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Random Thoughts - You get what you pay for
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Photo by Ben Hershey on Unsplash
Brad Durham
Published: Jun 6, 2021, 1:03 AM

No. 1 I met with a football coach in West Tennessee this past week. The coach told me that his school board had approved bonuses for all coaches in all sports who make the playoffs. Every football coach, including the head coach and assistants will receive $1,000 for each playoff game, and if they win the state championship, each coach will receive another $1,000. Consequently, if that team wins the state, each football coach will receive a $5,000 bonus.


No. 2 That is the best incentive I have heard of for a coach in the past 21 years that I have worked with high school football coaches across the state. I have known coaches who have received vehicles from car dealers and the money from ads they sell for their coaching shows. Those types of bonuses have value, yet I like the incentive-based bonus best.


No. 3 I have not followed the NCAA issues with college athletes closely regarding the NIL (name, image and likeness), but it appears that NCAA college athletes will be able to secure income for themselves. The idea is that a NCAA athlete can create income, but it cannot be used as a recruiting tool. 


No. 4 Someone recently told me that the major benefits of going to a bowl game to Vanderbilt was the increased donations from alumni and free media exposure. Big checks rolled in when the football team made it to a bowl game. The university presidents know how much money is generated by the bowl games, which is a major reason there is resistance to eliminating college bowl games.


No. 5 I get excited each year when I go across the state and see football teams preparing for the new season in the summer. Normally, there is excitement before the “new” season starts. Seeing all the teams post new rosters for the next school year at Warren County High School has been a good education. Everyone will miss the graduating seniors, but the programs keep rolling on. 


No. 6 There are obvious reasons to root for the teams to be successful when you are writing about them. You want to see the kids do well. Winning is a lot more fun than losing. Seeing so many teams do well was a lot of fun this past school year.


No. 7 One person I particularly want to see do well next season is Sable Winfree. She played remarkably well as a freshman. I believe she has the ability and determination to leave a real legacy at Warren County High School. Sable is clearly a gym rat. Her main focus this summer is improving her left hand and shooting. Sable Winfree is a star whose future is bright – for her and her team.
WCHS baseball, softball compete in weekend tournaments
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Matt Tyson
Published: Apr 2, 2025, 10:16 PM

One day after a close home win over Cumberland County Thursday night, the Warren County baseball team was back on the road for a weekend tournament slate. Taking part in the Viking Classic, the Pioneers went 2-2 across Friday and Saturday’s contests.

Kicking things off against Huntland at Tullahoma High School Friday evening, Warren County notched its third straight victory with a 4-3 decision over the Hornets.

Sam Robinson had three of the team’s eight hits. Ryder Gilispie followed with two. Tyler Adams, Jerren Harris and Keaton Rowe each added one hit.

Gilispie and Harris were both credited with one RBI each.

Adams, Robinson, Gilispie and Adrian Harris each scored one run.

On the mound, Miguel Garcia pitched four innings, finishing with four strikeouts, two hits, three runs and four walks. Keagan Thompson followed for two innings, striking out two.

In the nightcap, the Pioneers were held scoreless in an 8-0 shutout against the host Wildcats. Robinson had Warren County’s lone hit of the game.

Hayven Jones pitched 1.1 innings, recording one strikeout, four hits, seven runs and two walks. Jerren Harris came on for 2.2 innings, finishing with two hits, one run and four walks.

Back in action for day two of the tournament at Cascade High School, the Pioneers bounced back with a 9-8 win over the host Champions Saturday morning.

The team finished with nine hits, led by Adams and Robinson with two each. Gilispie, Jerren Harris, Adrian Harris, Woogs Bryan and Corban Felton all added one.

Bryan led the team in RBI with four of its eight. Gilispie, Felton, Jerren Harris and Brady Norris each brought in one.

Jaytton Baker went 3.1 innings on the bump, striking out five and coming off with eight hits and five runs. Lealon Arnold followed for 1.2 innings, striking out one and adding two hits and three runs. Gilispie pitched for one inning and recorded two strikeouts and one hit.

Closing out the weekend against Alabama’s Heritage Christian, Warren County came out on the losing end of a 14-6 contest. At the plate, Jerren Harris led the way with two of the team’s eight hits. Adams, Gilispie, Bryan, Felton, Adrian Harris and Evan Snapp all followed with one each.

The Pioneers posted four RBI, with two each for Adams and Snapp.

Snapp had two of the team’s six runs, with one each for Adams, Gilispie, Felton and Jones.

Braden Whinnery pitched 2.2 innings, striking out four and surrendering seven hits, five runs and one walk. Rowe followed for 0.2 innings, adding four hits and five runs. Up next was Keagan Thompson, who went one inning and came off with five hits and four runs. Daylen Holguin wrapped up the day, striking out one and allowing one hit over 0.2 innings.

WCHS softball goes 1-3 through weekend

The Lady Pioneers got their Southern Warrior Classic schedule started with a game against Summertown Friday evening, a matchup in which they fell 10-1.

Warren County finished with six hits, with two each for Ky Damon, Lola Wells and Kaydence Wiser.

Wiser had a home run in the top of the fourth inning for the team’s lone run.

In the circle, Ceilee Gudat pitched 3.1 innings and finished with one strikeout, nine hits, 10 runs and two walks. Kyaira Sharpe followed for the game’s remainder, closing out the last 0.2 innings.

The Lady Pioneers were again bested in their second Friday night game, falling 10-2 to Moline (Ill.).

Wells led the Warren County hitting effort with two of the team’s six. Damon, Callie Roberts, Cortlyn Porter and Ali Young each added one.

Wells and Lily Rains had one run each.

Ruby Denning had one strikeout and gave up eight hits, 10 runs and three walks across all four innings.

The Lady Pioneers had better luck in their Saturday morning opener, flying ahead with an 11-run fifth inning to take down Illinois’s Oswego East 15-9.

Warren County racked up 12 hits over the course of the game, with two each for Rains, Wells, Sharpe, Porter and Addison Smith. This included home runs for both Wells and Smith. Damon and Young both added one hit each.

Smith led the Lady Pioneers in RBI with four of their 15, followed by Sharpe with three. Rains and Wells both had two RBI. Damon, Wiser, Porter and Young all tacked on one.

Sharpe pitched the first four innings and came out with 13 hits, nine runs and two walks. Denning added one hit across one inning.

Warren County was unable to duplicate this in their final game of the weekend later that afternoon, falling 3-2 to Stewarts Creek.

The team notched six hits, with two each for Rains and Porter. Damon and Wiser both added one hit.

Rains had the Lady Pioneers’ lone RBI.

On the rubber, Gudat pitched all five innings, striking out three and finishing the day with five hits, three runs and one walk.