GLASGOW – The Scotties knew the day would soon come when the offense would finally be forced to carry the defense. Having not played yet against speed like Warren East, Glasgow held on and pulled away in the fourth quarter of a shootout.

The Scotties defense forced three turnovers in the fourth quarter, and Tanner Abernathy led three scoring drives in response as Glasgow pulled away with a 56-40 win over Warren East at Hank Royse Stadium on homecoming night.

“Our offense stepped up tonight,” Abernathy said. “We knew we’d probably have to. Their offense is very good and our defense was a little off tonight and we stepped up and made plays.”

Abernathy threw for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter after running back Nick Mitchell turned in another impressive night of 222 yards on 32 carries and the Scotties’ first five touchdowns.

Glasgow (5-0) had its own problems containing Thomas Maxey, who matched Mitchell’s carry total at 32 with 207 yards and three touchdowns for Warren East (2-3).

But turnovers and a pair of missed PATs early in the game cost the Raiders. Donatavius Oates intercepted Nolan Ford late in the third quarter, which led to Oates catching a 20-yard touchdown pass from Abernathy to send Glasgow up 42-33.

A fumble on the kick return set up Abernathy’s second touchdown pass to Jaden Franklin less than a minute later.

Raiders wide receiver Jastin Proctor fumbled inside the Glasgow 10 on the ensuing drive, which the Scotties again turned into a score to cap a 21-0 run.

Before the turnover spell, Glasgow only stopped Warren East from scoring on one drive through three quarters.

“One of those games when it was going back and forth,” Raiders coach Jeff Griffith said. “Got turnovers and that’s when they put the game away and got two possessions ahead of us. … That’s a good football team we lost to. We just blinked first with some turnovers and that was the difference in the game.”

A missed point after try from Kobe Kawaii was the only separation in a high-scoring first half.

Mitchell scored all four Scotties touchdowns on runs five yards or shorter, his last of the first half coming with 1:03 left in the second quarter to put Glasgow up 28-27.

After allowing just one touchdown in four games, the Scotties defense gave up two in the first quarter. Warren East converted a fourth-and-22 on its opening drive with Ford floating a 22-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Seth Blaine down the right seam.

Ford hit Blaine again for a 13-yard score on the ensuing drive, but Kawaii’s missed PAT kept the Raiders trailing.

An interception at the line of scrimmage by Parker Hurt finally allowed Warren East a chance to score and take the lead. Maxey did just that seven plays later with a 2-yard run to give Warren East a 27-21 advantage with 3:02 left in the half. Glasgow marched down the field with Mitchell’s fourth touchdown run to regain the lead.

Ford took Warren East out of halftime and threw his third TD pass of the night to Blaine on a 19-yard connection to go up 33-28 with 6:53 left in the third quarter.

The Scotties took off from that point to put the game away.

“We struggled on defense,” Glasgow coach Jeff Garmon said. “We had a couple of breakdowns in the secondary and give (Maxey) credit, he outran us on the edge. You don’t understand how fast he is until you get it on the field. We said all along there was going to be a day where the offense is going to have to pick up the defense and I thought we did that tonight. I thought our defense hung in there though and didn’t give in. We got a couple of stops and turnovers and we were able to just take the game over.”

Glasgow is now 5-0 for just the second time since 1998. The last team to win its first five games was the 2011 Scotties team that reached the Class 2A finals. Facing the caliber of speed that Warren East provided, Abernathy said, will help Glasgow improve ahead of traveling to Franklin-Simpson next week.

“It’s great momentum,” Abernathy said. “Can’t get the big head though. We have to keep the pace and keep working hard.”

Warren East 13 14 6 7 – 40

Glasgow 14 14 7 21 – 56

First quarter

GS – Nick Mitchell 1 run (Alex Elizalde kick), 10:01

WE – Seth Blaine 25 pass from Nolan Ford (Kobe Kawaii kick), 6:27

GS – Mitchell 2 run (Elizalde kick), 5:05

WE – Blaine 13 pass from Ford (PAT no good), 1:56

Second quarter

GS – Mitchell 1 run (Elizalde kick), 9:32

WE – Thomas Maxey 58 run (Kawaii kick), 8:27

WE – Maxey 2 run (Kawaii kick), 3:02

GS – Mitchell 4 run (Elizalde kick), 1:03

Third quarter

WE – Blaine 19 pass from Ford (PAT no good), 6:53

GS – Mitchell 8 run (Elizalde kick), 3:37

Fourth quarter

GS – Dontavius Oates 20 pass from Tanner Abernathy (Elizalde kick), 9:53

GS – Jaden Franklin 17 pass from Abernathy (Elizalde kick), 8:57

GS – Hunter Scott 1 run (Elizalde kick), 1:29

WE – Maxey 4 run (Kawaii kick), 0:22{&end}