Cross country races have finished for Warren County this year and the track season doesn’t start until spring, but there are going to be some Pioneers who are running all winter. New coach Danny Fish hasn’t been shy about letting people know his game plan since taking over the Pioneer basketball program this summer.
Under Fish, Warren County is going to be pedal to the metal at all times.
Coach Fish got his first chance to address the state of his program Thursday at the District 6-4A Media Day. As the new coach in the room, there may have been some mystery about what he may bring to the table during district competition, but Fish wasn’t coy about his intentions. He laid out his plans with just two words.
“Aggressive and competitive – that’s just what I do,” said Fish when asked about his style of play. “I want to play 94 feet and go baseline-to-baseline. We’re not going to play halfcourt basketball – it’s the not the style that I coach and it’s not what is tailored to our team. The personnel we have says we wants to run so we’re going to.”
Fish is taking over after Chris Sullens left the program after a _-year run that featured a pair of district titles, multiple runs to region and a sectionals appearance in 2021. While Warren County took a step back in 2021-22, going 10-18 and finishing last in the district tournament, coach Fish feels like he’s ready to move forward with a solid nucleus and high expectations.
“I’m not a rear-view mirror person – I’m a windshield guy. I’m happy where the program is at and where we got it at, but the kids didn’t have the season they wanted to last year,” said Fish. “I feel pretty good with the guys that we got. We’ll be athletic and fast. We’re going to compete night-in and night-out and we’ll see how we come together in the postseason. As all coaches know, you’re marked by what you do in February, not November.”
The Pioneers do have some experience to lean on this year, although Fish has also noted that some youngsters could find their way on the court soon as well. Seniors Kaden Rutledge and Sawyer Seymour have earned all-district honors in the past and both seem primed for a big year in their final seasons.
“We have some nice pieces. Sawyer can really shoot the ball. Kaden wasn’t healthy last year but he’s been healthy this year and had a good summer and fall. We’ve been waiting for Braylon Grayson, Nate Elrod and Alex van Vuuren to get out of a football because they’re good pieces for us,” said Fish.
The new coach also noted that the program “could see an emergence” from rising junior guards Treyton Terry and Isaiah Cummings. Don’t expect the Pioneers to lean on just one guy – or any one lineup – early though.
It’s going to be mixing and matching most nights to find the right combo under coach Fish.
“This summer, my style was five-on, five-off and we wanted to grind on people. By the fourth quarter, we played the 6-7 dogs who were playing best that day. Every game is different, but we do have some pieces and some depth,” said Fish. “We got started late this summer – we had tryouts one day and then were in summer camp two days later. The kids picked up on what we wanted to do. It’s been a pretty seamless transition.”
The Pioneer hoopers will hit the floor running Monday with a 5 a.m. practice. More will follow on the Warren County basketball season.
