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Click here to Listen Live! (during Friday games only) Blue Devils jump on Tigers early for big win By Kris Freeman Click here for The News Examiner recap Click here for The Tennessean recap Opening the game with a 57-yard kick return by sophomore Bryan Dixon, the White House Blue Devils rolled to a dominating, 48-26 victory over Macon County Friday night, jumping out to a 1-0 record in Region 4-3A. Dixon put the Blue Devils in prime field position and three plays later DeMarqus Payne scored the first of two touchdowns on the night, as he rushed for 141 yards on just nine carries in the game. Dixon added 16 rushes for 100 yards and four touchdowns as White House built a 41-6 lead at the intermission and never looked back.
"The kick return just set the tone and lit the fire, and then the passing play should have been a touchdown for them, but I think we had a mix up somewhere and just got a lucky bounce," said White House head coach Jeff Porter. "We always stick by what we say - and that's if we don't turn it over, we still have a chance. We got a lot of turnovers tonight on their side of the 50." White House's five takeaways combined with just one lost fumble on offense puts the Blue Devils at a plus-10 advantage in the turnover column this season. In week one, White House got seven turnovers from Portland and managed just 20 points - but the offense was executing on Friday against Macon County and has scored 100 points total in the last two games. "Momentum was everything tonight," Porter said as his team scored 34 points before Macon County got on the board. "Obviously we had it in the first quarter and took advantage of what we had.
Dixon added a five-yard run to make it 13-0 in the opening period, then Payne scampered for 35 yards and a touchdown and Trox Greenwade hit Parker for 62 yards and a score, pushing the lead to 27-0 at the end of the first quarter. Dixon's one-yard run made it 34-0, then Grace found Lance Reid in the back of the endzone for the only Tigers conversion of the first half, but the pass on the two-point was intercepted. Dixon added a 46-yard touchdown for the 41-6 margin at the break. Macon County rallied shortly in the third period with touchdown passes from Grace to Chris Bohanon for 39 yards and Whitaker for 65 yards, who this team held onto the football as he got behind the secondary. But cutting the lead to 41-20, Macon County's opportunity to come back was stuffed when Dixon cashed in from 18 yards in the fourth quarter and put the game away. Grace scored on a three-yard run for the final tally of 48-26. "We just got out of rhythm late in the second quarter through the third quarter and that's not all the kids fault," Porter said. "Unfortunately, the heat again contributed to us losing several kids during the game and we've got to do a better job of communicating and getting people onto the field when someone is out. "But our kids were dealt a disadvantage (personnel) going into the game and they responded well to what they were dealt. I am proud of the way they competed tonight."
Trox Greenwade was 7-of-11 for 95 yards and a touchdown to lead White House in the passing game, with Chad Neal and Zack Duty catching two passes each. Grace completed 15-of-35 passes for 267 yards in the game, but was picked off four times. Bohanon was intercepted on a trick play for the fifth. Grace was sacked twice by Caleb Eidson and once by Adam Wiss, with Casey James sharing on hit behind the line with Eidson. Michael Barrett led the defense with nine tackles, while DeMarqus Payne added an interception and Chase Neal picked off one pass and broke up four. White House (3-1) heads to Beech in week five for the final non-region contest of the year.
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 Photo by Mandy Christenson, The Bargain Browser White House jumped out to a 27-0 lead over Macon County on Homecoming Friday More on Macon County: Macon County 2007 Roster Macon County at The Tennessean 2007 Schedule Trousdale Co., L, 21-12 Westmoreland, L, 20-14 Pearl-Cohn, L, 38-12 Hixson, W, 14-3 White House, L, 48-26 Smith County Open Date at Station Camp at Sycamore Greenbrier at DeKalb County Macon County HS Official Site
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On the first series for the Tigers, quarterback Kyle Grace had a sprinting Allen Whitaker wide open at midfield for what would have been a tying touchdown - but the ball bounced off Whitaker's hands, then backwards off his helmet and right into the arms of junior Matt Parker for White House. The Blue Devils would pick off five passes in the first half - and a sixth by Kirk Fulghum on a two-point conversion try - to put the game away. Chad Neal secured two interceptions and eight tackles to lead the defense, and narrowly missed a third interception when he tried to corral a pass broken up by his brother Chase in the fourth quarter.
"Our success with big plays the last two weeks is just a credit to the guys staying with their blocks and making something happen when they get into space."
White House led in total offense, 340-338, but ran only 43 offensive plays compared to Macon County's 61. The Tigers started deep in their own territory nearly every time, as punter Matthew Gosset averaged over 40 yards on five kicks when the White House offense stalled.
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