CLEVELAND — J Ben Haynes returned to the White County lineup after missing nearly a month and it looked like the senior quarterback never missed a beat.
Haynes threw for three touchdowns and Silas Mulligan ran for four scores and caught a touchdown pass as the Warriors outed Lumpkin County 49-13 Friday night at home.
The win also moved White County (6-2, 2-2 Region 7-3A) within one win of clinching a playoff spot.
It was just a 7-0 lead midway into the first quarter on a 5-yard Mulligan touchdown run when the Warriors exploded for 21 points in a two-minute span to blow the game open.
Mulligan capped the second Warriors drive with a 3-yard scoring run and Haynes tossed his first TD pass of the game, a 68-yard bomb to Mulligan. The Indians would fumble the ensuing kickoff and Haynes struck again for a 23-yard TD pass to Reece Dockery for 14 points in a 13-second span and a 28-0 lead
Mulligan made it 35-0 on the final play of the first quarter with a 51-yard scoring run. Haynes tossed his final TD pass to Jimmy King early in the second quarter and Seth Stonecypher scored on a 2-yard run for a 49-0 halftime lead.
The Indians scored a pair of second half touchdowns but could get no closer.
The Warriors next will travel to Gilmer to secure their first playoff spot since 2018.
