Kickoff time is here: Pioneers take on Centennial tonight

By ROB NUNLEY / Sports Editor for the Southern Standard

Warren County’s Matt Ramsey (27) squares off against Jimmy Cunningham during blocking drills at the WCHS practice field Wednesday evening. The Pioneers open their 2002 campaign tonight, with a road game against Centennial High in Franklin.

When preparing for tonight’s opponents from Centennial, the Pioneer football coaching staff didn’t need to do a great deal of research about the Cougars’ gameplan.

They’re already familiar with it. In fact, it’s the same type of offense they teach the Pioneers every day.

“They’re a triple-option team, too,” coach Gerald Tidwell said of the Cougars, who will play host to WCHS tonight in Franklin. “They pattern their offense after Georgia Southern, and we pattern ours more after Air Force, with a double tight end set. But both offenses try to establish the option to be successful.”

Tidwell noted the key to stopping Centennial’s offense will be tackling well enough to prevent the Cougars from establishing their running game.

“Being an option staff, we know what we don’t want to see versus the defense,” he said, “so we’re going to do that, and that’s going to make them throw the ball.

“So our pass defense has got to shut it down for us to really be successful. I think with the running game, we should be there if we make tackles. But we want to take away the triple-option, and make them go to something else.”

But if the Pioneers are successful in stopping Centennial’s ground attack, they’ll still have their work cut out for them defending a passing game that combines a strong-armed quarterback with athletic receivers who like to draw defenders into one-on-one matchups.

“First, they’re a running team, and their halfbacks in that wishbone are both breakaway runners,” Tidwell said. “So if we make many mistakes, it could really cost us in the ballgame. Those two backs, and the passing threat with one-on-one matchups, are what I’m most concerned about now.”

Although it’s been over a year since the Pioneers tasted victory, Tidwell said the enthusiasm level of his squad is high coming into tonight’s opener. And that enthusiasm, he said, has resulted in more dedicated work during this week’s practice sessions.

“I feel like we’re finally coming together this week, and I’m a lot more confident myself, in some of the things we’ve been working on,” he said. “Once you narrow it down to a specific gameplan, you can work on it and get more things accomplished. The kids feel the same way. You can tell just by watching them in drills. They’re in position to make plays, whereas before they were turning circles around out there in pass coverage.

“We’re getting more and more confident, to be honest with you, and it’s time for us — ready or not — to play a football game. We’re ready to find out what we’re made of, where we’re at, and go to work.”