By Jeff Devine, The Chronicle
The Dale County Warriors are off to a roaring start.
After opening the season with a spectacular 41-14 victory ov er the G.W. Long Rebels on August 21, the DCHS Warriors followed it up Thursday night with another dominant performance, overwhelming Houston Academy 42-7 in Dothan.
With the victory, the Warriors improved to 2-0 on the season, outscoring their first two opponents by an 83-21 point advantage.
Dale County’s 41-14 season-opening victory over G.W. Long established the tone for the Warriors’ young season. Dale County jumped out to a 14-0 lead after the first quarter and carried a 27-0 advantage into halftime before the Rebels scored twice in the third quarter.
The Warriors answered with another touchdown and closed out the 27-point victory.
The Warriors then carried that momentum into Thursday night’s matchup with Houston Academy.
The Raiders struck first, connecting on a 28-yard touchdown pass with 4:53 remaining in the opening quarter to take a 7-0 lead.
That would be Houston Academy’s only lead of the night.
Dale County’s defense quickly answered. After forcing a Houston Academy punt, the Warriors took over at their own 8-yard line before the defense came up with an interception, giving Dale County possession at the Raiders’ 30-yard line.
The Warriors wasted little time turning the turnover into points.
Jaylen broke through the middle and raced 48 yards for a touchdown, tying the game at 7-7 with 4:34 remaining in the first quarter.
The Warriors continued to make plays on special teams as well, returning the ensuing kickoff to the 50-yard line.
Dale County’s defense continued its assault on the Raiders, intercepting another third-down pass and taking over at the Dale County 15-yard line.
Although the Warriors later turned the ball over near the 35-yard line, the defense continued to keep Houston Academy from establishing any offensive rhythm.
With 2:06 remaining in the first quarter, Dale County found the end zone again on a run up the right side.
The extra point was missed, but the Warriors had taken their first lead of the night, 13-7.
From there, the Warriors continued to pull away.
With 10:27 remaining in the second quarter, Beasley connected with Pearce for a touchdown. Dale County then went for two and converted, extending the lead to 21-7.
The Warriors carried that 14-point advantage into halftime.
If Houston Academy hoped to mount a comeback after the break, Dale County quickly put those hopes to rest.
Jaylen found the end zone again on a touchdown run up the middle with 7:41 remaining in the third quarter, pushing the Warriors’ lead to 28-7.
Dale County wasn’t finished.
The Warriors scored again on the ground with 4:23 remaining in the third, stretching the advantage to 35-7.
Another Dale County touchdown came with 10:43 remaining in the fourth quarter, making it 42-7 and putting the game firmly out of reach.
Houston Academy later punted, and the Warriors took over at the Raiders’ 45-yard line with 1:52 remaining.
The final whistle soon followed, sealing Dale County’s second consecutive commanding victory.
While the victory was truly a team effort, several Warriors turned in standout performances that helped secure the 42-7 victory.
PGriffin led the way with four rushing touchdowns, while Devian McCray added a rushing touchdown. Pearce caught one touchdown pass from Beasley, and also contributed an interception on defense. Beasley finished the night with a touchdown pass. On the defensive side of the ball, Robert Reynolds came away with two interceptions, while Aidan Weed and Pearce each recorded one interception, giving the Warriors four interceptions on the night.
Through two games, the Warriors have demonstrated the ability to win in multiple ways. The offense has produced 83 points, while the defense has surrendered just 21. Against Houston Academy, Dale County’s defense also came up with multiple interceptions and repeatedly gave the offense favorable field position.
The Warriors’ running game was particularly effective Thursday night, with Jaylen providing several of the game’s biggest offensive plays, including his 48-yard touchdown burst and two additional rushing scores.
After two games, Dale County has established itself as one of the area’s early-season teams to watch.
The Warriors will now turn their attention to Headland, which also opened its season with a victory, defeating Abbeville 41-6.
Dale County will host Headland in Midland City on Friday, September 4, with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.
The Warriors will enter that matchup at 2-0, looking to keep their perfect start alive and make it three straight wins to open the 2026 season.
