‘They lost like winners’: WCHS takes lead early, falters late against Pounders
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But by the end of Friday night’s 24-7 loss at Chattanooga Central, there was a feeling of accomplishment up and down the Warren County sideline, as well as a sense that Pioneers may be finally beginning the long road back from years of mediocrity.
“I told them after the game they may have lost tonight, but they lost like winners. They didn’t just give up like a loser,” said head coach Chris Madewell. “If we can keep working to change that attitude, and continue to get better week in and week out, by the end of the season we can hang with teams and be competitive.”
While they gave up their lowest point total since the 2001 season, the Pioneers fell behind almost immediately in Friday’s game. Robert Woods, the Pounders’ talented tailback, shot through the middle on a trap on CCHS’s opening play, streaking 67 yards for a touchdown.
The Pioneers answered with a long drive, only to miss a 27-yard field goal attempt and give the ball back to their hosts. Chattanooga Central tried to go to the air, however, and senior Eli Smith picked off their first pass attempt and gave the Pioneers back the ball at the Pounder 15-yard line.
After two running attempts were stuffed in the backfield, Pioneer QB Nick Cantrell went to the air himself, finding Jon Creek for an 18-yard touchdown strike. Davey Britton added the PAT, and the Pioneers found themselves ahead for the first time this season.
“We came out and played hard,” Madewell said. “We’re such a team of momentum, and getting momentum going our way.
“They came out and scored that first touchdown, and I was a little worried. But we were able to come back and get a touchdown, and the sideline changed. They started to feel a little taste of that winning attitude.”
Cantrell, who alternated with Joshua Paz at signal-caller on each WCHS series, credited the team’s linemen and young defensive players with helping keep Friday’s contest close.
“I think our line stepped up,” said Cantrell, who passed for 59 yards on three completions. “We’ve still got some gaps we’ve got to fix, but they played hard, and our sophomore linebackers did a good job, too.
“They’re starting to play like juniors and seniors, and that’s something we need.”
Central used Woods and the trap play as its bread and butter throughout the evening, and the Pioneer defensive unit struggled to stop the powerful back. Woods added a 32-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter, giving his team a 12-7 halftime lead, and finished with 21 carries for a whopping 250 yards.
“A major part of that is the angles we’re taking to make the tackle,” Madewell said of Woods’ rushing success. “A lot of times we’re not getting our heads in front of them, which is something we work on in practice every day. But if you’re trying to arm-tackle a big kid like that, you’re not going to bring him down.”
“There should be more people to the ball, too, but that’s inexperience,” he added. “We’ve got a lot of sophomores out there, and at that young it’s hard to read an offense. We’re still just getting one man to the ball, when we need to get two or three to the ball. There was definitely more popping tonight, we’re just not wrapping up.”
Pounder quarterback John Cornet connected with Sean Hacker for a 27-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter, and Lorenzo Meadows tacked on a 5-yard TD run in the game’s closing minutes.
The Pioneers had time for one more drive, and moved the ball deep into Pounder territory, but the series ended when Cantrell’s final pass attempt was intercepted by Bartley Moyers at the 5-yard line.
The Pioneers open their Region 3-5A season, and begin a five-week homestand, next Friday night when they take on Lincoln County.