South Warren rushes for over 400 yards in playoff victory over Trigg County
As Part of a Three-Part Series on “Who stepped up in 4th Region football this week?”
It’s no secret that the South Warren Spartans have been effective running the football in 2014. In fact, Class 3A’s top team came into its second round matchup with Trigg County averaging 276.9 yards per game on the ground, a true testament to the team’s dominance in the run game. As for the opposing Wildcats, the Class 3A, District 1 runner-ups were only giving up 172.7 yards per game. It was apparent that one team was going to succumb to the other’s strength. 
The Spartans came out on top. Not only on the scoreboard where they led 54-14 in the fourth quarter before two late scores drew Trigg within 26 points and to an eventual final of 54-28; but South also came out on top in the battle of the trenches. Led by senior enforcer Julius Allen, the Spartans amassed 407 yards on the ground. Allen rushed ten times for 184 yards and two touchdowns, while quarterback Ryder Litten ran thirteen times for 102 yards and a score. Allen’s two scores were on a 59-yard run and 51-yard scamper and Litten scored late in the first half from 40 yards. SWHS used eight players in the ground game and five of them rushed for at least 50 yards. Sophomores Kayron Namvong and CJ Hayes each ran seven times for 55 yards and a touchdown. Junior Austin McElwain scored three touchdowns in the first half on only five carries for 52 yards.
The 54 points on offense were a season-high for Coach Brandon Smith’s crew, who are now 12-0. The 28 points given up defensively were also a season-high for the Spartans, although half of those points came late in the final frame. Either way, South Warren will look up to shore up some spots on defense before rival Paducah-Tilghman comes to town with a region championship on the line. The Blue Tornado upended the Spartans a season ago in Paducah by a score of 8-7 to move on to the Class 3A state semifinals. Allen only rushed for 44 yards in the loss as the Spartans managed only 76 rushing yards and 133 yards of total offense.
The 2014 Spartans hope to find themselves on the top end of the stick this go-around and with more performances like the one last Friday night will certainly hope their chances.
