Simmons Superlatives - Best Athlete

When it comes to the Simmons Superlatives, I know have to thread the needle with the timeline. You can’t wait too late into summer or people will be ready to move on, but you can’t be too early that something crazy happens in the spring and somebody who should’ve been on a list gets left off.

I won’t say the spring changed a ton on my lists – which I work on as the year goes on – but I do think the most recent accolades in the spring did flip the order of the Best Athletes on the boys side.

Let’s be honest: It’s never a bad choice when you’re picking between two state medalists. In this case, I just flip-flopped the order once one got a little further up the medal stand than the other.

As for the rest of the list, being the MVP of your district is a huge feather in the cap. In my estimation, it should be on the biggest KPIs (Key Performance Indicators – a term I think I learned in business school 20 years ago and only started using recently) when picking future Warren County Sports Hall of Famers.

Individual success can be measured in stats, but nothing speaks louder than when a district – YOUR FOES – say, “Yeah, he’s the best around.”

OK, now that you’ve skipped over the entire introduction, let’s just get on with the list. For the people who actually read every Simmons Superlative – and all the intros – you’ll be happy to know I wrote different ones this time. Don’t get too spoiled; I’ll probably go back to the same intros for the rest of the Superlatives.

Luke Saldana, WCHS track and field

Saldana emerged as a dominant force in Tennessee high school track and field, capped by his second-place finish in last week’s TSSAA state event. Saldana chucked a long toss of 52 feet, 2 inches to surge near the top of the standings in the 16-person shot put field.

It was the culmination of a breakout year for the junior, one which featured a number of event victories, a subsectional championship and an invite to the Great 8. Saldana was consistently marked as one of the top shot putters in the state, only finishing behind Penn State commit Bryce Thompson (a senior who graduated from Farragut this month) when it came to the final showdown.

Warren County might as well get the banner ready for Saldana when he inevitably breaks the school record in shot put next year. He was four inches from breaking it this season, something which both miffed and motivated Saldana down the stretch of the season.

With his relentless work ethic (Saldana is a power lifter in his “spare time” or a shot putter when he’s done lifting, however he prefers to title it), there’s no question he’s going to get the record.

The only question is whether it’ll come while he’s winning a state title as a senior. You can doubt him all you want, but I’d suggest not doing it to his face. He’s pretty big – he may pick you up and throw you to Coffee County.

Jakoby Odineal, WCHS wrestling

If this list came out after winter sessions, Odineal would’ve been the top athlete. But once Saldana made his climb up the podium at the state track meet, it dropped the tenacious sophomore down one spot in the Best Athletes list.

Still, Odineal should be commended for all he accomplished as a sophomore. He is already on pace to potentially break the school’s win record (one Zerek Keele set this season) and could be one of the few multi-time medalists in school history.

Making it more impressive, Odineal battled through a severe elbow injury suffered in sectionals. He was able to secure a pin in the sectional blood round, earning his place at the state tournament.

At state, Jakoby showcased his skill and tenacity, defeating a sectional champion in the first round and ultimately finishing sixth in his weight class. His performance not only earned him a state medal but also highlighted his mental toughness and commitment to the sport.

Devin Fish, WCHS basketball

As the District 9-4A MVP, Devin Fish was instrumental in leading the Warren County Pioneers to a 20–5 overall record and a 9–1 district finish. Fish is mere points away from becoming the next 1,000-point scorer in Pioneer history, something he should have in the bag by Thanksgiving this year.

Fish bounced back admirably from injury during his sophomore year, showing advanced-level skills as a junior on the ball and off it. Even when opponents focused their whole scouting report on stopping the smooth-shooting junior, he found ways to affect the game.

The return of the MVP is a big reason why Warren County should be favored to make a deep postseason run next winter. It won’t hurt that the entire Pioneer starting lineup is expected to be back too.

Xavier Simmons, WCHS wrestling

At first, I had Simmons penciled in on the under-the-radar list. But the more I looked at it, the more I thought it would be fitting to reward trips to the state tournament with the highest of honors, so Jaylan Clayton took his spot on the under-the-radar list and Simmons vaulted onto the Best Athlete list (Burgess Galligan and Zerek Keel, two more state qualifiers, topped the Best Newcomer and Best Senior lists, respectively).

I think Simmons has another level to hit if he can add an all-region football season to his impressive resume as a senior. He already looked pretty good in the spring under new coach Eric Belew, sparking the defense during the recent Red vs. Blue intersquad work.

Isaiah Robledo, WCHS football and basketball

Robledo's versatility and playmaking abilities were on full display during the football season. In a standout performance against Wilson Central, he accounted for four touchdowns—two rushing, one receiving, and one interception return—becoming the first Pioneer to achieve this feat since 2020. Isaiah's speed, agility, and football IQ made him a constant threat on both offense and defense, earning him All-Region 6-4A honors and recognition as a key contributor to the team's efforts.

Robledo will get to further his football resume in the Hawaii Bowl this year after earning an invitation over the summer.

It should also be noted that Robledo was a key contributor during a district championship regular season on the hardwood. While his numbers weren’t eye-popping, his defense and decision making helped the Pioneers run to a 9-1 record in District 9-4A.