New season, same result: Pioneers routed in 2004 opener
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Unfortunately for Warren County’s players, as well as the fans who made the trip with them, Livingston Academy quickly dashed those hopes.
The Wildcats roared out to an early lead, then coasted through the second half on their way to a 47-7 victory over the Pioneers in the season opener for both teams.
“I’m not taking anything away from them, because they’re an exceptional team,” WCHS coach Chris Madewell said of the Wildcats. “But we can play better than what we played tonight.”
The Wildcats dominated the game throughout the first half, and held the ball for 21 of the contest’s first 24 minutes as they amassed a 41-0 lead.
Jamey Vaughn scored his team’s first two touchdowns, going in from 5 yards on the first LA drive then finding the end zone from 14 yards out on their second possession.
Touchdown passes of 26 and 18 yards, respectively, from Wilson Cates to Wesley Puckett gave LA a 28-0 lead by the first quarter’s end.
“It’s hard when you look out there and you’ve got five sophomores starting on defense, and you’re asking them to play like juniors and seniors,” Madewell said of his defense’s poor showing.
“We’ve got defensive ends being knocked down because they’re out-sized, and our defense was not very aggressive tonight. I’m not at all happy with the way we hit.”
Offensively in the first half, the Pioneers had one fairly successful drive, as they took over from the LA 41 after a 53-yard kickoff return from Heath Crisp. A 26-yard pass from Joshua Paz to John Owen helped them move further downfield, but on third-and-5, Paz kept the ball himself and picked up first-down yardage, only to attempt a pitch that was recovered at the 1-yard-line by the Wildcats.
Livingston then marched 99 yards, needing just 12 plays and 5:17 before Vaughn scored his fourth TD of the game to put his squad up 41-0 at the break.
“That’s one thing we’ve got to fix from last year,” Madewell said of his team’s offensive gaffes. “When we get in those situations, we’ve got to be sound. We can’t fumble, we can’t get penalties on long plays. We’ve got to cut all that stuff out if we want to be successful.”
The Wildcats cleared their bench in the second half, and freshman Josh Carwile added his team’s final TD on a 5-yard run in the third quarter. The Pioneers avoided the shutout midway through the fourth, when Paz scored from the 4-yard line and Tony Garibaldi added the extra point.
In the end, the Pioneers were out-rushed 321 yards to 63, and completed just three of their 12 pass attempts, resulting in 65 yards through the air. Livingston chalked up 14 first downs, while the Pioneers managed just two.
Warren County hits the road again this Friday, traveling to Chattanooga Central. The game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Central time.