Vindication arrives for Paz, Pioneer seniors
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But three years of heartaches and disappointments all came to an end Friday night, when the Pioneers ended their 39-game losing streak.
Quarterback Josh Paz, the key offensive figure in his team’s 34-12 win, shared his sense of elation after the game.
“First off, words can’t describe the feeling I have right now,” he said. “We have put a lot of work into this season. We’ve been practicing sometimes until 10 o’clock at night, using the lights at the soccer field. This team has put a lot of effort into preparing for tonight — it’s been a lot of blood and sweat, and it’s finally paid off.”
The senior finally knows what its like to lead a winning team — and lead them he did.
Paz finished Friday night’s game with 133 yards on the ground, including three rushing touchdowns, and 107 yards in the air, including a 22-yard TD pass to classmate Nick Cantrell.
“The offensive line did a great job tonight,” Paz said. “They controlled the line of scrimmage, which gave me and our backs a chance to get out and make some big plays.”
In addition to Paz’s big night and the play up front, another of the keys to Friday’s win was striking early and showing stamina in stifling heat. Warren County’s players and coaching staff felt they had the advantage when it came to the heat, as their summer program prepared them for a physical game.
“The heat was never really a factor, that’s due to all of our conditioning,” Paz said. “Coach (Chris) Madewell told us once they go down early, it’s over. So that’s what we tried to do, get them down early.
“Everybody worked very hard tonight, and I think it showed in the first half. Hopefully this is a new tradition, and this is all we needed. Just getting that first win, that’s the hardest thing.”
That kind of confidence was something Warren County has been lacking in the past, but one solid win has seemed to put the team back on the right path.
“Before the game, I wanted them to know we were going in with confidence,” Madewell said. “The players came in with that confidence, and that’s a great feeling.”
“The biggest thing we talked about was being confident,” Paz added. “We knew we were going to win this year, and we felt like we were going to win this game at halftime. But we knew we couldn’t be overconfident, and that’s what the coaches were telling us.
“We came out just like it was 0-0 to begin the second half. We said the game wasn’t over until it was over and we played it like it was a scoreless game.”
Fan support is something the Pioneers have always had, but last night a new spirit filled Nunley Stadium as the stands were packed with joyful fans. And after proving themselves not only to those fans, but also to themselves, the Pioneers expressed their gratitude to their supporters while offering some advice heading into next week.
“The fans tonight were excited and gave us so much support, it’s just a great feeling,” Paz noted, “And if you’re coming to the game next Friday night, you’d better get here early — because it’s going to be packed.”
Statistics from Friday night’s Warren Co.-Bradley Central game
Pioneers 34, Bears 12
BCHS 0 6 0 6 — 12
WCHS 0 20 7 7 — 34
Second Quarter
WC — Nick Cantrell 22 pass from Joshua Paz (Tony Garibaldi kick), 11:26.
BC — Mark Gibson 10 run (kick failed), 9:37.
WC — Joshua Paz 4 run (Garibaldi kick), 6:28.
WC — Joshua Paz 54 run (kick failed), :22.
Third Quarter
WC — Jevon Ramsey 9 run (Garibaldi kick), 2:04.
Fourth Quarter
WC — Joshua Paz 59 run (Garibaldi kick), 8:49.
BC — Jason Bowman 60 fumble return (run failed), 3:05.
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Team Statistics
WC Team BC
13 First Downs 9
42-313 Rushes-Yds 36-186
107 Passing Yds 29
6 Return Yds 66
5-9-1 C-A-I 3-12-2
4-3 Fumbles-Lost 1-1
2-33.5 Punts-Avg. 5-25
5-40 Pen.-Yds 6-32
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Individual Statistics
Warren County Rushing: Joshua Paz 9-133, Jevon Ramsey 19-115, Brandon Rich 5-28, Evan Moran 3-21, Mikey Perkins 3-8, Shane Wilcher 2-8, Kyle Mullican 1-0.
Bradley Central Rushing: Matt Gibson 11-96, Mark Gibson 10-45, James Douglas 5-26, Chris Rogers 2-9, E.J. Laughter 1-4, Grayson Elmore 2-2, Richard Goad 1-2, Josh Hefington 4-2.
Warren County Passing: Joshua Paz 5-9-1 107.
Bradley Central Passing: Josh Heffington 1-5-1 12, Chris Rogers 1-4-0 3, Richard Goad 1-3-1 14.
Warren County Receiving: Nick Cantrell 4-70, Ben Dunn 1-37.
Bradley Central Receiving: James Douglas 1-14, Matt Gibson 1-12, Mark Gibson 1-3.