Robservations: Warriors prove you can rebuild
When this year’s football schedule was announced, one game stood out above all the rest. One opponent on the schedule gave die-hard Pioneer fans a glimmer of hope — the Sparta game.
Comparing the two squads over recent seasons, everyone felt this week’s game would be one of the Pioneers’ best chances for a win — especially since they were playing a squad that, like themselves, went 0-10 a year ago.
Those who keep track of such things were quick to remind fellow Pioneer fans that Warren County had won four of the last six meetings between the two neighboring rivals, and thoughts of hard-fought games, huge crowds and Pioneer success abounded.
But somebody forgot to tell White County.
The Warriors brought back every starter from last year’s team, including a huge group of linemen — 10 of whom top the 240-pound mark. Fullback Dell Lewis has been running over anyone standing in his way, and QB Josh Lowery has the arm to keep opposing defenses wondering whether they’ll face the smashmouth running attack, or the long-bomb aerial assault.
Bottom line, the Warriors have been getting it done so far this season, and you don’t have to be a licensed sports psychologist to realize they won’t be overlooking anybody in their home opener tonight — not even little ol’ winless Warren County.
Tonight’s game, a contest many looked at as the Pioneers’ best chance to end their current losing streak, is still a winnable game. But this isn’t the same old Sparta team the Pioneers pushed around back in the past. And a Warren County win tonight, whether it’s by one point or 50 points, will be a huge, huge accomplishment.
As if the challenge of the revamped, reloaded Warrior program wasn’t enough, the Pioneers have also spent their bye week working to replace several veteran members of their starting lineup.
Five seniors have left the team since the beginning of the 2003 campaign — two after the Livingston Academy loss, and three more after the Chattanooga Central debacle. But that still leaves a pretty large group of young, talented players to pick up the load that their former leaders left for them to carry.
Replacing five starters is tough, but let’s face it: Nothing has come easy for the Pioneers for a long time. So don’t look for this latest bump in the road to cause any sort of major wreck.
In fact, this early season lineup-shuffling may benefit the Pioneers in the long run. Look at White County as an example.
Last year, the Warriors had no seniors, meaning many young players — athletic kids, but players who really lacked the experience against varsity competition you’d like to see — had to undergo a baptism by fire of sorts.
They went out, week after week, and got their hats handed to them. But at the same time, they picked up valuable playing time and experience that would serve them well in the future.
It’s still early in the 2003 campaign, and there’s still plenty of time for White County to fall apart. But they’ve looked pretty good so far, nobody can argue that. And they have the trials of the 2002 season to thank for it.
At the same time, there is still plenty of time for the Pioneers to pull things together. So with the loss of several seniors forcing the team to place young athletes in vital roles, could a White County-esque turnaround be around the corner for the Pioneers?
As they say in the sports clich? dictionary, “only time will tell.”