Pioneers find positives despite falling at Portland
The Pioneer varsity football team came away from Friday’s scrimmage at Portland on the short end of the score, but with a strong sense of accomplishment.
According to head coach Gerald Tidwell, while the Panthers posted six touchdowns to the Pioneers’ two during first-team drills, Warren County’s defensive unit learned which aspects of its gameplan should be improved upon.
“There were some positives, besides the score,” Tidwell said Saturday. “The things they scored on were plays that I already thought we might be weak in defending. It turned out to be true.
“They exploited our weaknesses on defense, so now we’ve got to go back to work and correct those weaknesses.”
Tidwell was especially pleased with the attitude and work ethic his team showed during Friday night’s scrimmage.
“I was really happy with the focus they showed,” he said. “It was focus like I haven’t seen since I’ve been here. Kids were genuinely upset when things didn’t go well, and that’s a good sign of a good football mentality, and of a desire to improve as a football team.
“So I think we took a step forward. We didn’t win the scrimmage, and from a scoreboard perspective we didn’t really come that close. But we came away knowing what we have to work on to continue building toward having a winning program.”
The Pioneers will hold their final scrimmage of the preseason Friday at home against Rhea County. WCHS took on Rhea County during a spring scrimmage, but without several veteran players, who missed the game for disciplinary reasons.
“We’re going to be focusing more of our attention the next two weeks on our first game opponent, but we’ll still review what we saw (against Portland) to prepare for Rhea County,” Tidwell said. “We just want to go in and play them tough, and be much more competitive as we get ready for our opener.”
The 2003 WCHS football season begins at home Friday, Aug. 22, against Livingston Academy.