In my early years of writing, I was often criticized during football season for being too harsh in my opinion of Pioneer football. Nowadays, I’m teased about being a true homer – somebody who would never say anything about Warren County even if it was warranted.
It was quite the pendulum swing over the years, going from hate mail adorning the wall beside my desk to now having a few thank you cards laying around for my writing. Honestly, I don’t have a preference for if my opinions are loved or hated as long as people keep reading them. And right now, I know the only opinion people care about from me is what I think about the 2023 Pioneers.
Sorry to let you down, but I don’t really have a hot take about this year’s team. I’m taking a wait-and-see approach, knowing the outcome of that first game against DeKalb County will mean a lot more about how this season unfolds than anything that happened during the first week of fall practice.
As for tidbits, let’s get into the good from the first week. For me, that starts with sophomore Isaiah Robledo.
If you’re looking for the next great playmaker at the Pioneers, then look no further than the team’s dynamic youngster. Robledo is one of those kids on offense that doesn’t really have a true position – he’s just an athlete that you find ways to get the ball.
In Friday’s scrimmage against South Pitt – a muggy affair where the heat was more of a story than anything that happened on the gridiron – Robledo found a little bit of wiggle room on a counter and popped it down the sideline for a 75-yard score. He also continued to be one of Alex van Vuuren’s favorite targets, making a few catches and big plays in the passing game against the 1A powerhouse program.
He’s just as good on defense too. Robledo was thrown into the fire as a freshman, making starts at cornerback and routinely giving up 5-6 inches to his opponents out on an island. He still found ways to make plays last year – even if he was beaten a few times too – and he’s doing that again this year, evidenced by an interception against South Pitt.
So here’s the first heads up for Pioneer fans before they enter Nunley Stadium Friday, Aug. 18 – make sure you know where No. 8 is at all times. I know opponents will already be circling him on the scout.
Other good things I saw: Alex van Vuuren looks comfortable at the control of a new offense, some new faces (I’ll get to them in defensive position previews later this week) are emerging already and Josh Harris’ arrival (and a shift in some other staff responsibilities) seems to have all Pioneer coaches fired up.
While the positives outweigh the negatives, there’s always the intrusive thoughts that pop up anytime I go to early practices in the fall. Namely, I’m always going to worry about depth, protecting the QB and the ability to finish games.
Warren County isn’t going to be deep this year, especially in the trenches. Keeping defenders out of the backfield for just 2-3 seconds would allow this offense to flourish – and that will be the focus the next two weeks.
As for winning in the clutch, a lot of that ties back to depth. Tired kids are going to make mistakes late; Warren County was 4-5 plays away from being 5-5 last year, but finished 1-9 (including three losses in the final seconds).
We won’t know until the Tigers show up at Nunley Stadium and land a haymaker if these Pioneers have the right amount of fight and will to win to make this year special.
I’m just counting down the days like the rest of you to find out. We’re just 12 days away.
