MOORESVILLE
A third-quarter sack proved costly for Whiteland as it not only stopped a potential touchdown drive, but galvanized Mooresville, which took a 21-7 win Friday night.
Hunter Bennett’s sack of Whiteland quarterback Oliver Taylor took the Warriors from the 5 back to the 15, and Whiteland couldn’t score.
The loss destroyed any slim chance Whiteland had of defending its Mid-State Conference championship and also ended a four-game win streak the Warriors had against Mooresville.
Mooresville pounded out more than 200 yards on the ground, 170 courtesy of Pioneer quarterback Hogan Denny, and they had 106 yards in the air, also courtesy of the ubiquitous Denny.
But what really killed the Warriors (3-4, 2-3) was the red zone. Whiteland was inside the Mooresville 20 three times and only came up with one score.
“(Mooresville) had a great plan and they played well,” Whiteland coach Darrin Fisher said. “But you have to finish drives, and for 19 years we have emphasized the red zone. We only scored once and that’s not a recipe for winning.”
The rivals traded 5-yard touchdown runs, with Mooresville’s Landon Clements getting the honors in the first quarter and junior Slate Valentine doing it for the Warriors early in the second.
Mooresville looked to put another touchdown up in the first, but Denny overthrew his intended receiver and instead hit Whiteland’s Dane Kunz in the end zone. Whiteland got another pick, this one by Jordan Palmer, before Hogan atoned for his misfires and used his legs rather than his arm to run it in from the 8 to put the Pioneers up 14-7.
Aside from Valentine’s score, it wasn’t a half to remember for Whiteland.
After the touchdown, Whiteland’s offense stalled the rest of the first half. The Warriors could only muster 14 yards in two series before halftime.
Adjustments were going to have to be made on both sides of the ball; if not for the turnovers, it could have been worse for Whiteland.
“Our defense had to play a lot,” Fisher said.
That adjustment on offense came after the kickoff when the Warriors got to the Pioneer 5; Mooresville’s Hunter Bennett, though, sacked Oliver Taylor back to the 15, forcing Whiteland to attempt a field goal that came up short.
That was arguably the Pioneers’ play of the game, as it only took Mooresville four plays from there to go up 21-7.
The Warriors had one last chance to try and get back in the game, getting to the Pioneer 20, but a lost fumble did them in and Mooresville (3-4, 2-3) ran out the clock to take their senior night win.
“We felt this would be an even game, but we didn’t do the job,” Fisher said. “We always say Whiteland can’t beat Whiteland, and that’s what happened tonight.”
One bright spot for the Warriors was Valentine, who had 173 yards rushing. He needs just 37 yards to get to the 1,000-yard mark for the season.
The Warriors host conference leader Plainfield next week.
