Months of eagerness will finally end Monday. Lines will go down on the diamond and the pitch, signaling the start of the baseball, softball and soccer seasons for Warren County High School.
All three spring sports teams, weather permitting, will make their debuts Monday, with the baseball team starting locally and the softball and soccer teams traveling to Manchester. It’s a sweet release for the coaches, who have seen their teams put in work over the last two months in preparation for opening day.
“It’s going to be interesting to see when the crowd is full and the lights are on and it matters, how will we respond,” said Phillip King, who will make his WCHS coaching debut Monday. “I’ve had teams that have been hit in the mouth and hide behind the bench and others who wanted to go out and get another chance. I think this team is ready and will fight.”
King was hired late in the fall, leaving him without a summer to set a roster. He has hastily assembled his group since spring sports were able to start practice in February. When the Pioneers hit the field, he realized immediately there was plenty of talent to fill the roster.
“Our guys have worked hard. We have good team chemistry and they get after each other. They’re battling,” said King. “We have around 14-15 guys who are battling for positions – obviously when you run nine out there, there’s going to be some who wish they were out there but they’ll keep fighting – and you’re always an injury away from next man up.
“The cool thing is if we have to bring a guy to the mound, we can put the next guy in there and it's equal parts with no drop off. That’s the good thing about this junior and senior class we have – there’s a lot of guys who get after it.”
The first pitch Monday against Mt. Juliet is scheduled for 6 p.m. The game is part of the Grand Slam tournament, which will send Warren County to Nolensville Tuesday (6 p.m. start) and Murfreesboro late in the week.
Gooby Martin will lead his Lady Pioneers onto the field at Coffee County at 7 p.m. It will be the first game for the defending Region 3AAA champions, though several of the team’s key starters have since graduated.
Martin knows the first month or more of the season will be about finding the right 9-10 Lady Pioneers to fill the spots when district games begin.
“It’s very early. We’re so young on the varsity level that we know we’ll have our ups and downs. We won’t have a set lineup until mid-April. There’s lots of girls battling for spots,” said Martin.
The Lady Pioneers will be looking to rely heavily on their rotation, which features sophomore Madison Hollis and juniors Sadie Simmons and Rhealee Johnson. All Martin knows going into the first night is his team looks ready to scrap for wins once again.
“They battle. Our teams in the past have always battled, but you don’t know what you’re getting year-in, year-out. In our scrimmages, we’ve battled every game,” said Martin.
Monday’s game at Coffee County is set to start at 7 p.m. The Lady Pioneers will make their home debut Monday, March 16 against Coffee County.
If scrimmages are a good predictor of success, Matt Jackson may be nearing the elusive District 6AAA championship he’s been wanting since taking over the Pioneer soccer team. Warren County has had big moments in the preseason, including Thursday’s 3-1 victory over St. Andrews Sewanee.
It was the final measuring stick for Jackson and the Pioneers and Warren County more than measured up. The Pioneers got three goals from FD de Santiago, who has rejoined the team this season after missing last season.
“We passed the ball very well in the first half and had a lot of shots. Finally, FD was able to get open for a goal. He had two more in the second half – he’s going to be a great addition to the team,” said Jackson. “Our defense is very strong. They were not able to get any real shots on goal.”
Monday’s game in Manchester will begin at 7 p.m. The Pioneers debut at home Saturday, March 21 at 3 p.m. against Tullahoma.
