Dale County Rallies Past Pike County, 28–11
By Jeff Devine
MIDLAND CITY —The Dale County Warriors shook off an early deficit and roared back to defeat the Pike County Bulldogs 28–11 on Friday night, powered by a balanced 341-yard offensive performance and a lockdown defensive effort.
Pike County struck first, scoring on its opening possession and converting a two-point attempt to go up 8–0 with 9:43 left in the first quarter. The Bulldogs added a field goal late in the quarter to stretch the lead to 11–0. But from there, the Warriors took control of the game.
Aaron Beasley got Dale County on the board midway through the second quarter with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Junior Smith, who then powered in for the two-point conversion to cut into the Bulldogs’ lead (11–8). Less than a minute later, the Warriors struck again. Smith launched a 52-yard pass to Cody Jaggars, who fumbled at the 1-yard line. Beasley alertly recovered the ball in the endzone for a touchdown, giving Dale County a 15–11 lead at halftime.
Dale County’s defense then continued to hold back the Bulldogs, keeping Pike County scoreless for the rest of the game.
Smith broke free for a 45-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter to increase the lead 21–11, and Jaylen Griffin sealed the victory with a 30-yard touchdown run in the final minute.
Dale County’s offense finished with 341 total yards — 249 rushing and 92 passing. Smith led the ground attack with 100 rushing yards, while Griffin added 81 yards and an interception on defense. Beasley accounted for two touchdowns through the air and one on the recovery.
Defensively, the Warriors were anchored by Kam Cotton and Stacy Atkins, who each tallied 10 tackles, while Smith contributed six tackles, a quarterback sack, and a fumble recovery.
Tonight’s performance highlighted Dale County’s resilience and determination as the Warriors never gave up and turned a slow start into a spectacular win.
