On the first night of the Warren County A&L Fair, the Warren County High School football team took Mt. Juliet for a ride Friday night at Nunley Stadium.

The Pioneers played with power and emotion in suffering a 38-20 setback in their first game of the season.

Pioneer wingback Jathan Pleasant ran for 2 TDs, including an electrifying score where he pulled away from the defense, and fellow wingback Braylon Grayson caught a 75-yard bomb from QB Nate Elrod for Warren County's third TD.

Mt. Juliet was up 28-13 at the half and the Pioneers cut it to 28-20 early in the third quarter with Grayson's long TD catch. On the play, Grayson made an over-the-shoulder catch in the middle of the field, shrugged off a tackle from behind by the safety, and galloped into the endzone as the home crowd erupted.

Warren County coach Matt Turner told the Pioneers after the game he's never going to be pleased with a loss, but he was satisfied with the team's effort. The game was an uphill battle for Warren County, playing its first game due to COVID postponements and cancellations. Mt. Juliet, meanwhile, entered the game in mid-season form with a 3-0 record.

Coach Turner told the Pioneers he expects to see a big leap from Week 1 to Week 2 and he wants to go into Cookeville next week and leave with a win in Warren County's first region game. The Pioneers brutalized Cookeville last year at Nunley Stadium, winning 24-0.

The Pioneers were hurt by the Mt. Juliet kicking game, twice getting pinned inside the 10-yard line by punts, including one punt that rolled out at the 1-yard line. Mt. Juliet also made a 42-yard field goal.

Mt. Juliet played with a shorter field all night, including one possession where the Golden Bears took over on the Pioneer 20 after forcing Warren County to punt from its 5 and getting a 15-yard punt.