Plenty of ways to follow Pioneer football

The 2026 Warren County High School football season has arrived, and whether Pioneer fans are in the stands or following from afar, they will have plenty of ways to keep up with the action.

Warren County kicks off its season Friday, Aug. 21, with a border battle at DeKalb County, beginning a 10-game regular-season slate that will be covered across radio, television and online platforms.

Star 107 will carry every Pioneer game, home and away, on 107.3 FM and through the Main Street Media app. The season will also usher in a new era behind the microphone, with Jeff Barnes taking over play-by-play duties alongside Warren County Middle School football coach Ben Matheney as color analyst.

Barnes and Matheney take over following the retirements of longtime broadcasters Jay Walker and Jeff Lee. Walker had served as the Voice of the Pioneers since 1995 and never missed a Warren County football broadcast during his 31 seasons as the program's primary play-by-play announcer. Lee spent the last 15 seasons alongside Walker providing color commentary.

Barnes brings nearly four decades of radio experience to the booth, including previous play-by-play work in White, Cannon and DeKalb counties. Matheney, a 2010 WCHS graduate and former Pioneer football player, adds a coach's perspective along with firsthand familiarity with many of the players who have come through the WCMS program.

Star 107's coverage of road games will begin at 6:45 p.m., while home Fridays will feature an expanded experience at Nunley Stadium.

Pioneer Nation Live, the official Warren County football pregame show, will broadcast live from Nunley Stadium before every home game. The show will air on Star 107 while also being streamed live on Facebook and YouTube, giving fans several ways to tune in before kickoff.

Barnes and Matheney will be joined on Pioneer Nation Live by Main Street Media general manager Greg Roberson and Main Street Journal sports writer Sam Griffin.

Fans looking to watch the Pioneers will also have options through Warren County Schools Television. Every Warren County home game will be carried live on the Warren County Schools Television YouTube channel and BLTV Channel 180. For road games, the platforms will carry audio from the Star 107 radio broadcast rather than a live video feed.

The continued collaboration allows Warren County Schools students to gain experience behind the scenes while maintaining a longtime partnership with local media.

"We are excited to continue the longstanding partnership with our local radio partners at Main Street Media," said Warren County Director of Schools Dr. Grant Swallows. "Our goal as a district is to get our students involved in the production of athletic broadcasts. WCS-TV gives us a unique opportunity to do that while continuing the outstanding media partnerships we have throughout our county. I look forward to a great school year and to sharing it with our community."

The new season will bring plenty of changes to the way Pioneer football sounds on Friday nights, but the goal remains the same - keeping Warren County fans connected to their team.

From the radio dial to television and online streams, Pioneer fans will have multiple ways to follow Warren County throughout the 2026 season, starting Friday night in Smithville.