WCMS hits the gridiron – Pioneers coming off perfect ’06

With their first football game of the season just around the corner, the Warren County Middle School Pioneer football team kicked off fall practice last week.

Now in his second year, head coach Bill Harris and his staff will have their work cut out for them as they try to repeat on their 2006 perfect season.

Approximately 45 players showed up for Monday’s workout on the WCMS practice field as the team of coaches expect to see an additional 10 to 15 players added to that number by the time school starts.

‘I’m very pleased with the number of kids who showed up this week, it’s a good group of kids,’ said coach Harris.

Harris said this week has mainly been about conditioning, but the staff has had some time to work on offensive and defensive formations.

‘That first week is always a little tough as we try to get the kids in shape,’ he said. ‘Right now we’re doing a lot of conditioning drills. We are teaching them how to warm up properly and prepare for practice. Everything we do in practice right now, will help make us a successful team later on in the season.’

The Pioneer middle school squad has several preseason scrimmages lined up before taking the field for their first regular season game on Aug. 21 at home against Cascade.

On Aug. 6 the Pioneers will travel to Blackman Middle school, and on Aug. 9 they will take part in the Franklin County Jamboree, where they will take on two teams from the Central Tennessee Conference, in which the Pioneers participate.

WCMS will finish its preseason on Aug. 11 for three games in the Cornerstone Jamboree, where they will take on Cannon County, Smith County and Overton County.

The middle school squad will practice Monday through Friday from 4-7 p.m., except on Wednesdays when practice wraps up at 5:30 p.m., until school starts. After school starts the Pioneers will practice from 4-6 p.m. four days per week, and until 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday.