Putnam County won its second straight game last Friday with a 28-6 victory over McNair in the region opener.
The War Eagles (3-2, 1-0) ran the ball effectively and forced several turnovers on defense to get the win.
“One of the crazy things that happened in the game was that we played 73 plays on defense and only 27 on offense. And we were able to score 28 points on offense,” Putnam County head coach Joel Harvin said. “It was lopsided in the sense that we spent much more time on one side of the ball than the other, and I’d never really seen that. Usually, (if that happens), it’s the other way around, so I’m proud of the way our defense played.”
The War Eagles forced two turnovers by intercepting a pass and recovering a fumble. Cornerback Bill Waters picked off Mustangs quarterback Keyuntae Phillips, and defensive tackle Steven Grandt recovered a fumble.
McNair also had several drives into Putnam County territory, but the defense pinned its ears back and made stops.
“We turned the ball over once on offense, and our defense was on the field a lot. We also faced a lot of short fields and did a really good job of keeping those guys out of the end zone. If they had scored, it could have made it a really close game,” Harvin said. “Our defense kept answering the call. They did a great job of capitalizing on turnovers and getting stops when we needed them.”
Waters’ interception came at a pivotal moment, as the Mustangs were trying to score. He caught the ball in the end zone.
Putnam County safety Jayson Smith had a 102-yard pick-six, although it was called back due to a penalty. The War Eagle senior was flagged for defensive pass interference, giving possession of the ball back to McNair.
Putnam County’s success on the defensive side of the ball often led to the offense having short fields after turnovers, which it capitalized on. The War Eagles scored several times from inside Mustang territory.
Putnam County quarterback Ethan Whatley threw a 35-yard touchdown to Waters, who also scored on a rushing play. Running back Omarion Butts crossed the goal line twice on the ground for the War Eagles, too.
Whatley was a perfect 3-of-3 in passing for 53 yards and a touchdown in the win. He also led in rushing with 59 yards.
Butts ran the ball seven times for 42 yards and two touchdowns. Elijah Dunn added 28 yards on two carries.
Harvin said he’s seen the offense vastly improve over the last three weeks, despite injuries in a few key spots.
“Ethan Whatley has come a long way, man, and continues to get better as the season goes on,” Harvin said. “We had a tough game against Laney in week two, and I think he learned from his mistakes, which made things a bit easier for him in terms of throws and involving him more in the run game because he is a really good athlete.
“He’s got good feet and is hard to bring down. So, ‘gritty’ is one word that I would use to describe him. So, yes, he has come a long way, and he continues to improve.
“Omarion [Butts] is also our guy right now at running back. We’re down Kumari Thomas, and Elijah Dunn also gets in and receives some carries as well. But Omarion has toted the load for us on the offensive side here these past couple of weeks,” Harvin added.
The War Eagles are now 3-2 overall and positioned to be a force as region play continues.
“I think they’ve improved over the past few weeks,” Harvin said of his players. “We just need to keep getting better each day. The competition is going to get a lot tougher, but overall, I’m pleased with how we played this past week.”