This Week in Sports: May 11-16

Championship soccer has taken center stage in Warren County this week.

Both the Warren County Middle and Warren County High School boys soccer teams are still alive in postseason play entering a massive stretch of games May 11-16, with the WCMS Pioneers preparing for the school’s first-ever trip to the State Tournament and the WCHS Pioneers continuing a postseason run of their own after toppling Shelbyville’s district dynasty.

Meanwhile, the Warren County High School football team will also get its first live action look of the offseason this week as the Pioneers travel to Cascade for a spring football matchup Wednesday night.

Magic season continues for WCMS soccer

The biggest spotlight belongs to the WCMS soccer team, which has already rewritten the history books.

For the first time in school history, the Pioneers are heading to the TMSAA State Tournament after defeating Siegel 5-2 Saturday in the Section 2-AA Championship. The victory pushed Warren County to a perfect 16-0 record and continued a postseason run that has quickly turned into something special.

The Pioneers have overwhelmed teams offensively throughout the playoffs behind the dynamic duo of Austin Breedlove and Kredence Miller. Breedlove has erupted for 10 goals during Warren County’s five postseason matches, while Miller has added five goals during the same stretch.

Warren County’s defense has been just as important to the unbeaten run. Goalkeeper Gavin Chavez has recorded two clean sheets during postseason play, while the Pioneers have surrendered only one goal per game throughout the postseason.

Now, the Pioneers will attempt to move one step closer to a state championship Wednesday night when they face Sevier County in the Class AA State Semifinals at the Richard Siegel Soccer Complex. A win would send Warren County into Thursday morning’s state championship game against either Brentwood or Arlington at 10 a.m.

WCHS soccer riding momentum into region semis

The excitement surrounding Warren County soccer does not stop at the middle school level.

The WCHS boys soccer team enters the week riding perhaps its biggest postseason momentum swing in years after knocking off Shelbyville 4-2 Thursday night in the District 9-3A Championship. Shelbyville had captured the previous four district tournament titles before Warren County ended the streak.

Coach Alex Cordova said the district championship showed how much belief his team has developed throughout the season.

The Pioneers have become one of the area’s most explosive offensive teams thanks to multiple scoring threats across the field. Kaito Takahashi leads Warren County with 22 goals this season, while Erik Hernandez and Guillermo Martinez have each added 12 goals. Gabriel Cordova has continued to serve as one of the team’s primary facilitators, totaling six goals and a team-high 14 assists.

Warren County, now 12-4-1, will host Ravenwood on Tuesday night in the Region 5-AAA Semifinals in another win-or-go-home showdown. A victory would not only send the Pioneers into Thursday’s region championship match, but would also guarantee the program a spot in Saturday’s sectional round with a state tournament berth on the line.

Belew’s Pioneers continue offseason buildup

Away from the soccer pitch, the Warren County football team will also continue preparations for the 2026 season this week with its first spring game under second-year head coach Eric Belew.

The Pioneers travel to Cascade on Wednesday night for a 6:30 p.m. matchup as Warren County continues building off a breakthrough 2025 campaign that produced a 6-5 record, the program’s first winning season since 2020 and only its second since 1991.

After spending much of last offseason installing culture and systems, Belew said this spring already feels different with players and coaches more comfortable in the program’s identity.

“I thought it went smoothly, and I think a lot of that goes towards our coaching staff and their preparation,” Belew said following the opening spring practice on April 27. “They’re bought in and invested and they set the tone for the whole program. The players came out ready to be coached and they learned a lot. It was a great day.”

Belew also pointed to improved participation numbers this spring, which has allowed the coaching staff to divide practices differently and spend additional time developing younger players and newcomers.

“There’s power in numbers, so we can split guys up more,” Belew said. “I’m really excited to see what that’s gonna do for these newcomers and young guys.”

The Pioneers also graduated several key seniors from last year’s team, including college signees Brady Swallows, Isaiah Robledo and Xavier Simmons, though Belew said the focus remains on continuing the foundation established last season rather than simply replacing production.

“We want to build off last year and we’re not really making any wholesale changes,” Belew said.

Full Schedule

Tuesday, May 12
WCHS soccer vs Ravenwood (Region 5-AAA Semis) 7 p.m.

Wednesday, May 13
WCHS football @ Cascade (Spring Game) 6:30 p.m.
WCMS soccer vs Sevier County (TMSAA State Semis) 7 p.m.

Thursday, May 14
WCMS soccer vs TBA (if win on Wednesday)
WCHS soccer vs TBA (if win on Tuesday)

Saturday, May 16
WCHS soccer vs TBA (if win on Tuesday)