Over the past few years, the game between the DeKalb County Tigers and the Warren County Pioneers has seemed to be a battle. It was no different this year as DCHS kicked off the 2023 season on the road in McMinnville in what would be a brutal game with some key injuries.

The Pioneers would get the ball first and would start at their own 35 after a kick out of bounds. They would manage only one first down on the drive before deciding to go for it on a fourth and three at the DeKalb 47. A sack at the 50 would turn the ball over on downs and set the Tigers up in good field position.

A pair of keepers by Briz Trapp would gain only 5-yards, but then Malachi Trapp was handed the ball and was in with a 45-yard run with 7:40 left in the first quarter. Kicker Adrian Prater kicked it through the uprights and DeKalb was up, 7-0.

With another kick out of bounds, once again the Pioneers started at their own 35. Warren would drive down to the DeKalb 29, where on a third and three, a run then a lateral back to the QB ended in a 7-yard loss. A punt would end with a Ryon Lyons return to the DeKalb 45.

After a flag for too many players on the field against DeKalb, it was all Malachi Trapp again. A run was good to the Pioneer 43, then another was down to the 4-yard-line. There, Briz Trapp called his own number and took it in for six more. The extra point was good and with 1:35 left in the first DeKalb was up 14-0.

The Pioneers bobbled the kick out of bounds and would start at their own 20 this possession. Once again, Warren County would get into Tiger territory before their drive would stall. On a fourth and three from the 43, the Pioneers would punt with the Tigers downing the ball at the 10.

This time the Pioneer D-line stepped up keeping the Tigers in check. DeKalb would go three and out, punting from their own 11. Starting from the Tiger 39, this time Warren County would make DeKalb pay.

An Alex Van Vurren keeper was good to the Tiger 18, then, after an incomplete, a run by Isaiah Robledo was in the end zone. The extra point by Keiondie Jackson was good and Warren had cut the lead 14-7 with 7:40 left in the half.

The kick return would set the Tigers up at their own 30 on the next drive, but then the Tigers couldn’t get out of their own way. A false start backed them up five, then a pass to Jordan parker fell incomplete. Malachi would run to the 29, but another pass to Jordan would hit the ground. Another false start on the punt backed them up to the 24, and the punt would roll dead at the Pioneer 36.

Warren County would strike quick, and on the next play another Robledo run was good for a 64-yard TD, with 6:20 left in the half. A blocked extra point attempt kept DeKalb in the lead, but Warren was in the game 14-13.

Momentum seemed to be on Warren County’s side, but the Tigers would bounce back on their next drive. Marquez Chalfant would return the kick to the 40 and from there DeKalb would mount another scoring drive. Malachi Trapp carried to the 47, then a keeper was good for a first down at midfield.

A pass to Parker netted three yards, then a pass to Malachi was good all the way to the Pioneer 38. A false start would back them up five, but another pass to Parker would get the penalty yards and more back to the 35. Another Briz Trapp keep was down at the 30, then Malachi got the first down with a run to the 25. Another keeper was good for four more yards, then Briz connected a pass to Trace Hamilton in for a touchdown. With the extra point, DeKalb was up 21-13, with 1:44 left in the half.

DeKalb might have felt good, hoping to go into halftime with a big lead, but the Pioneers reminded them that there was still time on the clock. Starting from their own 39, Warren stuck to the air game, completing a series down to the DeKalb 18. A run up the middle was good to the 9-yard-line, then a pass was broken up near the goal line with DeKalb called for interference.  On a first and goal from the four, a Van Vurren pass to Kalen Latina connected for six points with only 9 seconds on the clock. The extra point was good and again the Pioneers had cut the lead 21-20.

The third quarter would see some sloppy play on both sides, plagued by penalties. It wouldn’t be until late in the third before the scoreboard would see any action. With a 4 and 16 at Pioneer 43, the Tigers would punt with the ball rolling dead at the 16.

From there, Warren would take their first lead of the game. A pass to Robledo was good to the DeKalb 45, then a pass was good down to the 10. A keeper took the ball to the three, then another Van Vurren keep was good for the touchdown with 2:07 left in the third. A two-point attempt was stuffed, but the Pioneers had taken then 26-21 lead.

The Tigers looked to retake the lead on their next possession and starting at their own 23 they began to move down the field. A pass to Jon Hendrix was good to the 30, then after an incomplete, a Malachi Trapp run was good to the 48.

As the fourth quarter began, another pass to Hendrix was good to the Pioneer 46, Malachi would get a first down at the 42 on his next carry, then four more on another run. A pair of keeps were good to the 15, then a bad snap ended with Trapp falling on the ball for no gain.

It was then that tragedy struck. A Malachi Trapp carry ended in a six-yard loss and Malachi coming out of the game due to an arm injury. DeKalb had just lost one of its most dynamic players. The game would also continue to be plagued by leg cramps and injuries by both teams throughout the rest of the game.

A delay of game penalty would back the Tigers up with a third and 21 at the 26, when a pass to Hendrix was dropped in the end zone. Briz threw the ball again on the next play, connecting with Chalfant at the five for a first down. Briz carried the ball himself the next play, into the end zone for a touchdown. A two-point attempt was stopped, but with 8:49 left to play, the Tigers had reclaimed the lead, 27-26.

Momentum had seemingly shifted towards the Tigers and the Pioneers’ next drive ended in disaster. Starting at their own 22, a delay flag backed them up five more. A grounding call backed them up to their own two-yard-line, then a pass was intercepted by Austin Nicholson at the 31, with 8:28 left on the clock.

The Tigers had a chance to put the game away, but Briz Trapp came out of the game with an injury after a keeper to the 28. An Ari White carry gained only three yards, then a Parker pass to Chalfant fell incomplete. Facing fourth down, the Tigers went for it and another Parker pass, this time to White, fell incomplete. The Pioneers took over on downs.

The Tigers’ inability to do anything on the drive would lead to their downfall in the game. From the 26, the Pioneers would mount a drive that would reclaim the lead. After a pass interference call on DeKalb on a third and eight play, Warren was set up at their own 43. Later a run would take them to the DeKalb 43, and a pass to Robledo was down to the 20. A run by Robledo, aided by a personal foul call, put the ball on the Tigers’ nine. There, a pair of keepers had Van Vurren back in the end zone. A two-point pass was good, and with 2:56 left to play, Warren County claimed a 34-27 lead.

DeKalb would have one more chance and starting from their own 35 an opportunity was missed. A pass to a wide open Lyons was dropped, with that being the last real chance the Tigers would have in the game. They would drive to the 45, where a sack on fourth down essentially ended the game.

Warren County claimed the 34-27 win, going 10-9 on the Tigers in their 19th straight meeting since 2005. The Tigers will go on to face the Smith County Owls at their home opener this Friday at 7 p.m.