In a year where the Warren County High School football team has made one statement after another, the Pioneers will be looking for a little more payback this Friday night.
Warren County can clinch a playoff berth when it travels to Manchester to face a Coffee County team coming off a 37-20 win over Maplewood.
This series is evenly split over the past eight games at 4-4, but beyond that Coffee County has dominated over the past two decades. The Red Raiders hold a 15-5 edge in the last 20 games played, including winning eight straight in one stretch.
The Pioneers have raced out to a 7-0 start thanks in large part to their ability to run the football and stop the run. WCHS has also been winning the turnover battle as quarterback C.J. Taylor has not committed a turnover the entire season.
For the year, Warren County has forced 17 turnovers and committed just 3, all fumbles. The Pioneers also have blocked two punts.
Winning the turnover battle was crucial in a 25-20 victory over Siegel where the Pioneers had a clutch interception from Kason Holder and also blocked a punt in what was an extremely hard-fought game in Murfreesboro.
Friday night will mark the last time in the regular season the Pioneers have a road game. It will be homecoming night for Coffee County. After this week, the Pioneers close the regular season with back-to-back home games against Riverdale and Oakland.
Warren County entered the season with aspirations for a more balanced offensive attack. The passing game was crucial in wins over DeKalb County and especially Rockvale where Kason Holder caught two TDS, including the game-winner in the final minute.
The Pioneers have abandoned the passing attack in recent weeks and have thrown for a total of 30 yards in the past three games combined. That includes a win over Blackman where the Pioneers didn’t complete a pass and a shutout victory over Cookeville where the only completion went for negative yardage.
If the Warren County defense has shown a weakness this year, it’s been defending the pass. Coffee County QB Conner Shemwell might present a challenge for the Pioneers as he has shown the ability to pass from the pocket and also make athletic throws on the run.
Coffee County defensive back C.J. Anthony, who played for the Pioneers in middle school, made his presence felt last week against Maplewood with an interception and a safety.