After Warren County picked up its first win versus Sequatchie County last Friday night, the Pioneers head into tonight’s game with momentum. In past weeks, the Pioneers were able to put up early points only to watch the lead slip away.
The Pioneers maintained their lead against Sequatchie County throughout the game. QB Isaiah Grayson rushed for over 100 yards and threw his first touchdown pass of the season against an Indian defense that bottled up the inside running game of Warren County.
Said Pioneer RB Rickie King on last week’s win, “It felt great and we pulled it together. Hats off to the defense. They really got it done for us.”
The running game missed the hard running of Raleigh Woods and the quick feet of Jordan Bonner in the backfield. Both players will be back on the field tonight versus Coffee County and hopefully the running game will open up the passing lanes for Grayson.
The unsung heroes last Friday night were the players in the trenches. The defensive line did an outstanding job against the Indians’ run game, according to WCHS coach Tom Moore. The Pioneer defense made big plays down the stretch and stopped the Indians on their final possession. The final interception allowed Grayson to take a knee to end the game for the first time this season.
With a win still fresh on their minds, the Pioneers travel to Coffee County to face the 2-5 Red Raiders. The Red Raiders started their season with a huge 42-7 win over rival Tullahoma, but Coffee County has struggled since. The team’s only other win came outside its district versus Walker Valley.
Coffee County has struggled against the same opponents as the Pioneers. In fact, Warren and Coffee County lost to Cookeville by the exact same score, 42-14.
The Red Raiders’ secret weapon is not so secret. Sophomore QB Alontae Taylor has accumulated nearly 1,000 yards on offense this season. Taylor is already listed as the No. 5 prospect in the state of Tennessee for the class of 2018.
Said coach Moore, “He is the fastest player I have ever seen in high school football.”
Taylor had a huge impact on last year's game at Nunley Stadium. As a freshman, Taylor entered the game in the first quarter at quarterback and proceeded to rush for 143 yards and three touchdowns. His final score came in overtime as Coffee County won 28-27 when the Pioneers failed on a two-point attempt.
Taylor is not able to sign as a sophomore but has made a verbal commitment to Vanderbilt, where he is being looked at to play defensive back or wide receiver.
The Herald Citizen reported in Taylor’s last outing versus Cookeville he was limited to just 24 yards passing. On the ground was a different story. Taylor picked up 74 yards on 20 carries which averages out to 3.7 yards per carry.
Coach Moore added, “We have to play our regular defense and get lined up correctly. We keep getting better on defense and have to keep Taylor contained.”
Tonight’s game will be the final away game of the season for Warren County with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. The Pioneers will close out their 2015 season at home versus Siegel on Oct. 23 and Blackman on Oct 30.