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Random Thoughts - Kids too young for the press
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Brad Durham
Published: Oct 13, 2021, 1:27 AM

No. 1 Monday night head Pioneer football coach Matt Turner drove his trailer to school and picked up a player’s car at a Dollar General store. Turner then took the kid’s car home to his Shade Tree Repairs shop. I have not seen a coach do that before, and it is a solid example of how Turner consistently goes the extra mile for his team.

No. 2 I am a relative newcomer to elementary basketball in Warren County. I watched and reported on many games last season, and after watching the District 1 preseason tournament championship games, I am asking the same question I asked last year. 

Why is the full-court press allowed? Yes, I realize a team cannot press after it has a 20-point lead, but the game is more than over at that point. 

Baseball has T-ball and coach-pitch as graduated steps to learning the game. Developing skills and being competitive is part of sports. If we don’t want our elementary kids running full-speed and hitting each other in football, why don’t we protect the psyche of the kids playing basketball?

I challenge someone to write a letter to the Southern Standard explaining why running a full-court press in elementary basketball is positive. When Lew Alcindor, who later changed his name to Kareem Abdul Jabbar, dominated college basketball with the dunk, the NCAA banned the dunk for 10 years. Changing rules to make a sport more competitive is part of the game. The NFL recently moved the extra point attempt back 13 yards to the 15-yard line.

No. 3 If there were academic all-district awards, members of the Lady Pioneer soccer team would be on that list. The senior class is loaded with brainiacs. Shelby Roberts is on pace to be salutatorian and Katie Toney has not made anything less than an A in high school. I am told there are several seniors on the team with exceptional grades. High Five to them!

No. 4 Ted Lasso is on Apple TV which most of us don’t have, but Apple TV is worth subscribing to for one reason – to watch Ted Lasso. Anyone who is a fan of Brene Brown knows that she is nuts about the series, and she has interviewed many of the series’ stars on her podcast.

Ted Lasso, Jason Sudeikis, protrays an American college football coach who goes to England to coach a soccer team in the series. It is a mixture of comedy and drama which has stopped me in my tracks several times as I watch it. The messages of the series will sneak up on you. Brene Brown says she has watched every episode at least three times. I highly recommend watching it for anyone, especially sports fans.
WCHS softball blanks Warren East, baseball goes 1-3 through weekend
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Matt Tyson
Published: Apr 9, 2025, 2:26 AM

Two days after steamrolling Shelbyville 20-0, the Warren County softball team carried its hot streak into the weekend with a Saturday matchup against Warren East (Ky.).

The Lady Pioneers continued to roll, taking down the visiting Lady Raiders 5-0.

The team posted nine hits over the course of the game, led by Lily Rains and Kyaira Sharpe with two each.

Addison Smith, Kaydence Wiser, Cortlyn Porter, Ceilee Gudat and Ali Young all followed with one hit each.

Porter had two of Warren County’s five RBI, with one each for Wiser, Sharpe and Young.

Gudat went the distance in the circle, striking out six and holding Warren East to four hits across all seven innings.

WCHS baseball loses three of four.

The Warren County High School baseball team was back in action Friday evening with a pair of games against Marion County and Heritage Christian (Ala.).

In their first game against Marion County, the Pioneers came up just short in an 8-7, 5.5-inning loss.

Sam Robinson led Warren County’s effort at the plate with two of the team’s seven hits. Tyler Adams, Ryder Gilispie, Woogs Bryan, Hayven Jones and Corban Felton each added one. Adams, Robinson, Jones and Jerren Harris each had one RBI for a team total of four.

Brady Swallows got it started on the mound with three strikeouts, three hits, four runs and three walks. Jaytton Baker followed for 1.1 innings and came off with five hits and three runs. Daylen Holguin wrapped it up with two strikeouts, two hits and one run over the last two innings.

The Pioneers had better luck in their nightcap against Heritage Christian, coming out on top 4-1 in five innings.

Warren County finished the game with eight hits, including two each for both Gilispie and Bryan. Felton, Jones, Baker and Evan Snapp followed with one hit each.

Bryan came away with two of the team’s three RBI, with Gilispie adding the third.

Jones pitched 4.2 innings and finished with six strikeouts, five hits, one run and six walks.

Gilispie came on to close out the bottom of the fifth inning.

The Pioneers were back at it Saturday with two more games against Sequatchie County and Whitwell, respectively.

Opening against Sequatchie County, Warren County gave up eight runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on the way to a 9-0, 6.5-inning shutout loss to begin the day.

The team was held to three hits, with one each for Felton, Bryan and Jones.

Keaton Rowe pitched 5.2 innings, striking out two and allowing six hits, eight runs and three walks. Isaac Smith added one strikeout, two hits and one run to close out the bottom of the sixth inning.

Warren County once again ran into scoring trouble against Whitwell, falling 6-1 in six innings to the Tigers.

Smith was credited with three of the team’s four hits, with Felton adding the fourth.

Robinson had the team’s lone RBI.

Braden Whinnery got it started on the mound with three strikeouts, three hits, four runs and one walk through 3.2 innings. Lealon Arnold came on in relief, finishing the top of the fourth inning with one hit and one run. Up next was Miguel Garcia, who additionally surrendered one hit and one run in the top of the fifth inning. Keagan Thompson closed it out, striking out one and adding one more hit over the remaining 1.2 innings.