Checking off the endless miles coming back from Lawrence County, I couldn’t help but think about "Gilligan’s Island." This three-hour tour to watch the Pioneers play the Wildcats felt reminiscent, right down to the multiple missed chances to escape disaster.
Warren County wasn’t trapped on an island, but it did seem surrounded by quicksand for most of the night against the Wildcats. Each time the Pioneers tried to apply pressure, they sunk a little bit more.
It didn’t take long to figure out the main culprit in Friday’s 28-21 loss in Lawrenceburg. The Pioneer special teams were anything but special. The unit was the volcano on the island, always lingering as a form of destruction.
The Pioneers fumbled the opening kickoff, leading to a Wildcat touchdown, then repeated the feat in the second half. Warren County also had two punts blocked - the first recovered by Lawrence County in the end zone for a touchdown and the second coming in the tense fourth quarter.
Take any one away and Warren County may be 3-1 right now. Then again, if any radio transmitter would’ve work on Gilligan’s Island, the show would’ve ended in two episodes.
In many ways, especially early, Friday’s game felt like a re-run. Just like their first road game, a 20-7 loss at Cannon County, the Pioneers seemed uninterested at kickoff.
There’s a good chance Warren County overlooked the Lions two weeks ago, but Friday’s game felt like highway hypnosis. Traveling all day left the Pioneers in a fog.
Credit should be given to the team. Instead of rolling over after falling behind 12-0, the Pioneers rallied to take a 14-12 halftime lead. Even when it fell behind again in the third quarter, Warren County responded with force, scoring in less than two minutes to go back ahead 21-20.
The Pioneers just ran out of answers in the fourth quarter, with a last gasp falling incomplete in the final minute.
Frustration was evident more than ever before on the sidelines. And It’s warranted.
The Pioneers beat the best team they’ve played in the first month - Rockvale - and lost to two teams where they probably had the talent advantage. Taking one step forward, then one step back is the Pioneer way new coach Matt Turner has been trying to change.
The Pioneers have had two chances to build momentum this year, only to squander both chances. Friday’s may have been easier to explain - fair week, fluky turnovers and a lengthy road trip all stacked the deck against the Pioneers. Excuses aren’t what the Pioneer skipper is looking for though.
Turner is dead set on changing the entire aura surrounding Warren County football. If he needs to find some solace, remember Gilligan finally got off the island.
It just took a few seasons and a made-for-TV movie.
