Best Female newcomers

This is part of the Simmons Superlatives - a recap of the top high school athletes in Warren County chosen by Jeffery Simmons.

When it comes to the Simmons Superlatives, I must admit: there have been a few iterations. First they were the Best of the Best from 2011-14, then more in 2018-20. After that came the Superlatives in 2021 and 2022, which went back to Best of the Best in 2023 and 2024 before returning as a seven-part superlative series in 2025. I guess you could say I'm a nomad when it comes to local writing - IYKYK.

Anyway, the publications change but my desire to honor the top athletes of the school year does not.

So yes, I'll be doing more superlatives this year for the brand-new Warren County Way and, as always, it's coming from a committee of one.

We'll do best newcomers, best seniors, best athletes, best teams, most under-the-radar performers and best coaches. And I doubt we do them in that order. We will start with best newcomer though.

Lastly, I do want to remind people who haven't seen these before that when I do my lists, I don't do repeats. Anybody on one list won't appear on another. That's my choice because instead of repeating a few names over and over - like the winner of this category, who would easily be a top-five athlete from 2025-26 - I get to write up 20-25 athletes a year.

Anyway, the ground rules are officially established. Let's get into the picks.

1. Dorlia Haycox, WCHS flag football

All Dorlia Haycox did this year was enter the starting lineup as QB1 in her seventh game and proceed to throw for 4,000 yards and take the Lady Pioneers to the doorstep of the state tournament.

I mean, that's an alright debut I'd say.

Haycox is a marvel at football and it's probably because she doesn't mind the physical nature of the game. Seriously, she was playing tackle football with the boys at WCMS before getting to high school, so she understood the game at a level few girls - especially freshmen girls - would be able to pick up.

I don't even know what to expect from her in the future. Is she about to rip off some Peyton Manning numbers - 5,000 yards and 50 TDs? 6,000 yards and 60 TDs? Will she be the first quarterback in Lady Pioneer history to throw for 100 touchdowns?

That last one feels like an easy yes. Or maybe she ends up in a platoon at the QB position next year knowing Chloe Wanamaker, the original signal caller this past spring for WCHS, could be back from a knee injury and ready to roll.

Honestly, I don't think it matters where you put either of them. Haycox is going to be an absolute stud.

2. Sloan Youngblood, WCHS volleyball

Maybe this is recency bias, but I think Sloan Youngblood hits the ball harder than any girl I've seen hit a volleyball in 16 years covering local sports.

And she was doing that this year as a freshman.

When coach Sullens and I went to a match last fall, he immediately made the comment, "It sounds different when she hits it.” And it's true.

It's a combination of a hard thud and almost a squealing sound from the ball as if air is trying to escape from the pressure she just put on it.

The scary part? She wasn't just some one-dimensional hitter.

Youngblood immediately became one of Warren County's top offensive weapons and looked like a player who could anchor the front row for years to come. The physical tools are obvious, but what stood out to me was how comfortable she looked against older competition.

The best part for Youngblood?

Two of the people who may be responsible for putting her in position to tattoo a Wilson across somebody's forehead in the future are on this list too.

3. Reese Reinitz, WCHS volleyball/softball

I know Reese is probably going to feel better about her run with the volleyball team - where she broke into the lineup despite being a freshman with a ton of experienced players around her - but I'm still never going to forget her at-bat in the district tournament in softball.

She showed poise way beyond her years in the box against Coffee County ace Lily Norman, an MTSU signee. Honestly, it shows what kind of confidence coach Gooby Martin has in her that he even called on the freshman in that situation.

Remember, this was a kid who wasn't even sure she'd be playing softball after a knee injury wiped out basketball and most of the spring. Instead, she found a way back and immediately made an impact.

Reinitz is a competitor. Plain and simple. Those kids tend to figure it out. And if the last year was any indication, she'll make every team she joins better for the next three years.

4. Maelee Turner, WCHS volleyball/basketball

Turner would've probably been higher on this list if not for an injury that kept her from showing everything she could do as a freshman. But when she played, she was special.

Evidence? She was named all-tournament after helping the Lady Pioneers make a postseason run and looked like somebody who belonged on the floor from the moment she got healthy.

What I like most about Turner is her versatility.

In volleyball, she's a table setter. Somebody who makes everybody around her better. In basketball, I think she has a chance to become a go-to scorer.

That's a rare combination - Usually players fit into one category or the other. Turner already looks capable of doing both.

And if she's healthy for a full year moving forward, don't be surprised if she's climbing a lot higher on future lists.

5. Madi Noll, Boyd basketball/Flag/Volleyball

First confession of the superlatives season: I coach Madi in basketball. And as we like to say almost every day in practice, she has hands.

I remember watching Madi play at Eastside during the county tournament and hoping that if she didn't end up making the Lady Pioneers, she would somehow end up at Boyd.

That's exactly what happened.

You can't teach size and Madi already had plenty of it: Nearly 6-feet tall and long limbs to go with good speed and an impressive vertical.

What I didn't know until she got into the gym was how quickly she learns. Or how competitive she is. Or how much she hates losing. She has a shy personality, so people don't always see that side immediately, but it's there.

The other thing that impressed me was how quickly she adapted after arriving at Boyd. She picked up volleyball and flag football after enrolling and ended up becoming a three-sport starter as a freshman.

That's not normal. And if this year was the introduction, I have a feeling the next three years are going to be pretty fun to watch.