Warren County football took another step in its 2017 season Friday as the Pioneers divided to conquer with half the team wearing white and the other red at a Nunley Stadium scrimmage.
Playing four quarters, the red team ended up with 14 points and white didn’t score but in the end it was a team effort with players trading positions to get field time and game-speed scenarios to work on fundamentals practiced over the last three weeks of offseason football.
“We split the team up, so of course we’re not going to be as sharp as we will as a cohesive unit,” said WCHS football coach Tom Moore. “Everyone got to play and we’ve got a lot of younger receivers that we need to work to get better. You have to work on something to get better at it, so that’s what we’re doing.”
Moore told the team to stay focused on their jobs and not play the blame game, or dwell on mistakes, but encourage each other and stay focused.
“We’ve got a good attitude,” Moore said, and stressed the importance of body language on the field. “You can’t hang your head. You’ve got to just realize what you did and do better.”
Playing three- and four-receiver sets, quarterback Isaiah Grayson got a lot of game time subbing as quarterback for both sides at times. The first red team score was a 65-yard pass from Grayson to receiver Trevor Collins. The second was a 5-yard scamper by Ethan Cowan later in the game.
Ja’terrius Rozier and Tre Ladet made an impression, running for first downs and making the second effort on offense that makes a difference on game day. On the defensive side of the ball, DeAndre Thomas made some big plays to torment the offense on the white team. Eric Haywood and Irving Espinoza made their presence known on both ends of the field.
Moore says the team is going to go to the air more often this season, and with Grayson as a senior the Pioneers are hopeful the influx of speedy players will make an impact offering more weapons in the arsenal. By spreading the field, Warren County will have a better opportunity to get a running game going and not become one dimensional.
When all was said and done, the red and white teams folded back into the home team again with everybody learning a bit in the process.