When the Warrenton football team entered halftime with a 0-0 tie with Fort Zumwalt South on Oct. 24, it got a message from coach Jason Koper in the locker room.

“It only takes one,” Koper said.

Koper was right. Warrenton found that “one” – and then some – in the second half in a 13-0 victory to close out its regular season. The Warriors improved to 6-3. 

Deadrick Forrest was the first player to get on the board with a six-yard touchdown reception, his seventh TD of the season. 

 “Offensively, we moved and did what we needed to do. I told them if we got one score, we’d win the game and one was good enough, but it was nice to get those match points,” Koper said. 

While the offense was able to break through in the second half, the defense took the spotlight for its robust performance. The win cemented the team’s first shutout of the season. 

“Our defense just kept answering the call all night and I’m so proud of those guys,” Koper said. “Everyone we put in there stepped up and they all made big plays – I couldn’t be more proud of their effort.” 

Captains Jamarion Fulton and Jake Mincher turned in strong defensive efforts with eight and 10 tackles, respectively. 

“We were making the right reads, tackling on first contact and we wanted it so we played our hearts out,” Mincher said. 

With injuries plaguing the team, particularly the linebackers, Fulton was proud of his team’s efforts to pull off a shutout win. 

“I think it’s just amazing, especially since we didn’t do that with all the people we have,” Fulton said. “When everybody heals, that means we’re capable of doing almost anything leading up to districts.” 

The defense sealed the game with three minutes left after junior Drake Brandriff intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown.

 “Nobody was blocking me and Jack Morris was making the tackle. I’m standing there taking a breather (and) the ball ends up in my hands and I was gone,” Brandriff said. 

“That was just a nice feather and cap to a phenomenal performance from those guys,” Koper added. “The biggest thing for me was being able to seal the game out and let the defense score.” 

Fulton said the defense’s performance came at the perfect time as the team gets ready for districts. 

“Tackling had been an issue but we were doing really good this game and that definitely was a big part in this win,” he said. 

The defense totaled 63 total tackles. Joseph Greene put in work with 10 tackles and two sacks, while Brandriff, Skyler Johnson, Jones and Mincher each had one. 

Offensively, freshman Mason Sanders started as quarterback. While the offense got off to a rocky start, Koper noted it started to settle in as the game progressed. 

Running back Isias Hernandez exited the game after three carries due to injury. Brad Tucker was also out due to an injury sustained on Oct. 17. Jones took the load of rushwork with 83 yards. 

“We had a bobble snap on our first series and a fumble on the next series, but they just kept gutting it out and never gave up. There was a lot of adversity and they kept their heads up all night,” Koper said. “(Before the game), I told them we got to play as one team, love each other and be there for each other – they responded well to that.” 

Fulton added, “Everybody was just having fun. We did what we had to do and when you do good, that’s what happens.” 

The Warriors will host sixth-seeded Marshall in a Class 4, District 5 quarterfinal game at 7 p.m. on Oct. 31.

“I’m pretty confident,” Mincher said. “I think we’ll go far if we do what we did (against Fort Zumwalt South). We just gotta stay healthy, take care of our bodies and keep working.” 

Koper agreed with the sentiment, adding, “We got a lot to build on and we showed a lot of growth. If we can play defense like that, we can have a lot of fun. It’s win or go home time now, so hopefully they’re ready for the battle, ready for the work and can put it all together.”