The 2021 Warren High School Homecoming game is in the books after the Warren Lumberjacks blew away the DeWitt Dragons by the final of 63-7 Friday night, October 15.
A packed Jim Hurley, Jr. Stadium was forced to wait a little while for kickoff, as a storm front pushing through the area brought with it enough lightning to cause a 30 minute delay to the start of the game. Afterwards however, the clouds drifted to the east, and a bit of cool fall air settled into Warren.
Coach Bo Hembree’s Warren Lumberjacks came into the ballgame with a 5-1 overall record, and undefeated in Conference 8-4A, after dispatching Dumas last week by the final of 51-14.
DeWitt on the other hand was looking to bounce back from a substantial loss in the previous week to Crossett. The Dragons arrived in Warren with a .500 record overall at 3-3 and 2-1 in conference play.
As it was homecoming night, Coach Hembree elected to send his entire senior class out to midfield for the coin toss as captains for the orange and black. Injured quarterback Riley Cornish took the head Captain position for the flip of the coin in his street clothes. He would win the toss for the Jacks and chose for Warren to receive the opening kickoff from the south end of the field.
DeWitt, having suffered a pretty solid defeat the previous week to Crossett, a team Warren defeated in week four, were prepared from the onset to roll the dice. They on-sided the opening kickoff, but Warren safely took possession with good field position.
Early in the opening drive, Cedric Calbert, Warren’s stout senior running back who just returned from a kneed injury, burst through the trenches and ripped off what was sure to be a 20 yard gain. He would only be credited with 8 yards though, as an inadvertent whistle blew the play dead when Calbert’s kneed came close to the ground, although it never touched from this reporters vantage point. The Jacks continued the possession with a smooth methodical drive downfield. Later in the drive, Calbert picked up another 15 yards to bring the Lumberjacks within striking distance, and with 9:59 remaining in the first quarter Calbert finished off the drive himself running off the left tackle and strolling easily into the end zone for a touchdown. Jose Jacinto’s extra point was good. Warren led 7-0.
On the following kickoff, DeWitt fumbled, but recovered. Their first down play was stuffed. Treylon Jackson broke up a third down pass, but on fourth and one DeWitt decided to roll the dice again. This time it paid off as they gained about four yards and a first down. They would be forced to punt just a few plays later however, after a big hit by Maddox “Maddog” Lassiter for a loss of one and a holding penalty.
Warren took over on their own 26-yard line. Lassiter completed a pass to Tayshawn Johnson for a gain of nine. The Jacks went back to the ground on the next play as Calbert found nine more. With 4:24 left in the first quarter, Lassiter dropped back, fired a pass over the middle to Jarard Payne on an inside corner route. The pass was right on the money, hitting Payne in stride. He did the rest, hauling it the distance for a 43 yard touchdown pass. Jacinto banged home the extra point. The Jacks led 14-0.
DeWitt’s second possession got off to a good start after the kickoff was returned to near midfield. They burned the remainder of the first quarter away with a fairly impressive drive that took them inside the red zone to the Lumberjack 9-yard line. The Dragons cut Warren’s lead in half on the first play of the second quarter with a nine yard touchdown pass off the right side that just evaded three Warren defenders. The score was 14-7 Warren with 11:55 left in the second.
Warren wasted no time responding. Just 13 seconds later, Lassiter took the snap to pass. Tayshawn Johnson ran a hitch-and-go route to the wide left side of the field. The corner came up to break on the hitch route, and by the time Johnson shot downfield there was no Dragon even close to him. Lassiter arched a beautiful ball that fell perfectly for Johnson. He took it 51 yards for a touchdown. Again, Jacinto knocked home the extra point as Warren extended the lead to 21-7.
DeWitt didn’t lose hope down just 14. With 11:27 left in the first half, they connected a deep pass to the Warren 45-yard line on second and ten. The drive stalled at the 9:10 mark. On fourth and seven Warren’s Jalin Lee shot through the defense and hammered the DeWitt quarterback for a turnover on downs.
The Lumberjacks continued giving DeWitt a strong dose of the run game. Cedric Calbert found yards and yards right up the middle on the next drive. With around eight minutes before the halftime break, Jacari Lee got in on the ground attack. He took a handoff and flew 49 yards to the DeWitt 1-yard line. Calbert put the nail in the drive, walking in untouched because of some heavy lifting done by Warren’s offensive line, who had perhaps their best game of the season thus far. After Jacinto’s extra point, Warren led 28-7.
The Jack defense came into its own around the midway point of the second quarter. DeWitt could find no success. They were forced to once again punt on their next drive.
The orange and black took over at their own 29-yard line. After a third down gain of five yards for Treylon Jackson on the ground picked up a first down, the Lumberjacks again dialed long distance. This time Lassiter targeted Jarard Payne on yet another hitch-and-go. Looking to his right this go-round, Lassiter dropped back, had plenty of time because of that excellent offensive line, and picked out Payne. Payne stopped on the bait hitch route, then released vertically. He burned the corner so bad it’s a wonder the Warren Fire Department didn’t have to be called. Lassiter’s pass hit him on the run for a 56 yard touchdown. Jacinto kicked the extra point to make it 35-7 Jacks with 4:16 left in the first half.
With not much time left before the midway break, desperately needing a score, DeWitt took their next possession from inside their own territory. A personal foul penalty brought them into Warren’s end of the field, but with 1:57 left in the quarter Maddox Lassiter picked up a tackle and Coach Hembree called a time out, sensing he might be able to get the ball back and push for the 35 point lead, the point at which the sportsmanship rule goes into effect. On third down and long DeWitt tried to pass, but Lassiter was there to tattoo the quarterback, who’s pass fell harmlessly incomplete to bring up a fourth down punting situation.
Warren took over inside their own 40, and Treylon Jackson promptly picked up 12 yards and a first down. With 49 seconds left in the half, Lassiter through a strike to Payne over the middle. He was tackled at the Dragon 6-yard line. Jackson took the handoff on the next play six yards for the touchdown. Jacinto again was good with the extra point to bring Warren’s lead to 42-7. That’s where things stood at halftime.
The 35-point sportsmanship rule didn’t take effect until the third quarter, but that made for a very quick second half. Things went from bad to worse for DeWitt however, as they muffed the opening kickoff of the third. Warren’s Aiden Weaver recovered at the Dragon 16-yard line.
With both teams now bringing on heavy substitute packages, Warren brought in sophomore running back Matthew Powell, a player who has already shown this season to be a burst of fresh energy. He’s lightning quick and doesn’t hesitate. Powell took the handoff on Warren’s first offensive play of the third quarter 16 yards for a touchdown. The extra point was good. The Jacks led 49-7.
DeWitt’s next possession was yet another disaster. A fumble deep in Dragon territory was recovered by Lumberjack Dawson Harton, who scooped it up and nearly took it to the end zone. He would come up just short at the 1-yard line. Powell happily obliged to take the next Warren handoff up the middle and into pay dirt. The Jacks led 56-7 late in the third.
As the clock quickly ticked away, the Lumberjacks added one more score with nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. It was a third touchdown for Matthew Powell. This time he took it 25 yards on the ground. The extra point was good to give Warren what was the final tally of a 63-7 win over the DeWitt Dragons.
Quarterback and linebacker Maddox “Maddog” Lassiter was named the AHF Products Lumberjack Player of the Game after he went 9 of 10 with 197 yards through the air, completing three touchdown passes, all of which were over 43 yards.
Cedric Calbert led the Jacks on the ground with seven carries for 87 yards and two touchdowns. Jacari Lee followed him with 49 yards, getting his money’s worth on one carry. Treylon Jackson had five carries for 29 yards and a touchdown. Matthew Powell had three rushing touchdowns on the night and over 42 yards on ground.
Jacari Lee had a big night receiving, with two catches for 137 yards and a touchdown. Jarard Payne recorded four catches for 51 yards and two touchdowns.
The Lumberjack offense had a total of 244 yards on the ground and 197 through the air for 441 yards on the night.
Warren now moves to 6-1 overall and 4-0 in 8-4A Conference play. Next week, the Jacks play host to rivals Monticello in the Union Bank and Trust Saline River Shootout. Monticello will be looking to respond after a big 51-14 loss to Crossett Friday night. The Billies are 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the 8-4A.
Top photo: Treylon Jackson trots back to the sidelines after scoring one of Warren’s nine touchdowns Friday night. Photo by Robert Camp.
For more photos from Robert Camp from the Warren vs. DeWitt game, click here.