By Jeff Hodge
Contributing Writer

MOORESVILLE – The Oct. 3 big clash between the undefeated co-leaders of the Mid-State Conference was to have been a close affair. On a festive night that started with 14th-year Mooresville coach Mark Bless receiving a game ball for his 100th career victory last week at Martinsville and also featured Homecoming festivities and pre-game skydivers, would the game between the host Pioneers and visiting Whiteland actually live up to the hype?
 
Unfortunately, the answer was no.

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Whiteland's offense – most notably senior running back Luke Harris (25 carries, 239 yards, three touchdowns) – set the stage early for what was to come Mooresville’s way. A steady diet Harris pounding the rock up the middle produced a 14-play, 80-yard drive that took 5:44 and ended with the standout runner scoring from three yards out as Whiteland took an early 7-0 lead.
 
A subsequent quick-strike attack by Whiteland (two plays and 66 yards in under a minute) resulted in a commanding lead 14-0. The big play was a 62-yard end around by sophomore Drew Smyth, who sliced his way through the Mooresville defense to put a damper on the home crowd’s outlook.
 
“Our kids kept fighting all night long,” Bless said.

But they really had no answer for the ground attack of Whiteland's Harris & Co.
 
With a halftime deficit of 14-3 – and a new Homecoming queen – Mooresville was still within reach of getting back into the game as the Pioneers would be receiving the ball to start the second half. A long, sustained drive reaching the end zone would get the Pioneer team and their fans into the game.

Well … they did have a long, sustained drive, one that consumed almost six minutes of the third quarter in getting to the Warriors’ 29-yard line. But Mooresville failed to convert on 4th and 2, losing a yard to turn the ball over to Whiteland.
 
After an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty moved the ball back to the 15, the Pioneers looked to have some fight in them and hoped to force Whiteland to give up the ball with good field position.

But wait. Harris left, right, and up the middle just seemed to wear out the undersized Pioneers, and Harris eventually broke loose for a 19-yard TD run for a 20-3 lead.

The PAT failed, but that might have been the only bad play of the night for the Warriors.
 
Mooresville tried some trickeration to jump-start their offense. The Pioneers attempted a fake punt, which did result in a first down – temporarily. If not for a holding penalty during the run, they just might have gotten a little closer to the goal line.

Instead, they were forced to punt the ball away to the high-powered Warrior offense. Harris’ third score, this time on a 20-yard run, made the final score of 27-3.
 
Fourth-year Whiteland coach Darrin Fisher was pleased with the way his team performed.

“The offense was sluggish at first tonight,” said Fishers, whose troops improved to 7-0 overall and 4-0 in Mid-State play. “We made some adjustments at halftime, and our backs made good adjustments and decisions while running the ball.”
 
Whiteland now heads home for next week’s Oct. 10 matchup with Martinsville (2-5, 1-3), while Mooresville (6-1, 4-1) will try to get back into the conference race at Plainfield (5-2, 3-1).

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