The South Warren Spartans have played at an extremely high level all season, and Friday night was no different.
Behind a great comeback performance from senior running back Christian Winn, the Spartans rolled to a 50-6 victory over district foe Barren County to improve to 6-0 on the season.
“I thought we executed a little better than we had the last couple of weeks,” South Warren coach Brandon Smith said about the win. “We really took care of business early and we did what we were supposed to do and the guys had the right mentality and effort tonight. So I was pleased with what I saw.”
The Spartans (6-0) posted the first numbers on the scoreboard on a 42-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Gavin Spurrier to junior wide receiver Caleb Lloyd. A successful two-point conversion after the score gave South Warren an early 8-0 lead.
South Warren then extended the lead to 15-0 on 23-yard touchdown pass from Spurrier to junior wide receiver Cameron Harrison, marking the first receiving touchdown for Harrison in 2017.
The Spartans continued their early first quarter onslaught with a 10-yard burst up the middle by Winn. The play was certainly pleasing to see for Smith and South Warren, as the standout senior running back has not played since the game versus Warren Central in the Citizens First Bowl on August 26.
“Christian’s a good player,” Smith said. “So anytime you get a good player back it definitely adds to your team and helps with depth as well. When he was out we had some guys taking a lot of snaps so to bring him back not only adds an asset to the offense but also adds depth to the team as a whole.”
The Spartans continued to widen the gap in the second quarter with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Spurrier to senior Tryce Cofer to push the lead to 29-0.
Winn then tallied another touchdown run from four yards out before Cofer exploded with a 52-yard touchdown scamper up the middle on the next possession to give the Spartans a 43-0 lead over the Trojans at the intermission.
Cofer is a player that really stepped up and filled the void that left by Winn’s three game absence, and Smith praised the senior for his recent accolades.
“Tryce has done an excellent job this year taking advantage of his opportunities,” Smith said. “When he gets a chance to make a play in the game he rarely misses it.”
Cofer has also made plays on the flip side of the ball, snagging two intercepitons—-one on them on Friday night against Barren County—so far this season.
Barren County (0-6) finally found the end zone in the fourth quarter on a 24-yard touchdown strike from sophomore quarterback Dalton Ford to senior wide receiver Matt Goldsmith.
South Warren fired right back on the ensuing possession, sophomore running back Logan Crick running in from three yards out to ultimately make the final score 50-6.
With the win, South Warren now has momentum heading into a crucial district showdown with Greenwood on Friday night. The Gators narrowly defeated the Spartans by a score of 17-16 last season.
“They’re a great program,” Smith said. “Coach Seabolt has done an excellent job over there and the quarterback [Jackson Adams] I feel like has been there for an eternity. We’re going to have our hands full. It’s at home, it’s a district game, and we need a win to get the home playoff game.”
Meanwhile, Barren County will look to pick up its first win of the season at Taylor County.
