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Smith to hold skills challenge
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Building back Warren County football to its glory days of the 1980s won’t be done overnight. New Pioneer Scott Smith realizes the task at hand will be a long process and he’s hopeful his latest idea may help with the process.
Coach Smith and the Pioneer staff will be overseeing the first Warren County football skills challenge this Saturday on the  Warren County High School practice football field. The event – originally scheduled to be held at Nunley Stadium – will begin with registration at 9 a.m., followed by kids taking part in a kick, punt and pass challenge starting at 9:30 a.m.
The event is free to kids ages 8-15. Coach Smith is hopeful a large number of potential future Pioneers will come out and show their skills.
“We want to be a resource for Warren County. We’ll be there helping out and hopefully getting players introduced to Pioneer football,” said Smith. “I think this is a way to get Warren County football visible to our upcoming freshmen, our middle school players and our youth football players.”
The event will be split into four age categories (ages 8-9, 10-11, 12-13 and 14-15) with awards given to the top three finishers in each division. Each participant will get one throw, one kick from a tee and one punt in the contest. The winners will be decided by total distance accumulated in the three events.
Coach Smith believes the traditional kick, punt and pass contest is just a start of trying to get younger kids excited about Warren County football.
“We want everybody to know that we don’t think Warren County has went quietly into the night as a football program. We’re going to do things for kids that hopefully get them excited and enthusiastic about football in this community,” said Smith.
The event was moved to the WCHS practice field after a conflict with another event at Nunley Stadium. Smith chose to move the venue instead of postponing the event until July.
After being hired in January, Smith has gotten off to a quick start with the Pioneers. During offseason workouts, Smith was able to keep participation numbers in the 80s as several prospective players seemed to be interested in the new coach. The numbers didn’t seem to dip when the Pioneers went through spring practice and held their own in scrimmages against Page and Forrest.
Coach Smith believes his team still is a work in progress, but the players are sharpening their skills and starting to adapt to Smith’s style.
“We have a very long way to go, but we are working hard to get better,” said Smith. “I believe people will see a well-prepared team this fall.”
Smith mentioned how several of his team’s varsity players have been attending several college camps. The Pioneers will be able to do camp work starting in July.

WCHS baseball, softball compete in weekend tournaments
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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.