Sports Calendar: Nov. 16-21

New beginnings, unfinished business and championship aspirations will all share the spotlight in Warren County this week.

The Pioneers and Lady Pioneers return to the hardwood looking to move past last season's postseason disappointments, while the WCHS wrestling programs begin a new chapter of their own as dual competition gets underway.

The action doesn't stop there, with county elementary basketball teams battling for tournament titles, Warren County Middle basketball opening district play and Boyd basketball preparing for three matchups against TSSAA opponents.

WCHS basketball tips off new season

A new chapter for Warren County High School basketball begins Tuesday night as the Pioneers and Lady Pioneers welcome Ravenwood for their 2026-27 season-opening doubleheader.

Both programs are coming off winning seasons that ended in postseason disappointment, leaving plenty of motivation as they prepare for another challenging campaign.

For coach Kyle Turnham and the Lady Pioneers, the goal is to build on last winter's progress after finishing 14-12, just the program's fourth winning season in 26 years. Despite that improvement, Warren County's postseason ended with a narrow 30-27 loss to Shelbyville in the District 6-4A tournament play-in game.

The Lady Pioneers won't be starting from scratch, however.

Four starters return, including All-District selection Brynlee Chisam, All-Defensive Team honoree Addison Steakley, Aubrey Oleksik and Cortlyn Porter. Senior transfer Katie Bechtel also joins the lineup after averaging more than nine points per game last season at Boyd Christian, giving Warren County another experienced scoring option.

On the boys side, coach Danny Fish faces a considerably different challenge after graduating seven seniors from last season's 17-9 squad.

The departing class included former district MVPs Keyton Reno and Devin Fish, leaving significant production and leadership to replace. Seniors Kristopher Robledo, Canaan Parris, Eli Davis and Maddox Baker are among those expected to step into larger roles after contributing off the bench last season.

The Pioneers will have little time to ease into those responsibilities, beginning with Tuesday's matchup against a Ravenwood team that reached last season's Class 4A Region 6 championship game.

The competition won't get any easier Friday when Warren County travels to Walker Valley, which finished as Class 4A boys state runner-up last winter.

Tuesday's home doubleheader begins at 6 p.m., with Friday's games at Walker Valley also scheduled to tip off at 6 p.m.

WCHS wrestling begins dual competition

After spending the past two weekends testing themselves in preseason tournaments, Warren County High School's wrestling programs will turn their attention to the regular season, beginning with their first dual matches this week.

The Pioneers return under coach Josh Harris, while the Lady Pioneers welcome Warren County graduate Andi Jones as their new head coach.

Jones returns to her alma mater after six seasons leading Blackman's girls wrestling program, where she guided the Lady Blaze to a Region 3 championship in 2024.

A 1997 WCHS graduate, Jones competed against boys during her high school career and qualified for the TSSAA State Wrestling Championships before continuing her wrestling career at Missouri Valley College.

She inherits a Lady Pioneer program coming off a strong postseason showing, highlighted by Maya Reagan's 145-pound sectional championship and four state tournament qualifiers.

The Pioneers enjoyed similar success last winter, crowning four region champions and sending multiple wrestlers to state. Jakoby Odineal capped the season with a sixth-place finish at the Class AA state tournament.

Both programs will begin dual competition Tuesday when Warren County hosts Cascade and LaVergne at 6 p.m., while the Pioneers will return to action on Saturday in Franklin at the Battle for the Ship Duals, beginning at 9 a.m.

County titles within reach

The road to a county championship is narrowing as the Warren County elementary basketball tournament enters its final stages, with two teams set to hoist championship trophies Thursday night at Bobby Ray Elementary.

The boys quarterfinals begin Monday, followed by semifinals for both divisions on Tuesday and championship games on Thursday.

On the girls side, four teams remain following Friday's quarterfinal round, with an undefeated Boyd squad continuing to set the pace.

The top-seeded Lady Broncos improved to 11-0 with a dominant 45-2 victory over West, led by eight points from Sky Wright. Boyd will face fifth-seeded Hickory Creek in Tuesday's semifinals after the Lady Hawks snapped a five-game losing streak with a dramatic 16-12 upset of Eastside.

Kimber Lowe scored 11 points in the victory, including several crucial baskets during Hickory Creek's fourth-quarter comeback.

The other girls semifinal pits second-seeded Centertown against third-seeded Irving College. Centertown advanced with a 24-1 victory over Morrison, while Irving College defeated Bobby Ray 25-10.

The boys tournament, meanwhile, opens its quarterfinal round Monday with another unbeaten team leading the field.

Top-seeded West completed a perfect 10-0 regular season and will face eighth-seeded Bobby Ray, which advanced with a 23-2 play-in victory over Eastside.

The remaining quarterfinal matchups feature No. 3 Centertown against No. 6 Hickory Creek, No. 2 Dibrell against No. 7 Boyd Christian and No. 4 Morrison against No. 5 Irving College.

Monday's games begin at 4 p.m., with Tuesday's semifinals slated to start at the same time.

Thursday's championship doubleheader will begin with the girls title game at 6 p.m., followed by the boys championship at 7 p.m.

All tournament games will take place at Bobby Ray Elementary's Spc. Jeremy L. Brown Gymnasium.

WCMS hoops enters district fray

After finding their stride in non-district competition, Warren County Middle School's basketball teams will face a new challenge this week as District 6-3A play gets underway.

It's a week of border battles for the Pioneers and Lady Pioneers, beginning with Monday's district opener against visiting Coffee County and continuing Thursday at White County before concluding with a non-district daytime matchup at DeKalb on Friday.

Both teams will enter the challenging stretch with momentum on their side after sweeping North Grundy and Tullahoma West in their previous outings.

The Pioneers improved to 5-1 Thursday with a commanding 45-16 victory over Tullahoma West, their second straight win since suffering their first loss at Cannon County.

Cooper Murphy and Brody Chisam led Warren County with 14 points apiece, while Weston Murphy added eight as the Pioneers overwhelmed the Bobcats with an early scoring surge.

The victory followed Monday's 63-21 rout of North Grundy, when Cooper Murphy scored a game-high 22 points and Weston added 17. Coach Isaiah Grayson's squad has now won five of its first six games, with each victory coming by at least 27 points.

The Lady Pioneers have also found their rhythm, extending their winning streak to three games with a hard-fought 25-18 victory over Tullahoma West on Thursday.

After struggling offensively in the opening half, Warren County turned the tide with a strong third quarter and relied on its defense to finish the job.

Hailey Geesling and Abby Blankenship scored five points apiece, while Willow Kennerly collected eight rebounds and four steals.

The victory improved coach Tyra Rubio's team to 4-2 following Monday's 53-6 domination of North Grundy.

Both teams will look to carry that momentum into district competition, beginning with Monday's 6 p.m. home doubleheader against Coffee County.

Busy week awaits Boyd basketball

After a pair of hard-fought season openers against Riverside Christian, Boyd Christian's high school basketball teams will face a quick turnaround with three games against TSSAA competition this week.

The Broncos and Lady Broncos will host Grundy County on Monday before traveling to Sequatchie County on Tuesday and Whitwell on Friday.

The Lady Broncos opened their 2026-27 campaign on a winning note last Tuesday, surviving a furious second-half rally to hold off TSIAA South rival Riverside Christian 58-55.

Senior standout Brooke Kesey led Boyd with 25 points, while sophomore Charleigh Gannon added 10. Maddi Noll and Channing Gannon contributed eight apiece as the Lady Broncos received timely contributions from their younger players.

Coach Tim Page's squad watched a 12-point halftime advantage disappear before making several key plays down the stretch to secure the victory.

The Broncos, meanwhile, nearly pulled off a comeback of their own but came up just short in a 67-62 loss to Riverside.

Sophomore Levi Jordan paced Boyd with 23 points, while senior Cason Davis added 14 and junior Warren Simmons finished with 10.

After trailing by nine at halftime, the Broncos repeatedly threatened to erase Riverside's advantage but couldn't get over the hump. Despite the setback, coach Dustin Curtis saw encouraging signs from his revamped roster as Boyd begins another demanding campaign.

Monday's home doubleheader at J.K. Stanley Gymnasium begins at 6 p.m., with Tuesday's trip to Sequatchie County and Friday's visit to Whitwell also scheduled for 6 p.m.

Full Schedule

(Subject to change)

Monday, Nov. 16
Boyd HS basketball vs Grundy County - 6 p.m.
WCMS basketball vs Coffee County - 6 p.m.

Elementary basketball boys quarterfinals:
(All games at Bobby Ray)
No. 3 Centertown vs No. 6 Hickory Creek - 4 p.m.
No. 2 Dibrell vs No. 7 Boyd - 5 p.m.
No. 4 Morrison vs No. 5 Irving College - 6 p.m.
No. 1 West vs No. 8 Bobby Ray - 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 17
WCMS wrestling @ Signal Mountain - 5 p.m.
WCHS basketball vs Ravenwood - 6 p.m.
WCHS wrestling vs Cascade/LaVergne - 6 p.m.
Boyd HS basketball @ Sequatchie County - 6 p.m.

Elementary basketball semifinals
(All games at Bobby Ray)
Girls semifinal 1: No. 2 Centertown vs No. 3 Irving College - 4 p.m.
Boys semifinal 1: Teams TBA - 5 p.m.
Girls semifinal 2: No. 1 Boyd vs No. 5 Hickory Creek - 6 p.m.
Boys semifinal 2: Teams TBA - 7 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 19
WCMS wrestling vs Coffee County (Day match at WCMS) - 10 a.m.
WCMS basketball @ White County - 6 p.m.

Elementary basketball championships
(All games at Bobby Ray)
Girls championship - 6 p.m.
Boys championship - 7 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 20
WCMS basketball @ DeKalb County - 11 a.m.
WCHS basketball @ Walker Valley - 6 p.m.
Boyd HS basketball @ Whitwell - 6 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 21
WCMS wrestling @ Cleveland Duals - 7 a.m.
WCHS wrestling boys @ Battle for the Ship Duals - 9 a.m.