Warriors finish off solid but frustrating season with win

CLEVELAND - White County now knows what West Forsyth felt like last year as the prep football regular season came to end Friday night.

The Warriors won their fourth straight game to end the season with a 35-0 rout of Gilmer. However, the Warriors will not be making their first playoff appearance since 2006 despite a 7-3 record.

Last year West Forsyth finished 8-2 in Region 7-AAA but did not make the playoffs playing behind Gainesville and Flowery Branch, who finished last year as the state runner-up in Class AAA.

It is the first time in their history that the Warriors have won as many as seven games but not made the playoffs while playing a region schedule.

White County had an outside shot at best of making the playoffs coming into Friday's action needing a win over Gilmer by more than 13 points and hoping for a Chestatee upset of No. 9 Creekview by more than 10 points to force a three-way tie. The Warriors did their part but Chestatee was whipped by Creekview, 42-20.

Quarterback Cole Segraves had another solid game for White County going 17-of-26 passing for 167 yards and two touchdowns. Ashley Lowrey rushed for over 100 yards again and had one touchdown.

White County wasted little time in grabbing the lead with two touchdowns in the first six minutes of the game, capped by a 57-yard reverse for a score from Tyler Dotson.

Rusty Rider also added a touchdown for the Warriors. Tyler Reeves and James Turner each had TD catches for the Warriors.

The White County defense snuffed out any chance for a Gilmer comeback early in the second quarter holding the Bobcats out of the end zone on two consecutive four-play goal line stands within the same possession.