Simmons Superlatives - Best Athletes

To be perfectly honest, this was the first time in 15 years where I pondered if I wanted to continue to do the Simmons Superlatives for girls. It’s not that I have a problem honoring the top females in Warren County; If anything, they’ve given me some of my toughest choices over the years.

Instead, because of my coaching affiliation, it’s sometimes hard to separate writer Jeff from coach Jeff (For the record: Nobody on my team calls me ‘coach’ or ‘coach Jeff’). And anytime a Lady Bronco appears on a list, I know in some corners of Warren County people are going to snicker or make snide comments about bias.

But, we can’t let the haters win. There are so many tremendous female athletes in Warren County (Yes, even at Boyd) and I wanted to make sure they get their shine too.

An argument could be made that the Best Newcomer – Emma Woodlee – should’ve been on this list instead, but when it came down to it, I wanted to make sure the two-time state qualifier and the state medalist each locked down their own categories.

And if you don’t already know who the top athlete is with that clue, some in town would tell you that you aren’t paying nearly enough attention to wrestling in Warren County. Don’t worry: I did it for you.

Let’s get to the list.

Marley Harris, WCHS wrestling

Harris concluded her high school wrestling career with a remarkable performance at the TSSAA state tournament, securing a sixth-place finish in the Girls 152-pound division. Despite facing a challenging bracket filled with returning medalists, Harris demonstrated exceptional resilience by winning three consecutive matches after an initial loss, a feat achieved by only four out of 96 competitors.

The rally also made sure she would step on the state podium, a fitting way to end a career at WCHS where Harris qualified for state twice (in the only two years she competed as a Lady Pioneer). It was victory for both Harris, who now has etched her name into the WCHS history books, and female wrestling at WCHS.

Proud former Pioneers have blazed that same path over the years, most notably Andi Jones back in the 1990s. But participation had fallen by the wayside on the female team over the years, leading to just a handful of wrestlers to carry on the mantle for Warren County.

Harris has brought wrestling back to the forefront for females locally and there’s hope more will flock to the sport and – with lots of hard work, dedication (and maybe a little luck) – do what she did in February.

Chloe Wanamaker, WCHS soccer, flag football and basketball

It’s crazy to think being the leading scorer for a pretty good soccer team could be overshadowed, but I think even Chloe would admit what happened this spring on the gridiron is what is going to make her legendary.

Forevermore, Wanamaker will be the answer to a very specific WCHS athletics trivia question: Who was the first starting QB in girls flag football history?

Not only was she the first starter, she was an instant star.

Wanamaker threw for over 2,400 yards, rushed for 785 more and accounted for over 30 TDs during an 11-win season for the Lady Pioneers.

Her achievements led to her being named to the All-West Division team in football – a well-deserved honor and one I’m banking on her getting a couple more times in her playing career.

And yes, she was all-district in soccer too. Did I mention she earned plenty of minutes on the hardwood in between futbol and football?

There’s really nothing Chloe can’t do.

Brooke Kesey, Boyd basketball, soccer and volleyball

Personal story time. Before Brooke got started her freshman year, we went to a bunch of summer camps. About the time we made it to Lady Vol camp, I got to talking to a family member about her and they said, “It’d just be cool to see her score 10 points in a game.”

I looked at them and said, “You realize she’s going to average way more than 10 points a game, right?” They looked shocked. I just laughed.

When it comes to Brooke, I don’t hide the fact I get to coach her (she may want me to sometimes, to be fair). It’s truly a joy because I’ve been around a kid who I really think just started high school by wanting to get to a point on the hardwood where somebody would give her a chance. Now, she’s the person people need – teammates, fans and coaches look to her to provide extra chances to win.

It's not lost of me that people sometimes want to attribute Brooke’s success (she’s already surpassed 1,000 points and likely will finish her career with over 1,000 rebounds too) to her decision to attend a smaller school. The same has been said about Abigail Netherton (who would be on this list if I opened it up to Eaglettes) heading to Van Buren County.

To those people, I’d say you’re 100 percent correct. But not for why you say it.

Brooke isn’t successful because of where she plays (or who she plays considering she’s pretty good against everybody). She’s successful because she found the right fit for her and her talent took over.

Zoie Verge, WCHS flag football and basketball

If one play could win moment of the year (and I guess I could’ve decided that but I’m spoiling it now), then Zoie Verge’s game-winning catch at home against Van Buren County could’ve easily been it. It is still one of my favorite plays I’ve ever witnessed at Nunley Stadium.

Quick Tangent: CJ diving over the pile for last-second wins over Siegel and Rockvale in 2019, Ryland Holder carrying Cookeville’s entire defense into the endzone in 2020, Eli Buchanan’s Pick-6 to seal a win over DeKalb County and K’Rojhn Calbert dominating a freshman game at WR (you had to be there to witness it) quickly flashed into my mind as great Nunley Stadium moments I’ve seen over my coverage years. Now, back to Verge.

It was fitting Zoie was the one to catch the game-winning TD against Van Buren County, which she was able to do despite three girls being all over her and having a chance to pull her flag before the endzone. She was the TD queen all season and when all else failed, Chloe Wanamaker knew she could just throw it to No. 23 and hope for the best.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention what Verge did for Lady Pioneer hoops. When she was thrust into a bigger role late in the year, I thought she did an excellent job being a scorer and rebounder for WCHS. Without her sound play on both ends of the court, I don’t think the Lady Pioneers would’ve qualified for regionals.

Good luck with Cumberland University flag football next year!

Trinity Reynolds, WCHS basketball and flag football

If I was taking bets on who would top the Best Athlete or Best Senior list in 2026, Reynolds would be a heavy favorite. She just seemed primed for a breakout final year as a Lady Pioneer.

Making All-District 9-4A last year felt like just scratching the surface for the sniper from deep on the hardwood. Reynolds feels like a kid who could elevate her game even more as a true No. 1 option because of her ability to score at all three levels.

She can shoot from deep (and, sometimes, deeper than deep), work the midrange with an excellent array of floaters and doesn’t shy away from contact when she attacks the rim. It doesn’t hurt that she’s a good free throw shooter too.

I wouldn’t sleep on the Lady Pioneers next year. With some improved health, another year in coach Kyle Turnham’s system and an offensive hub ready to lead the way, WCHS could turn some heads.