It’s unfamiliar territory for this year’s Warren County High School football team.

For this first time this season, the Pioneers are coming off a loss.

It won’t be any easier this week as undefeated Oakland, the No. 1 ranked team in the state, makes a visit to Nunley Stadium on Friday night. It will be the last home game of the regular season and it will serve as senior night for Warren County.

The Pioneers can still earn a home playoff game and win the region, but beating Oakland is a must for that to happen.

Warren County suffered its first loss last week in falling 39-6 to Riverdale. It was a season low in points for Warren County, which had scored at least three TDs in all of its previous games.

Prior to Riverdale, Warren County’s lowest point total was 18 in an 18-13 victory at Rockvale.

Oakland presents an entirely new challenge for the Pioneers as arguably the most well-rounded team they have faced all season. Oakland is coming off a 22-3 victory over Coffee County, a score which is slightly misleading because the game was called at halftime due to lightning.

Outside of three big plays, the Warren County defense played well against Riverdale. The Pioneers surrendered a 75-yard TD run and two long passes. 

With the exception of the 75-yard TD, the Pioneers were stout against the run with linebackers Braylon Grayson, Kason Holder and Ryland Holder all flying around the field.The Pioneer defense also benefitted from a C.J. Taylor interception and a Bryson Elrod fumble recovery.

But the Riverdale defense packed a punch of its own. The Warriors may be from Murfreesboro, but they lived in the Warren County backfield last Friday night.

No Pioneer gained more than 30 yards rushing as the offense was held to 127 total yards. Warren County will need to get its read-option rushing attack back in gear to keep pace with the high-octane Oakland attack, which has scored at least 30 points in every game this season with the exception of the lightning-shortened game last week against Coffee County.