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WCMS names new basketball coaches
Montgomery makes move to Lady Pioneers
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Nikki Childers
Updated: May 27, 2014, 10:47 PM
Published: May 27, 2014, 10:48 PM

The two new basketball coaches at Warren County Middle School will be a pair of familiar faces.
Former WCHS boys basketball coach Malcolm Montgomery will serve as the new Lady Pioneer coach while Isaiah Phillips, a five-year assistant coach for the WCHS boys basketball team, has accepted the position as new Pioneer coach. Montgomery and Phillips replace Shea Panter and Adam Wood, who each will be coaching basketball at WCHS next year.
Warren County Middle School principal Gerald Tidwell was happy to announce Montgomery and Phillips as the school’s new coaches. Tidwell feels both will be a great fit with the younger Pioneers and Lady Pioneers.
“I fell very fortunate to have both Malcolm and Isaiah as our coaches,” said Tidwell. “Malcolm contacted me about the job and we feel like we got a steal with him coming on. Knowing the success of coach Phillips’ AAU programs, I feel like he’ll do a great job too.”
Montgomery is well known in Warren County after coaching the WCHS boys team for four seasons. He last coached the Pioneers during the 2012-13 season before offering his resignation. In his four years with the Pioneers, Montgomery led the program to the regional tournament three times and increased the team’s win total in each of his first three seasons.
Montgomery believes his new position brings his coaching career full circle.
“This gives me the full spectrum, from coaching college, high school boys and now girls,” said Montgomery. “Coaching is what I do. This is another challenge I’m looking forward to. This is a good situation and I’m really excited about it.”
Montgomery started coaching girls when he took over his daughter’s AAU team last summer. This year, Montgomery led the Tennessee Pride to a state title in girls basketball and took the team to a national tournament held in North Carolina.
When Panter accepted the head coaching job at WCHS, the opportunity arose for Montgomery to continue to coach girls and he jumped on it.
“I stumbled into coaching girls when I started working with my daughter’s AAU team. I worked with the team and individuals as well. I got to see the girls grow and improve,” said Montgomery. “I liked coaching them and when Shea took the high-school position, this opened up for me.”
Wood’s departure to join Chris Sullens’ staff also created an opening on the boys side at Warren County Middle School. Phillips, who came to Warren County as an assistant under Montgomery five years ago, was more than happy to take the job.
“I’m thrilled about coaching the team,” said Phillips.
Phillips coached under Montgomery for four years, acting as the varsity team’s lead assistant while also coaching the freshman team. Last year, John Dillard retained Phillips as an assistant coach of the Pioneers. Phillips is also highly involved in AAU programs and will stay on as a teacher at Morrison Elementary School.
Both coaches will serve as the varsity and junior varsity coaches for seventh- and eighth-graders.
The sixth-grade basketball teams will continue to be coached by Kelly Eckenrod and Jacob Cocke.
WCHS baseball, softball compete in weekend tournaments
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Matt Tyson
Published: Apr 2, 2025, 10:16 PM

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.