Spicy food isn’t reserved solely for Smokin’ in McMinnville. The Warren County High School football team is giving coach Tommy Johnson a daily dose of hot chili.
The third-year head coach’s catch phrase this year when practice gets intense is the Pioneers are “making his chili hot.” Wednesday’s workout may have set off a fire alarm.
With most of practice set aside for one-on-one drills between the offense and defense, coach Johnson saw the competition between his team reach a boiling point as players took great joy at trying to win individual battles.
Offensive and defensive linemen collided with force, neither willing to give an inch. Running backs blasted through holes, seeking out linebackers to run over. Wide receivers and defensive backs wrestled in the open field as coaches screamed instructions from both sides.
The sole focus was winning as coach Johnson hopes the little battles in practice help his team get ready for the wars waiting on Friday nights this season.
“It was nice to see when we put the guys in situations to compete, they really embraced it,” said Johnson. “Even the young guys were getting into it. Lots of freshmen and sophomores were mixing it up with the older guys.”
With Saturday’s intersquad scrimmage in the books and the Pioneer playday scheduled for last night canceled, Warren County won’t get any live contact against an opponent before the start of the season Friday, Aug. 17.
Though the risk of injury goes up with the intense drills, coach Johnson is left no choice but to challenge his team in practice to prepare the Pioneers for what looms in seven days.
With Wednesday’s workout still fresh in his mind, coach Johnson thinks the Pioneers may be ready to start hitting somebody else soon.
“You can tell the guys are taking it to each other,” said Johnson. “The thought process for the team is how we will take this individual work and apply it to a team setting. Guys are starting to believe in the process and working to get prepared for our opponents.”
Today’s practice, which will feature another intersquad scrimmage, will be the final day of teaching before the Pioneers start preparations for DeKalb County Monday. Warren County has already been working on how to take down the Tigers, who surprised many by finishing last season 8-2 and making the playoffs. The Pioneers will practice each day after school next week.