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Lady Pioneers win thriller
WCHS beats Sparta in overtime
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Jeffery Simmons
Published: Feb 1, 2023, 8:20 AM

With each second feeling like an eternity, it would’ve been easy for the Lady Pioneers to ponder if they were ever going to outlast White County at home Monday. Late leads evaporated in both the fourth quarter and overtime, but Warren County – exhausted and filling gaps with super subs – never lost faith.


Behind a herculean effort from senior Brienne Kelsey and late rebounding by Lex Verge, the Lady Pioneers were able to knock off the top-10 ranked Warriorettes 61-59 at Charlie Dalton Gym. It’s the second straight year Warren County has beaten White County in OT, with last year’s win in the Sonic Shootout snapping a 20-game win streak for the Warriorettes in the series.


Kelsey, oftentimes an unsung hero as a senior who has been instant offense off the bench the last two seasons, finished with a game-high 17 points for Warren County, while Kyra Perkins added 16. And while Verge didn’t score, she had two of the biggest rebounds for the Lady Pioneers late, preserving what turned out to a wild win for Warren County to go to 18-7 this season.


The Lady Pioneers thought they had put the game away in OT when Kelsey sank two free throws with 18.8 seconds to make it 61-56, but the Warriorettes had other ideas. Bella Winningham’s 3-pointer with 9.7 seconds was followed with an immediate timeout, allowing White County to set up a press against Warren County – which played the fourth quarter and overtime with PG Sable Winfree after the team’s star guard fouled out in the second half.


Her absence showed up in the final 10 seconds when Warren County couldn’t handle the pressure and turned it over. In the scramble, the Warriorettes got a look at a layup that could’ve tied the game, but the shot rimmed out.


When it hit the rim, Verge was on the other side of halfcourt, but she sprinted back into the pile of players fighting for the rebound on a mission. As the ball hit the floor, Verge swooped in and dove on it, covering the ball for the final seconds until the clock ran out.


“All I was thinking was we weren’t going to be outworked for the board,” said Verge, who also grabbed a key rebound in traffic that set up Kelsey’s two late free throws in OT.


Coach Anthony Lippe was effusive in his praise after the game, especially for the grit the Lady Pioneers showed in overtime after potentially giving the game way in the fourth quarter.


“We made some mistakes late, but we learned from it. This is why we scheduled as tough as we did – we want to be battle tested for the district and further,” said Lippe in a radio interview with the Voice of the Pioneers Jay Walker after the game. “The girls played their heart out. I couldn’t be more proud. It was a special night for us.”


Warren County led most of the way, including taking a 47-44 lead with :59 left in regulation after a Shelby Smartt free throw. Mia Hobbs extended the advantage to 49-45 with 33 seconds left, answering one White County free throw with two of her own.


Nia Powers, a beast in the paint who finished with a game-high 22 points, cut it to one – 50-49 – with 9.1 seconds left, making the Lady Pioneers sweat. That concern seemed to wash away once Warren County broke the press out of a timeout and Perkins was running all alone for a game-icing layup, but she missed the bunny and White County took possession after the ball went out of a bounds with three tick remaining.


Making matters worse, Warren County was called for a foul 75 feet from the Sparta basket with 1.9 seconds left, sending KK McDonald to the line with a chance to win it for the Warriorettes.


McDonald missed the first shot, but redeemed herself on the second one to force overtime.


In OT, Perkins got her redemption. After Warren County spent nearly the first full minute of the four-minute extra time working down the clock, Hobbs attacked the rim and got fouled. She made the first, but missed the second (one of eight missed free throws by Warren County in the fourth


quarter and OT). Perkins made it a moot point, soaring high to get the rebound and feeding Kelsey on the perimeter.


The lefty sank a key triple, one of four she made on the night, to push the Lady Pioneers up 54-50.


Sparta stormed back quick, going on a 6-1 run in 50 seconds to take the lead. Powers gave White County its lone lead in OT with a three-point play with 2:00 left, though it wouldn’t last long.


Smartt answered back on the other end, dribbling out nearly a minute of the clock before cutting through two defender for a tough layup that pushed Warren County up for good.


The Lady Pioneers went to Shelbyville Tuesday hoping to continue its momentum and seal no worse than the No. 2 spot in the District 6-4A standings. Results were unavailable at press time. Warren County will be back at home for a key matchup with Coffee County Friday.


Tip-off for the heavyweight battle that will likely decide the district championship is set for 6 p.m.


Lady Pioneer scoring – Kesley 17, Perkins 16, Hobbs 9, Smartt 9, Sable Winfree 6, Savannah Winfree 4
WCHS baseball, softball compete in weekend tournaments
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Matt Tyson
Published: Apr 2, 2025, 10:16 PM

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.