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Broncos beaten by Monterey, Van Buren
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The Boyd Broncos have had little time to rest over the weekend and the schedule won’t slow down for the rest of January.
The Broncos played two games in the span of three days, losing to Monterey at home Saturday 69-62 and getting throttled 82-42 by Van Buren County on Monday night.
Boyd dropped to 4-13 overall this season as the Broncos have struggled when playing against TSSAA competition.
After last season, Boyd decided to drop from the TSSAA and enter the Middle Tennessee Athletic Conference. The results have been better as the Broncos have picked up four wins in the new conference, more than the previous two seasons combined.
But the drop-off has been when Boyd plays its former rivals. Monterey edged the Broncos at home on Saturday night despite great efforts from three Boyd players.
Senior Brody Fernandez continued his recent stretch of great basketball by scoring 25 points against Monterey.
Fernandez got scoring help from sophomore Christian Barrett, who pumped in 16 points, and senior J.T. Morgan finished with 14.
Fernandez did most of his damage from short range as the senior sliced into the heart of the Monterey defense to score. Barrett was the team’s outside threat as he drilled three 3-pointers on his way to a double-digit scoring night.
Morgan, who is closing in on 1,000 points in his career, went 10-for-11 at the free-throw line to get most of his points.
In the end, the Broncos were forced to foul to extend the game and Morgan’s over-aggressiveness ended up backfiring.
On a loose ball, Morgan reached to foul a Monterey player and grabbed him by the waist. The referee deemed the act to be an intentional foul, a call rarely seen in the final seconds as teams go into foul mode.
The call gave Monterey two shots and the ball back and ended any chance of Boyd making a miraculous comeback in the final seconds.
The road trip to Van Buren County for Boyd ended with much less drama than the last time a Warren County team traveled up the mountain, but the outcome was just as ugly.
The Broncos were beaten by 40 points as the Eagles took a 20-point lead after the first quarter. Though Boyd held its own through the second and third quarters, the final outcome was the team’s worst loss of the season.
The few highlights for Boyd came from Fernandez, who scored 24 points, and seventh-grader Phillip Brock.
Brock has played the past two games with the Broncos after the team was left with six players following Christmas break.
Despite being five years younger than most of his opponents, Brock gave his all for Boyd against Van Buren County and his hustle was rewarded in the second quarter.
Brock received a pass from Fernandez on the right wing and made his way into the lane. With the Eagle defense closing in, Brock took a running start and floated a shot over the defense which touched nothing but net.
Fans from both schools erupted in cheers as Brock connected on his first high school basket and was met with a high five from Boyd coach Chris Sullens when he left the game shortly after.
In the loss to Van Buren County, Morgan added 12 points, leaving him 33 points away from the milestone he has been chasing all year.
Coach Sullens praised the effort of his team despite playing in a game where it trailed by double figures nearly the entire time.
“We didn’t shoot well from three, but our guys never quit and continued to play hard,” said Sullens. “Van Buren County has a quality team. We kept fighting until the finish.”
The Bronco schedule didn’t ease up as the team hit the road last night to play Holloway High School. Results weren’t available at press time.
Boyd will take the rest of the week off before coming back next week with four games in five nights.
The first game will be a home contest against Holloway on Tuesday, Jan. 24. Action will begin at J.K. Stanley Gym at 6 p.m.

WCHS baseball, softball compete in weekend tournaments
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One day after a close home win over Cumberland County Thursday night, the Warren County baseball team was back on the road for a weekend tournament slate. Taking part in the Viking Classic, the Pioneers went 2-2 across Friday and Saturday’s contests.

Kicking things off against Huntland at Tullahoma High School Friday evening, Warren County notched its third straight victory with a 4-3 decision over the Hornets.

Sam Robinson had three of the team’s eight hits. Ryder Gilispie followed with two. Tyler Adams, Jerren Harris and Keaton Rowe each added one hit.

Gilispie and Harris were both credited with one RBI each.

Adams, Robinson, Gilispie and Adrian Harris each scored one run.

On the mound, Miguel Garcia pitched four innings, finishing with four strikeouts, two hits, three runs and four walks. Keagan Thompson followed for two innings, striking out two.

In the nightcap, the Pioneers were held scoreless in an 8-0 shutout against the host Wildcats. Robinson had Warren County’s lone hit of the game.

Hayven Jones pitched 1.1 innings, recording one strikeout, four hits, seven runs and two walks. Jerren Harris came on for 2.2 innings, finishing with two hits, one run and four walks.

Back in action for day two of the tournament at Cascade High School, the Pioneers bounced back with a 9-8 win over the host Champions Saturday morning.

The team finished with nine hits, led by Adams and Robinson with two each. Gilispie, Jerren Harris, Adrian Harris, Woogs Bryan and Corban Felton all added one.

Bryan led the team in RBI with four of its eight. Gilispie, Felton, Jerren Harris and Brady Norris each brought in one.

Jaytton Baker went 3.1 innings on the bump, striking out five and coming off with eight hits and five runs. Lealon Arnold followed for 1.2 innings, striking out one and adding two hits and three runs. Gilispie pitched for one inning and recorded two strikeouts and one hit.

Closing out the weekend against Alabama’s Heritage Christian, Warren County came out on the losing end of a 14-6 contest. At the plate, Jerren Harris led the way with two of the team’s eight hits. Adams, Gilispie, Bryan, Felton, Adrian Harris and Evan Snapp all followed with one each.

The Pioneers posted four RBI, with two each for Adams and Snapp.

Snapp had two of the team’s six runs, with one each for Adams, Gilispie, Felton and Jones.

Braden Whinnery pitched 2.2 innings, striking out four and surrendering seven hits, five runs and one walk. Rowe followed for 0.2 innings, adding four hits and five runs. Up next was Keagan Thompson, who went one inning and came off with five hits and four runs. Daylen Holguin wrapped up the day, striking out one and allowing one hit over 0.2 innings.

WCHS softball goes 1-3 through weekend

The Lady Pioneers got their Southern Warrior Classic schedule started with a game against Summertown Friday evening, a matchup in which they fell 10-1.

Warren County finished with six hits, with two each for Ky Damon, Lola Wells and Kaydence Wiser.

Wiser had a home run in the top of the fourth inning for the team’s lone run.

In the circle, Ceilee Gudat pitched 3.1 innings and finished with one strikeout, nine hits, 10 runs and two walks. Kyaira Sharpe followed for the game’s remainder, closing out the last 0.2 innings.

The Lady Pioneers were again bested in their second Friday night game, falling 10-2 to Moline (Ill.).

Wells led the Warren County hitting effort with two of the team’s six. Damon, Callie Roberts, Cortlyn Porter and Ali Young each added one.

Wells and Lily Rains had one run each.

Ruby Denning had one strikeout and gave up eight hits, 10 runs and three walks across all four innings.

The Lady Pioneers had better luck in their Saturday morning opener, flying ahead with an 11-run fifth inning to take down Illinois’s Oswego East 15-9.

Warren County racked up 12 hits over the course of the game, with two each for Rains, Wells, Sharpe, Porter and Addison Smith. This included home runs for both Wells and Smith. Damon and Young both added one hit each.

Smith led the Lady Pioneers in RBI with four of their 15, followed by Sharpe with three. Rains and Wells both had two RBI. Damon, Wiser, Porter and Young all tacked on one.

Sharpe pitched the first four innings and came out with 13 hits, nine runs and two walks. Denning added one hit across one inning.

Warren County was unable to duplicate this in their final game of the weekend later that afternoon, falling 3-2 to Stewarts Creek.

The team notched six hits, with two each for Rains and Porter. Damon and Wiser both added one hit.

Rains had the Lady Pioneers’ lone RBI.

On the rubber, Gudat pitched all five innings, striking out three and finishing the day with five hits, three runs and one walk.