up with a 15-13 loss at 5A No. 9 Franklin the next week.
Friday, the Warriors’ defense held Mooresville’s vaunted passing attack to just 131 yards on 29 attempts. On the Pioneers’ final drive, Whiteland forced Mooresville QB Kalija Perry into six incompletions.
“Our secondary kids played phenomenal,” Fisher said. “Jaylen Dunlap, Jonah Yazel, Jacob Brown, Ewan Niccum, all those guys played great in the secondary.”
The Warriors controlled both lines of scrimmage most of the night, and their running backs combined for 240 yards. Dalton Murray led the rushers with 106 yards on 19 carries, while Gavin Lutz (52 yards), Desmen Singleton (40) and Melvin Taylor (36) added to Whiteland’s diversified ground attack.
The game might not have been so close, however, if the Warriors could have avoided fumbles. They fumbled five times and lost three. In fact, two turnovers, a fumble and an interception, led to all 13 of Mooresville’s points (the Pioneers missed an extra point on their second touchdown).
Meanwhile, the Whiteland defense tightened up in the fourth quarter. It forced a punt from the Mooresville 37 that only went 15 yards, giving the Warriors the ball at their own 49-yard line with 8:37 to play.
The Warriors ran the ball on all nine plays of the drive, marching to the Mooresville 1-yard line with about 4:30 to play. Whiteland quarterback Brant Kunz was stuffed on a quarterback sneak attempt on third and goal, and Mooresville called timeout with 4:03 left. On fourth down, with the crowd roaring, Kunz was able to wiggle across the goal line and give the Warriors the lead.
“We talked all week long that the team that won this game was going to be the team that played with the most passion physically,” Fisher said. “At the end of the game, we were able to get the ball on the perimeter, and our kids were able to do a good job mixing it up formationally.”
Kunz scored both Whiteland touchdowns on quarterback sneaks. His 1-yarder with 6:36 to play in the first quarter opened the scoring.
Mooresville (5-2, 3-2) scored both of its touchdowns in the second quarter. A John Clampitt halfback option touchdown pass to Dane Stevenson tied the game 7-7 with 10:10 remaining in the first half. The Pioneers pieced together an 11-play, 97-yard drive on their next possession that ended with a 2-yard Breken Greene touchdown run.
Whiteland’s other three points came on a 37-yard Logan Beers field goal as time expired in the first half.
The Warriors host Plainfield next Friday.
