Our Game of the Week sends us to Cleveland for the second time this season, as the Warriors are set to take on the Trojans in Week 7.

WHITE COUNTY

White County suffered greatly last week in a loss at Dawson County. Not only was the region-opener a crucial game to determine the eventual region champion, but the Warriors also lost star QB J Ben Haynes to injury for the second half. We’re not entirely sure until we get there if he’s playing or not. If he plays, great! If he doesn’t, there are still a plethora of options to keep the offense rolling in the ground game. The passing game would certainly take a hit in that scenario. The Warriors need a win in a big way to get an edge in the region standings.

NORTH HALL

The Trojans are trending upward. They have found life in senior running back Clark Howell (10th in rushing in Class 3A), and have won two straight after starting the season 0-3. The wins have come over Chestatee and West Hall, so White County presents a giant leap in terms of competition. But as always, the option that North Hall runs can on any given night be a nightmare to opponents. But if the defense keeps the big-yardage plays to a minimum, and forces North Hall to pass, there are definitely questions there.

BY THE NUMBERS (2020)

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

Be looking for highlights post-game late tonight as well as a story recapping WEEK 7. Highlights will also be shared on Channel 5 (Fox) on the 11 PM “High 5 Sports” show tonight. You can also follow us on Twitter (@BlitzSportsGa) for live score updates (WiFi pending).

OUR PREDICTION

This matchup’s intensity is fluid depending on Haynes’ availability and how much he has to hold back even if he does play. Regardless of if QB1 is in this week, it doesn’t change our final outcome. OUR PICK: WHITE COUNTY

DO WE BRING LUCK?

For White County, we’ve captured 28 games. In that sample, the Warriors have gone 16-12.

DETAILS OF THE MATCHUP

TIME: 7:30 PM Kickoff
PLACE: White County HS / Cleveland, GA
LAST MEETING: White County 34, North Hall 31 (2019)
ALL-TIME RECORD: White County 24, North Hall 23
RECORDS: #7 White County Warriors (4-1; 0-1 in 7-AAA); North Hall Trojans (2-3; 1-0 in 7-AAA)

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING

This matchup is quite rich in history. It dates back to 1960, when White County blanked North Hall 19-0. The Warriors won the first 8 pairings through 1968. North Hall got its first win in the series in 1969, but then the Warriors rebounded with another 10 wins over the next 12 meetings. The pendulum swung to the Trojans starting in 1988, when they won 16 in a row through 2009. White County next won in 2010, which was 23 years since the previous win. In the last 10 meetings, White County has won 6 to North Hall’s 4. The Warriors have won 5 of the past 7, including last year’s thriller of 34-31. Here is the lone version of this matchup that we’ve recorded for your viewing pleasure:

North Hall 30, White Co 13 (2015)

TEAM LEADERS (2020 PLAYER STATS)

WHITE COUNTY

PASSING
J Ben Haynes (973 pass yds, 7 TD, 3 INT; 56% completion) *21st in state in passing yards

RUSHING
J Ben Haynes (530 yds, 13 TD, 7.8 YPC) *38th in state in rushing yards
Silas Mulligan (467 yds, 4 TD, 6.2 YPC)
Zion McMullen (121 yds, 1 TD, 5.3 YPC)

RECEIVING
Darius Cannon (299 yds, 3 TD, 12 rec)
Cooper Turner (254 yds, 2 TD, 17 rec)
Kane Lowery (135 yds, 1 TD, 9 rec)
Reece Dockery (88 yds, 1 TD, 5 rec)

DEFENSIVE
Jesse Moose (45 TKL, 3 TFL, 1 FFum, 1 INT)
Zion McMullen (43 TKL, 3 TFL, 1 Sack)
Silas Mulligan (35 TKL, 1 TFL, 1 FFum)
Drew Archer (30 TKL, 1 TFL)
Riley Stancil (29 TKL, 2 TFL, 1 Sack)

NORTH HALL

PASSING
Bradford Puryear (150 yds, 0 TD, 3 INT; 30% completion)

RUSHING
Clark Howell (735 yds, 9 TD, 7.4 YPC) *10th in Class 3A in rushing yards
Kevin Rochester (366 yds, 5 TD, 6.0 YPC)
Bradford Puryear (77 yds, 1 TD, 4.8 YPC)

RECEIVING
Grayson Kirby (77 yds, 0 TD, 4 rec)
Austin Atha (35 yds, 0 TD, 3 rec)
Jeremiah Telander (26 yds, 0 TD, 1 rec)

DEFENSIVE LEADERS
N/A