Sports Calendar: Sept. 28 - Oct. 3

Championships have already started arriving in Warren County, and this week brings opportunities to chase a few more.

Fresh off winning the District 7-AA championship, the WCMS girls soccer team moves into the region tournament Monday with its season on the line against Gladeville, while five WCHS golfers will head to Franklin Bridge Tuesday with state tournament berths up for grabs. WCMS football also gets a taste of the postseason, traveling to Upperman Tuesday for a bowl game after closing the regular season with a win over Tullahoma.

The high school soccer and volleyball teams are approaching the postseason from a different direction. Both will celebrate Senior Night Tuesday as they enter their final regular-season stretches, with the Lady Pioneer soccer team riding a three-game winning streak and WCHS volleyball coming off a sweep of White County.   

Friday brings another big test on the football field. Warren County will try to bounce back from its first loss in four games when it travels to Sparta to challenge 6-0 White County, while the second week of elementary basketball will feature some of the first meetings between teams that emerged unbeaten from opening week.

WCMS soccer keeps postseason run alive

One championship is already in hand for Warren County Middle, and now the Lady Pioneers will try to keep their postseason run going with another title still within reach.

Fresh off capturing the District 7-AA championship, Warren County will return home Monday to host Gladeville in the Region 4-AA semifinals. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m., with the winner advancing to the region championship and the loser seeing its season come to an end.  

The Lady Pioneers enter the region tournament at 11-2 overall after settling one of the few scores left on their schedule Friday night. Warren County knocked off top-seeded Prescott South 2-0 in the district championship at DeKalb County, avenging the only district loss of its regular season.

Abigail Laxson and Emma Kate Lippe supplied the goals, while the Lady Pioneer defense kept Prescott South off the board. The victory completed a perfect run through the district tournament after Warren County also defeated Algood 3-1 in Tuesday’s semifinal.  

“I’m extremely happy with our girls’ effort and the way they played tonight,” coach Sally Willmore said following the championship victory. “We are all so proud of them.”  

The Lady Pioneers have now won four straight matches since their 1-0 regular-season loss to Prescott South, including two consecutive postseason victories. L.B. Guthrie continues to lead Warren County with 23 goals, while Finley MacDonald has eight, Laxson seven and Lippe six. Guthrie, MacDonald and June Cossitt were also named all-district following Friday’s championship.  

With the district trophy secured, Warren County will now put its season on the line against Gladeville with an opportunity to add another match to its postseason run.

Pioneers go bowling

The WCMS football team needed a response after back-to-back losses, and the Pioneers delivered one Saturday morning, and earned themselves another game in the process.

Warren County closed the regular season with a 28-14 victory over Tullahoma at Nunley Stadium on Saturday, snapping its two-game skid and improving to 6-2. More importantly, the victory punched the Pioneers’ ticket to a postseason bowl game Tuesday at Upperman.  

Bryson Carroll and Gabe Rowland powered the turnaround on the ground, combining for 293 rushing yards. Carroll finished with a team-high 148 yards on 13 carries, while Rowland piled up 145 yards and three touchdowns on 14 attempts.

The Pioneers established that rushing attack immediately, building a 14-0 advantage behind two Rowland touchdowns before taking a 14-6 lead into halftime. Dallas Gater stretched the advantage to 20-6 with a 2-yard touchdown in the third quarter before Tullahoma pulled within six late. Rowland answered with a 38-yard run followed by an 11-yard touchdown to put the game away.  

“They got tired of what's happened the last two weeks and they really wanted to get this one today at home,” coach Ben Matheney said. “I just couldn't be prouder of them.”  

The victory provided the response Matheney had been looking for after losses to E.O. Coffman and Harris brought an end to Warren County’s 5-0 start.

Now comes a quick turnaround. The Pioneers will travel to Upperman Tuesday for their postseason bowl game, with kickoff scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

“I just hate it's going to be a short turnaround for us, but I told the team at the end, there's not a group that I would rather go into battle with,” Matheney said. “We've got to be ready to play anybody, anywhere, anytime and any place. I feel like they're going to be ready to go.”  

Pioneers face unbeaten Warriors

Warren County’s three-game winning streak came to a sudden stop Friday night. Bouncing back will require the Pioneers to take down a team that has yet to lose.

Warren County will travel to Sparta Friday to face unbeaten White County, which enters the border matchup 6-0 after defeating Macon County 28-14 in Region 4-4A action.

The Pioneers will make the trip looking to recover from a 42-7 loss to Stone Memorial that dropped them to 3-3 and snapped a three-game streak that included victories over Hunters Lane, Franklin County and Hixson. The Panthers scored 28 unanswered points before halftime and eventually built a 42-0 advantage before Warren County broke through in the final minute.

Even on a difficult night, A.J. Whitman reached a major milestone. The junior quarterback rushed for 87 yards to push his season total to 1,009, becoming Warren County’s first 1,000-yard rusher since C.J. Taylor during his Mr. Football-winning season in 2020. Whitman also threw for 118 yards and connected with Wesley Romzek for the Pioneers’ lone touchdown.

“He's a special kid,” coach Eric Belew said of Whitman. “He had a tough night tonight, but he's tough as nails. He kept going out there, kept competing when the odds weren't in our favor, and his future is extremely bright.”

White County presents another difficult challenge. The Warriors have become a consistent playoff contender in recent seasons, winning nine games in 2022 before reaching the Class 4A state quarterfinals during a 10-3 campaign in 2024. They followed with an 8-4 record and another playoff appearance last fall and have yet to stumble through the first six games of 2026.

The Warriors have also controlled the recent series with Warren County, winning four straight meetings. That run includes a 34-0 victory at Nunley Stadium last season, when White County held the Pioneers to 107 total yards and five first downs. Warren County’s last victory in the series came in 2018, when the Pioneers won 20-13 in Sparta.

Friday gives Warren County an opportunity to end both streaks — White County’s unbeaten start and the Pioneers’ four-game slide in the series — while moving back above .500 entering the final four games of the regular season.

Star 107 will have the radio call on 107.3 FM, with Jeff Barnes handling play-by-play alongside Ben Matheney. Coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. ahead of the 7 p.m. kickoff in Sparta.

WCHS golfers take aim at state

Five Warren County golfers remain, and Tuesday will determine whether any of them can extend their seasons all the way to the state tournament.

The Lady Pioneers will compete as a team in the Region 5-AA Tournament at Franklin Bridge Golf Club, while Noel Davis and Ryder Hobbs will represent the Pioneer boys as individuals. Tee time is set for 9 a.m.  

Warren County earned those opportunities with a strong showing at Monday’s District 9-AA Tournament at Lakewood Golf and Country Club. The Lady Pioneers shot a 205 to finish runner-up behind Coffee County and secure one of the district’s three team berths to the region tournament.

Gabbi Molloy led Warren County with a 96 to place second individually, while Lucy Mulligan finished fourth with a 109. Sara Greer rounded out the Lady Pioneer lineup with a 114.  

The Pioneers narrowly missed advancing as a team, placing fourth with a 348, but Davis and Hobbs made sure their seasons continued.

Davis fired a 78 to lead Warren County and earn an individual regional berth, while Hobbs delivered an 88 to claim another qualifying spot. Sawyer Caten shot a 90, Aiden van Vuuren finished with a 92 and Aden Johnson carded a 93.  

There will be even more at stake Tuesday. The regional champion will advance to the state tournament as a team, along with the top three individuals not on the winning team.

For the Lady Pioneers, a team berth would be their first trip to state since 2015. Warren County is also seeking its first girls individual state qualifier since Lauren Slatton won the Class AA individual state championship in 2023, while the Pioneer boys are looking for their first individual qualifier since Bracton Womack in 2016. 

Lady Pioneers carry streak into Senior Night

Three matches in four days could have tested Warren County. Instead, the Lady Pioneers came out of the stretch with three victories and second place in District 9-3A secured.

Warren County enters its final week before the postseason riding a three-game winning streak and a four-match unbeaten run. The Lady Pioneers will host Notre Dame Tuesday at 6 p.m. for Senior Night before traveling to Soddy Daisy Thursday for another non-district matchup.  

Last week began with plenty of offense. Warren County rolled past Spring Hill 5-0 Monday before overcoming a 1-0 second-half deficit to score six unanswered goals in a 6-1 victory at DeKalb County Tuesday. Addison Steakley scored four times across the two matches, while Emory MacDonald added a goal in each.    

Thursday required a different kind of victory.

Warren County and Columbia Central battled through 80 scoreless minutes before the Lady Pioneers prevailed 3-2 in a penalty shootout. Gisell Escamilla, Noelle Bratcher and Maci McBride converted their attempts, while freshman goalkeeper Kinsley Simpson made two saves to help secure the victory.  

“I couldn’t be prouder of the fight, determination, and resilience our girls showed throughout the entire night,” coach Todd Willmore said. “They never gave up, battled for one another, and found a way to get the job done.”  

The win improved Warren County to 9-2-1 overall and completed its district schedule at 4-1, locking up second place heading into postseason play.

Before the district tournament arrives, the Lady Pioneers will get two final non-district tests, beginning with Tuesday’s Senior Night against Notre Dame.

Lady Pioneers close regular season

With district play in the rearview, Warren County volleyball heads into its final week before the postseason with three nearby opponents on deck, traveling to DeKalb County Monday and Shelbyville Thursday around a Tuesday Senior Night matchup with Cannon County. All three varsity matches are scheduled for 6 p.m.

The Lady Pioneers enter the stretch after splitting their final two District 7-3A matches last week.

Warren County opened with a straight-set loss at Stewarts Creek Tuesday, although the Lady Pioneers nearly grabbed the opening set before falling 27-25. The Lady Red Hawks took control from there, winning the final two sets 25-13 and 25-11.

“We played a great first set and had every opportunity to take it,” coach Erin Blalock said. “We made a couple of execution errors and let it get away, but I thought we played extremely well in the first set. Unfortunately, that same team never made it back to the court.”  

Warren County responded two nights later against White County, sweeping the Warriorettes 25-20, 25-20 and 25-20 to close district play on a winning note. Natalie Payne led the attack with 12 kills, Sloan Youngblood added nine and Ali Young paced the defense with 16 digs.  

The victory allowed Warren County to finish its District 7-3A schedule at an even 7-7.

With district positioning settled, the Lady Pioneers will use the final three matches to close out the regular season, including Tuesday’s Senior Night against Cannon County at Charlie Dalton Gymnasium.

Elementary basketball race begins taking shape

It only took one week for several teams to begin separating themselves in Warren County’s 3-5th grade elementary basketball race.

On the girls side, Boyd, Centertown, Hickory Creek and Irving College emerged from opening week at 2-0, while Centertown and Irving College did the same on the boys side. West also made a winning boys debut Thursday, splitting its two games with Hickory Creek.  

The girls side featured several dominant starts. Defending champion Hickory Creek followed its opening win over Eastside with a 32-4 victory over West, while Boyd improved to 2-0 by defeating Dibrell 50-5. Sky Wright has scored 30 points through two games for the Lady Broncos, while Hickory Creek's Kimber Lowe and Blakely Martin combined for 22 points Thursday.  

Centertown and Irving College also stayed perfect. The Lady Warriors defeated Bobby Ray 24-9 behind 10 points from Lynlee Taylor, while Irving College topped Eastside 14-5.  

On the boys side, Dibrell produced one of the biggest turnarounds of opening week. After losing 34-22 to Centertown on Monday, the Wildcats bounced back with a 48-10 victory over Boyd behind 14 points from Jeb Culwell and 12 from Owen Willis. Centertown and Irving College, meanwhile, both moved to 2-0.  

Those unbeaten starts will begin colliding this week. Monday’s slate is highlighted by Boyd traveling to Centertown, while Dibrell visits Bobby Ray, Hickory Creek heads to Morrison and West travels to Eastside.

Thursday brings another four games, including an early matchup between unbeaten programs when Centertown travels to Irving College. Bobby Ray visits Eastside, Dibrell heads to West and Morrison travels to Boyd. All elementary games are scheduled for 6 p.m.    

Full Schedule

(Subject to change)

Monday, Sept. 28
WCMS girls soccer vs Gladeville (Region 4-AA Semis) - 6 p.m.
WCHS volleyball at DeKalb County - 6 p.m.

Elementary Basketball:
Boyd at Centertown - 6 p.m.
Dibrell at Bobby Ray - 6 p.m.
Hickory Creek at Morrison - 6 p.m.
West at Eastside - 6 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 29
WCHS golf at Region 5-AA Tournament (Franklin Bridge) - 9 a.m.
WCHS volleyball vs Cannon County (Senior Night) - 6 p.m.
WCHS girls soccer vs Notre Dame (Senior Night) - 6 p.m.
WCMS football at Upperman (Bowl Game) - 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 30
WCHS cross country at Webb (Bell Buckle) - 5:10 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 1
WCHS volleyball at Shelbyville - 6 p.m.
WCHS girls soccer at Soddy Daisy - 6 p.m.

Elementary Basketball:
Bobby Ray at Eastside - 6 p.m.
Centertown at Irving College - 6 p.m.
Dibrell at West - 6 p.m.
Morrison at Boyd - 6 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 2
WCHS football at White County - 7 p.m.