Hoisting a district tournament championship trophy doesn’t generate as much respect as you might expect.

The Warren County High School boys basketball team won last year’s district tournament in dramatic fashion, and has several key players returning from that squad, but the Pioneers weren’t picked to finish first by the coaches or the media during a preseason media day Monday in Cookeville.

The Pioneers were picked to finish second by the coaches and picked to finish third by the media in preseason voting.

“It’s just a poll and at the end of the day polls don’t win or lose basketball games,” said WCHS coach Chris Sullens. “The poll last year didn’t seem to matter. We still won a title anyway. We like what we have on our basketball team and we feel good entering the season.”

Warren County is led by four seniors in do-it-all C.J. Taylor, point guard Dee Spates, post Aiden Cummings, and guard Dante Elam. That group was part of a team that defeated White County in the district tournament finals last year in Sparta.

White County was picked to finish in first place by both the coaches and media. The Warriors have big-time players returning in Grant Slatten and Kade Clark.

“White County has the history and an excellent coach,” said Sullens. “The Slatten kid is the best player in the district. He’s just an exceptional player. We look forward to matching up against them.”

Sullens says the current Pioneer seniors have been part of a program that’s won 60 games over the past three years. He said the team’s goals remain lofty.

“Our goals are always going to be to win the district, host a region home game, get to the region finals and get a sectional game,” said Sullens.

High school basketball teams can begin official practice next week. The WCHS season is scheduled to begin Nov. 17 in the Hall of Champions tournament. The first game of that tournament will be held at Charlie Dalton Gym with both Warren County teams facing Community High School beginning at 6 p.m.