Sports Calendar: September 7-12

The first full week of September brings plenty to follow across Warren County, with several teams carrying strong starts, recent breakthroughs and lessons from the opening weeks into the next stretch of their schedules.

In WCHS sports, the Pioneer football team will try to build on its first win of the season, Lady Pioneer soccer puts a four-match winning streak on the line and volleyball returns to district play after a demanding weekend in Chattanooga. The WCHS cross country and golf squads are also back in action after extreme heat cut both schedules short last week.

There is plenty at stake in the middle school ranks as well, with WCMS football taking its perfect 4-0 record to Coffee County, girls soccer looking to extend its unbeaten district run and volleyball hoping to get back on track in district play.

Pioneers look to build on first win

After two heartbreaking finishes to open the season, the WCHS football team finally broke through last week, and the Pioneers will look to turn that first victory into the start of a winning streak when Franklin County comes to town.

Warren County improved to 1-2 with a dominant 41-12 victory over Hunters Lane, scoring touchdowns on all six of its offensive possessions. The Pioneers wasted little time putting the previous two weeks behind them, exploding for four first-quarter touchdowns to take a 27-0 lead before carrying a 34-6 advantage into halftime.

A.J. Whitman continued his torrid start in his third varsity start at quarterback, rushing for 123 yards and two touchdowns on only five carries while also throwing a 9-yard touchdown pass to Marek Sadlon. Whitman capped the first-half onslaught with his biggest play of the night, bursting through the Hunters Lane defense for a 60-yard touchdown just 1:45 before halftime. Through three games, the junior has already piled up 470 rushing yards.

The Pioneer defense and special teams helped set the tone as well. Hunters Lane failed to pick up a first down until after Warren County had already scored four times, while Braxton Jordan blocked a punt to set up one of the Pioneers' early touchdowns.

“Anytime you get a win and you score on every offensive possession, that's something to be excited about,” coach Eric Belew said following Friday’s victory. “I’m really pleased with the type of character our players have.”

The convincing win provided a much different feeling after Warren County opened the year with one-score losses to DeKalb County and Livingston Academy, but Belew still sees plenty of room for the Pioneers to improve.

“We just want to start fast, and we want to be able to play complete games,” Belew said. “I don't think we've done that yet. So what's exciting is that our ceiling is higher than what we're showing right now, and I think our kids are willing to go find out what that ceiling is.”

That next opportunity comes Friday, Sept. 11, when Franklin County visits Nunley Stadium for the finale of Warren County's three-game homestand. The Rebels enter the matchup at 1-1 after picking up their first victory with a 44-0 shutout of Howard and are in their first season under head coach Chuck Reid. Franklin County finished 1-9 last fall and has won just four games over the previous three seasons.

Warren County won last year's meeting 28-14 in Winchester, snapping a five-game losing streak in the series. Another victory Friday would give the Pioneers consecutive wins over Franklin County for the first time since Warren County won three straight meetings from 2005-07.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Nunley Stadium. Star 107 will have the radio call on 107.3 FM, with Pioneer Nation Live beginning at 6 p.m., while fans can also watch the game on the Warren County Schools Television YouTube channel and BLTV Channel 180.

WCHS soccer puts streak to the test

The WCHS girls soccer team has found its stride, carrying a four-match winning streak into another important week of District 9-3A action. The Lady Pioneers are 5-1 overall and a perfect 2-0 in district play after grinding out a pair of hard-fought victories over Franklin County and Tullahoma last week.

Warren County's first test of the week came Tuesday on the road against defending district champion Franklin County, where neither side could find the net through 80 minutes of regulation. The Lady Pioneers ultimately prevailed 5-4 in a dramatic penalty-kick shootout, with Addisyn Watson burying what proved to be the winner before freshman goalkeeper Kinsley Simpson made the clinching save.

Two nights later, Warren County found itself locked in another scoreless battle, this time at home against defending Class AA state runner-up Tullahoma in a non-district battle. 

Emory MacDonald finally delivered the breakthrough with just over six minutes remaining, collecting a Noelle Bratcher corner and firing home her third goal of the season to lift the Lady Pioneers to a 1-0 victory. Simpson and the Warren County defense shut the door from there, securing their third regulation shutout in four matches.

“I am proud of the way this group continues to compete, respond to challenges and grow together,” coach Todd Willmore said following the Tullahoma victory. “There is still plenty of work to do, but it is exciting to see their progress and the way they continue to believe in one another.”

The Lady Pioneers will look to keep that run going with two more district tests this week, hosting Coffee County Tuesday at 6 p.m. before traveling to Shelbyville Thursday for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

Lady Pioneers look to flip district script

After a grueling week that stretched from district battles to a hot gym in Chattanooga, the WCHS volleyball team will return to District 7-3A action this week as the Lady Pioneers start seeing familiar opponents for a second time.

Warren County entered the Choo Choo Classic on the heels of three straight district losses, including close four-set setbacks to Lebanon and Stewarts Creek and a five-set heartbreaker at White County. The Lady Pioneers twice held the advantage in Sparta and were still in front 12-11 in the deciding fifth set before White County closed with four straight points to snatch the victory.

That inability to finish close sets became a focal point entering the weekend, and coach Erin Blalock saw signs of progress as Warren County battled through six matches over two days at Ooltewah High School.

The Lady Pioneers dropped both of their Friday pool-play matches, falling in straight sets to Bradley Central and 2025 Georgia Class AA state runner-up Ringgold. Warren County bounced back Saturday, however, sweeping Boyd Buchanan twice and advancing all the way to the Silver Division championship.

There, the Lady Pioneers again faced Sale Creek after falling to the Panthers in the semifinals earlier in the day. Warren County pulled out a tight 26-24 opening set in the rematch before Sale Creek responded 25-10 and 15-5 to take the championship. The four consecutive matches Saturday also tested Warren County physically in a cramped gym without air conditioning during the weekend heat.

“I think we had a tough week where we struggled to finish close sets, so we wanted to see improvement in that part of our game,” Blalock said following the Chattanooga classic. “There were moments this weekend where we saw just that, and then we still had times where we struggled to be as consistent as we needed to be.”

Those lessons will immediately be put to use as Warren County returns to district play. The Lady Pioneers will travel to Wilson Central and LaVergne for their second meetings with both teams before returning to Charlie Dalton Gymnasium Friday for a non-district daytime matchup with neighboring Van Buren County.

For Blalock, the focus remains on making sure those improvements arrive when they matter most.

“We know we have the weapons it will take to be competitive, but we have to be more consistent in every aspect of our game,” Blalock said. “We also need to be mentally tougher than we’ve been the last couple of weeks. We’ve got to be playing our best ball in the postseason, so that’s what we are working toward.”

WCHS runners head to Crossville

The WCHS cross country team will look to build on an encouraging trip to Manchester when it returns to competition this week, with junior Emma Woodlee leading the way after racing to her first victory of the season.

Woodlee topped an 84-runner girls field at last Monday’s Coffee County Invitational at Old Stone Fort Golf Course, crossing the finish line in 22:19 to beat DeKalb County’s Finley Simpson by 21 seconds. The win continued a strong comeback from a spring injury for Woodlee, who has finished inside the top two in each of Warren County’s first two meets after taking second at the Community Trail Invitational.

Freshman Shiloh White provided another bright spot for Warren County, leading the Pioneer boys with a 21st-place finish out of 115 runners in 20:23. The individual performances were part of an encouraging day across the board, as coach Kelsea Turner saw several runners improve from Warren County’s previous meet.

“I was really proud of the team’s performance today,” Turner said following the Coffee County meet. “We had many athletes who improved from our previous meet, which shows that the work they’re putting in at practice is starting to pay off. Everyone competed hard, especially considering the heat, and we’re continuing to build as a team.”

The Pioneers and Lady Pioneers were scheduled to compete again Thursday at the Big Soddy Gulf Meet, but extreme heat forced the event’s cancellation and left Warren County with a longer break than expected.

Warren County will now turn its attention to the Crossville Invitational at Stone Memorial High School on Thursday, Sept. 10, with the boys race set to begin at 5 p.m. and the girls to follow at approximately 5:30 p.m.

Home tournament highlights busy week for WCHS golf

The WCHS golf team will look to carry several encouraging performances into another busy week, highlighted by its annual home tournament at McMinnville Country Club.

Warren County opened last week with a nine-hole match at WillowBrook Golf Club, where the Lady Pioneers edged Coffee County by a single stroke for the team victory. Gabbi Molloy earned low-round honors with a 40, while Lucy Mulligan added a 52 to give Warren County a winning score of 92.

The Pioneer boys also showed improvement, firing a 164 to finish just three strokes behind Franklin County and Lincoln County, which tied for second. The score was seven strokes better than Warren County’s previous nine-hole outing, with Noel Davis leading the way at 39 and Aiden van Vuuren and Aden Johnson following with matching 41s.

Warren County returned home the following day to face Coffee County and Tullahoma. The Lady Pioneers continued to trend in the right direction, shooting a season-best 187 at McMinnville Country Club to finish seven strokes behind Coffee County, while the Pioneer boys placed third with a 351.

“We just need to execute around the greens better,” coach J.W. Holt said following Tuesday’s tri-match. “Our team scores need to be closer to the 330’s if we want to compete in the district tournament later on.”

After Thursday’s scheduled match against Riverdale was canceled due to extreme heat, Warren County will return to action Tuesday at the Keith Maxwell Invitational at McMinnville Country Club at 9 a.m. before traveling to Pebble Creek Golf Club Thursday to face Lincoln County at 1 p.m.

Perfect Pioneers roll into Manchester

The WCMS football team got a much later start than expected last week, but the delay did little to slow the Pioneers, who will carry a perfect 4-0 record into this week’s matchup with Coffee County.

Warren County didn’t arrive at Preston Hopkins Field for last Tuesday’s matchup with Lewisburg until around 6:45 p.m., 15 minutes after the game’s scheduled kickoff time, following a delayed road trip. Despite the unusual circumstances and shortened pregame preparation, the Pioneers wasted no time taking control once play got underway.

Brody Chisam returned the opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown, setting the tone for a 32-0 victory that improved Warren County to 4-0. The Pioneers struck again less than three minutes later and carried a 24-0 advantage into halftime before completing their second consecutive shutout. Warren County has now gone eight straight quarters without allowing a point.

The Pioneer rushing attack remained balanced despite the unusual start to the night. Dallas Gater led the way with 71 yards and a touchdown on four carries, while Bryson Carroll added 64 yards on two attempts. Mikhail Wilcher rushed for 50 yards and a score, and Gabe Rowland added 41 yards and a touchdown. The defense also forced four Lewisburg turnovers.

“I'm proud, but this team has a lot more than we even showed tonight,” coach Ben Matheney said. “We're just gonna keep working and getting after it. We're 4-0, and that's something to be excited about, but we've got a lot to correct if we want to make it to 8-0.”

Warren County will put its perfect start on the line again Tuesday, Sept. 8, when the Pioneers travel to Manchester to face Coffee County at Carden Jarrell Field in a daytime border battle. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m.

WCMS soccer aims to extend district run

The WCMS girls soccer team will carry its unbeaten District 7-AA mark into another two-game week after showing last Monday that even an early two-goal hole wasn't enough to derail its strong start.

Stone Memorial jumped ahead 2-0 at Warren County, putting the Lady Pioneers in rare territory before the offense came roaring to life with eight unanswered goals to turn the match around and pull away for an 8-2 victory.

L.B. Guthrie sparked the turnaround with another hat trick, bringing her season total to 17 goals and marking her third three-goal performance of the year. Abigail Laxson and Emma Kate Lippe each added their fifth goals of the season, while AnnaLee Simpson, Amelia Partin and Shanti Hernandez also contributed goals to the offensive outburst.

“The second half we came out super motivated,” coach Sally Willmore said following last week’s win. “That is the effort and intensity we need to have in every game, especially at the beginning.”

Two more district opponents await Warren County this week, beginning with a trip to Prescott South Tuesday for a 5:30 p.m. match. The Lady Pioneers will then return home Friday to take on DeKalb County at 6 p.m.

WCMS volleyball eyes district rebound

The WCMS volleyball team has hit its first extended rough patch of the season in District 7-AA play, but the Lady Pioneers will have two opportunities this week to start climbing back in the right direction.

Warren County has dropped three consecutive district matches, with its latest setback coming in a three-set battle at Stone Memorial. The Lady Pioneers grabbed the opening set 25-21 before Stone responded 25-17 in the second and edged WCMS 15-12 in the decisive third.

Several Lady Pioneers also turned in strong individual performances against Stone Memorial. Ellie Dixon led the attack with 10 kills and three aces, while Fallon Youngblood finished with five kills, 13 assists and seven digs. Lyvia Wilson anchored the back row with 20 digs, and Maebry Yates added 14.

The district slide hasn’t meant Warren County has gone without a win during that stretch. The Lady Pioneers stepped outside league play on Aug. 28 and swept Cannon County in two sets, an opponent they will see again this week.

Warren County enters the week at 10-5 overall and 6-5 in District 7-AA, with two more league opportunities ahead. The Lady Pioneers travel to Cumberland County Tuesday for a 5:30 p.m. matchup before returning home Thursday at 5 p.m. for their rematch with Cannon County, which was postponed from last week after a Freon leak in the WCMS gymnasium.

Full Schedule

(Subject to change)

Monday, Sept. 7
Labor Day - No events scheduled

Tuesday, Sept. 8
WCHS golf Keith Maxwell Invitational (McMinnville CC) - 9 a.m.
WCMS football at Coffee Co. (day game) - 11 a.m.
WCMS volleyball at Cumberland Co. - 5:30 p.m.
WCMS girls soccer at Prescott - 5:30 p.m.
WCHS girls soccer vs Coffee Co. - 6 p.m.
WCHS volleyball at Wilson Central - 6 p.m.
Boyd volleyball vs Lancaster Christian - 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 9
No events scheduled

Thursday, Sept. 10
WCHS golf at Lincoln Co. (Pebble Creek GC) - 1 p.m.
WCHS cross country at Crossville Invitational (Stone Memorial HS) - 5 p.m.
WCMS volleyball vs Cannon Co. - 5 p.m.
WCHS volleyball at LaVergne - 6 p.m.
Boyd volleyball vs Lighthouse - 6 p.m.
WCHS girls soccer at Shelbyville - 7 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 11
WCHS volleyball vs Van Buren Co. (day game) - 1:30 p.m.
WCMS girls soccer vs DeKalb Co. - 6 p.m.
WCHS football vs Franklin Co. - 7 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 12
WCMS cross country at Webb - 9 a.m.