Pioneers drop Devils in 7-on-7 game

By ROB NUNLEY / Sports Editor for the Southern Standard

Warren County’s Nick Cantrell breaks up a pass in the end zone during Tuesday’s passing league game against Lebanon. WCHS defeated the Blue Devils in Tuesday’s game, scoring 10 touchdowns and giving up six. (Rob Nunley photo)

The Warren County High School football team’s off-season program continued Tuesday afternoon, as the Pioneers hit the field for a 7-on-7 passing league game against the visiting Lebanon Blue Devils.

Despite having several receivers out of the lineup due to responsibilities with other sports, the Pioneers put together an impressive showing against the Blue Devils.

Nick Cantrell caught five touchdown passes, Ethan Womack added four more and quarterbacks Joshua Paz, Kyle Mullican and Casey Talbert led the Pioneers as they scored 10 TDs while holding Lebanon to six.

In the passing league format, which is similar to two-hand touch football, teams play on a 40-yard field, with no linemen and minimal contact.

WCHS offensive coordinator Donnie Harris explained how passing league games help a team hone some of its skills as it prepares for full-team workouts later in the summer.

“We use it to work on our timing and our reads, and basically as a way to work in our passing game so we’ll have it ready for the fall,” he said.

The Pioneers began on the defensive side of the ball, ending Lebanon’s first possession with a Cantrell interception on the Blue Devils’ fifth play.

Cantrell scored his first touchdown on the ensuing WCHS drive, hauling in a 7-yard catch from Paz.

After Lebanon turned the ball over on downs, Womack split two defenders to make a TD grab on Warren County’s first play from scrimmage.

Jevon Ramsey intercepted a pass to halt Lebanon’s next drive, and Womack used his height to his advantage, leaping up for a TD grab to give WCHS its third score.

Evan Moran hauled in a one-handed touchdown catch on the Pioneers’ fifth possession, and Lebanon finally got on the board on its next drive, scoring on two straight possessions to cut the touchdown total to 4-2.

Mullican, who will be a sophomore with the Pioneers this fall, came in on his team’s next drive, connecting on a 30-yard pass to Womack for a score, and Jon Paz intercepted Lebanon’s first pass to end the Blue Devils’ ensuing possession.

Lebanon got an interception of its own, and scored on their next drive, completing five of nine pass attempts.

Womack’s fourth TD came on a six-play drive with Mullican under center, and gave WCHS a 6-3 lead.

Talbert, also a rising sophomore, connected with Nick Cantrell for two touchdowns late in the game, including a diving catch which put WCHS on top eight touchdowns to four, and Paz returned to the lineup as the game wound down, connecting two more times with Cantrell, including a 30-yarder which accounted for the team’s final touchdowns.

The Pioneers are scheduled to play host to Mt. Juliet in another 7-on-7 game Monday, beginning at 6 p.m.