A stable of backs has become the staple of the Warren County High School offense after three days of practice for the Pioneers.
Led by returning starters Cameron Lusk and D’Andre League, the ground game for Warren County has developed into the weapon of choice for coach Tommy Johnson as his team now sits 14 days away from the start of the regular season.
With the emergence of junior Drew Davidson and sophomores Bryson Lewis and Tristan Reish, coach Johnson believes the running game has the right mix of players to be very successful.
“I’m very pleased with the progress on the offensive side of the ball,” said Johnson. “I like what we’re doing by getting all of our backs involved. We have some talent on this football team and I’m seeing guys stepping up daily and showing they can run the ball for us.”
Lusk, League and Lewis all showed flashes last season as each adds a different dimension to the rushing attack.
Throwing Davidson and Reish into the mix, along with adding a few wildcat formations to add a running threat at quarterback, could make the Pioneers hard to stop offensively.
One of the main concerns for coach Johnson is opening holes for the running backs.
“Our No. 1 concern is can we block for the guys we have,” said Johnson. “We’re low on linemen right now. We have to have some kids step up and help.”
Though the running attack may become a focal point when the Pioneers suit up against the DeKalb County Tigers Friday, Aug. 17, coach Johnson still sees plenty of bright spots in the passing game as well.
Junior Hunter Mullican and freshman Christian Wilkinson have had their moments when the team throws. After preaching balance as a principle for this year’s offense, coach Johnson firmly believes his team can run or pass at any given moment this season.
“Our run game and pass game are really starting to come together,” said Johnson. “We have versatility on offense. There are things we still need to sharpen up, but we’re getting there.”
Warren County will have two more practices today before the team competes in an intersquad scrimmage tomorrow at Nunley Stadium.
The first look for fans at the Pioneers will come at 7 p.m. as part of the Boys 2 Men football event.
The event will begin at 3 p.m. with scrimmages between youth league teams. A pep rally will be held at 5:30 p.m.

Practice notes

Injuries continued to be a problem for the offensive line this week. Already dealing with injuries to starters Gilley Ortiz and Jacob Roller, junior starter Logan Wanamaker also missed practice Wednesday. Wanamaker was back in pads Thursday morning.
The competition has been fierce during team drills, as even the offensive and defensive coaches have engaged in friendly banter to spark the Pioneers.
When the Pioneers do team drills, the most impressive unit thus far has been the first-team defense. Playing against the scout offense, the stop unit has been able to make plays, led by Lusk and Aaron McKinley at defensive end and Lee Carden at safety.
Freshman Josh Clark made his presence felt Wednesday afternoon. The young wide receiver made a leaping catch over the middle, then absorbed a big hit from safety Maurkel Breedlove to register a 20-yard gain.
Though the Pioneers have five running backs who could all see touches this season, the focal point seems to be League. League should have the ball in his hands a lot this season as his small stature, speed and escapability makes him a hard player to bring down.
The numbers seem to be holding steady at around 60 players.