It’s getting to that time of year when possibilities are endless and predictions are also the rosiest. Teams are just being formed, friendships and team bonding is at its strongest and every group across from Tennessee is writing the same goal at the top of its list: win a state championship.

For those red, white and blue supporters in town (I’m talking about Pioneer fans, not Jason Aldean lovers – but I’m with y’all too), I have some great, and potentially hurtful, news. Here’s the great news: We really do have the opportunity to have a state champion for the third time in as many school years. 

There is also bad news though. While there could be a championship in Warren County, it’s most likely all of our teams will not finish the year by hoisting a trophy. I apologize for the harsh truth and am very hopeful I am proved wrong more than once during the 2023-24 school year.

I don’t mean that as a way to detract from our local athletes or teams. It’s been a true pleasure covering this nearly unprecedented run of success across the board since 2018-19, where I’ve covered district regular season or tournament championships (and even one region title) won by softball, baseball, girls soccer, girls basketball and boys basketball teams from WCHS. That doesn’t even include a historic football season (2020), multiple state qualifiers in wrestling, track and cross country or two-time state champion Ally Beneke (in the high jump). 

Seriously, Warren County has had plenty to cheer about for the last five years and fans will have even more to cheer about this year. The only caveat that I add is we (yes, I include myself despite people trying to ban me for being a Boyd coach) probably won’t cheer on a state championship this year. Or, at the very least, we may not cheer on a team championship.

It’s important to add that note because as long as golfer Lauren Slatton is wearing a Warren County uniform, there is a great chance a state championship banner could be hanging somewhere. Slatton will get her final swing at a state this fall, assuming she does what she has for the last three years and runs through the district (she’s a three-time champion) and region (two-time champ) to qualify for state.

Slatton has improved her standing in the state tournament every year. She was 12th as a freshman, sixth as a sophomore and was the state runner-up last year. If she keeps that trend going, there’s only one more spot to reach and I know she would love nothing more than to go out on top in her final year.

It doesn’t have to be state championship or bust for Slatton or any of our teams though. Winning district titles matter. Region titles are amazing too. And sometimes, just winning a couple games can be a feat.

All WCHS teams are about to travel to new territory as regions and districts have been realigned since last year. The opposition has never been tougher for some of our teams and the talent Warren County will face is always among the elite in Middle Tennessee.

Shooting for the stars is what summer is for, but I know all our coaches would settle for simply seeing their teams give their absolute best every game. If Warren County teams can do that, they’ve already proven in the last five years that championships will be won.