Whether the White County High offense or defense is on the field, one thing is certain: Blake Limbaugh will be out there with it.

The 5-foot-11, 180-pound senior running back and linebacker has made a name for himself this season for his versatility and skills on both sides of the ball, and made it clear in the Warriors’ 24-21 win against West Hall last Friday that he can play first-string football in more than one position.

Limbaugh finished the night with 179 yards with two touchdowns on 17 carries while leading White County (2-2) with 10 tackles.

“It was probably my best performance yet,” Limbaugh said. “I definitely thank my teammates for that; the offensive line was making holes like crazy.”

Playing both ways in high school football isn’t rare, and many teams will allow a player to start on both offense and defense should his skills demand it. But it’s not an easy task for the player, who doesn’t get sideline time during an opponent’s drive to catch his breath and get a drink of water.

Limbaugh, though, hasn’t had any problems playing both ways yet this season, and actually prefers to play both positions at the same time.

“I don’t really have a favorite position,” he said. “I like to play both.”

That perseverance will play a large role for the Warriors, a 7A-AAA playoff candidate, when they begin subregion play against North Hall on Oct. 3.

“We’re definitely confident,” Limbaugh said. “We feel a lot better now than we did after the Gainesville (a 30-7 loss) game.”

Limbaugh’s confidence that his team is ready for subregion opponents has a lot to do with his role as a team leader. Though soft-spoken, his roles on both offense and defense have made him an influence on twice as many teammates.

“He’s not the most vocal kid, but he leads by his actions,” White County head coach Gregg Segraves said. “His actions are playing hard all the time.”

One of the players that has been influenced by Limbaugh’s hard-nosed style of play is fellow running back Ashely Lowery, who calls Limbaugh a friend on and off the field.

“We used to not talk much,” Lowery said. “But now we hang out a lot, and we like a lot of the same things.”
One of those things is picking up big yards by running the football, as the tandem combined for 261 rushing yards last Friday.

“They’re two different types of runners, but they have a good relationship,” Segraves said. “They work well together as a tandem, and have both done a lot of good things for us.”

As the Warriors’ quest for their second straight playoff appearance begins with subregion play in two weeks, Limbaugh’s goal for upcoming games stays the same: lead his team on offense and defense, as he did against West Hall.

“I just have to do it again,” he said.