The junior running back ignited a sluggish Trojans team late in the second quarter with a dazzling 66-yard reverse and then carried them to an easy 57-21 win over East Hall in Region 7-AAA play.
Whitmire, who finished with 206 all-purpose yards, also returned two kicks - a 57-yard punt return and a 66-yard kickoff return - for touchdowns to help blow open a close game in the second half.
"Our special teams has played well all year," North Hall coach Bob Christmas said. "We've been able to score with it and that helps turn momentum. It did tonight."
The Trojans (3-0, 3-0) jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead when Corey Hutchins hit Justin Hood for a 14-yard TD pass on their opening drive.
East Hall tied it up later in the first quarter on a beautiful pass from Lee Coleman to Travis Stephens on a third-and-10 from the North hall 15.
But then Whitmire went to work, scoring on the 66-yarder three plays later.
"We worked on that play all week but we were a little skeptical coming in because we didn't want to fumble it," Whitmire said. "It worked great in the game. It was a good call at the time."
Whitmire said he had been waiting all year to break one on special teams.
"Yea, we just weren't doing a good job earlier, but tonight we got some great blocking and it was good to see us break one," he said.
North Hall piled up nearly 400 yards of offense while holding East Hall to 192, most of those coming late in the game.
Fullback T.J. Pitts led the Trojans with 103 yards on 13 carries.
Todd Goss led the Vikings (1-2, 1-2) with 21 yards on 14 carries. Coleman finished just 7-of-23 passing for 118 yards with two INTs.
North Hall takes a week off before traveling Chestatee while East Hall plays host to Gilmer next week.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2003/9/172329