Pioneer freshmen set to face Coffee Co.
Warren County football fans will get their first chance to see action under the Nunley Stadium lights tonight.
The Pioneer freshman kick off their 2005 campaign tonight, facing off against Coffee County at 6 p.m.
New head coach Darek Elrod’s squad opens a three-game homestand with the Red Raiders, who they defeated 23-16 a year ago in Manchester. After a week off, they’ll face Soddy Daisy at home on Monday, Aug. 29, and take on White County on Sept. 8.
The team will also have home games against Cumberland County (Oct. 3) and Franklin County (Oct. 13) as well as road trips to Tullahoma, Lincoln County, Jackson County and Cookeville.
The frosh Pioneers are hoping to build on a pattern of success that began with the middle school program, and evolved to a big season for the ninth-graders last year.
Under the tutelage of Jeff Watson, who has since moved up to the varsity level, WCHS turned in a 6-2 record, winning its first five games.
This year’s freshman team features many of the key performers from the 2004 Warren County Middle School squad, which finished 7-2.
“The middle school’s been successful for three or four years, and we’ve finally had a successful freshman team last year,” Elrod said upon being named head coach this spring. “Hopefully we can keep that consistent, and have another good year this year.
“With such success on the younger teams, I feel like we can keep climbing the ladder all the way up to the varsity level.”
Elrod, along with assistant coaches Jerry Martin and Andy Evans, took the reins of the program this spring, with the new head coach having served with the varsity and freshman programs as an assistant for several seasons.