Thursday March 28th, 2024 2:00PM

White County rebounds against Chestatee to stay in thick of playoff hunt

By staff
CLEVELAND -- Chestatee did its best to shake White County's playoff hopes -- but the Warriors rested them back on Friday night. <br /> <br /> It didn't come easy, but White County rebounded from a 2107 deficit to pull out a 50-28 victory over the War Eagles in a game dominated by big plays on both sides of the ball.<br /> <br /> The win kept the Warriors (4-4, 2-3 Region 8-AAAA) in the thick of the postseason race in 8-AAAA, knowing that if they can win out, they stand a good chance of reaching the playoffs (so long as Madison County does not upset both Buford and North Oconee over the final two weeks).<br /> <br /> White County will want to avoid similar starts over the next two weeks.<br /> <br /> Chestatee pounced for a 21-7 lead thanks to a passing attack that caught the Warriors off-guard, as AJ Sijiye and Logan Cates combined to complete 14 of 25 attempts on the night for three scores and 247 yards. Yet White County also picked off three Chestatee passes -- and turnovers proved critical on the night, as the Warriors scored off two takeaways.<br /> <br /> Sam Turner provided perhaps the biggest turning point, pouncing on a forced fumble and returning it 50 yards to pull White County within 21-14. The Warriors scored on a touchdown pass from AJ Vandiver (2 of 3 passing for 134 yards) to Maurice Sutton to knot the score at 21-21 at the half, and Chestatee never trailed again.<br /> <br /> Tucker Cook added another defensive score on a 60-yard interception return, part of a big night for Cook, who also hauled in an 80-yard TD catch.<br /> <br /> Turner, Max Taylor and Sutton all scored rushing touchdowns, as White County rolled up 404 yards -- 270 of that on the ground.<br /> <br /> Chestatee (1-7, 0-5) also finished with 404 yards. Tray Bryant paced the War Eagles rushing attack with 91 yards on the ground, while Marvin Rosario caught three passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns.<br /> <br /> White County will look to keep rolling next week at Monroe Area. Chestatee, meanwhile, will look to bounce back against rival North Hall at home.
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