best newcomers 2025-26
this is part of the Simmons superlatives - a recap of the top high school athletes in warren county chosen by jeffery Simmons.
Each year when I start thinking about how to format these lists, I get fearful. It’s not because I’m worried somebody is going to come up and complain to me (that’s happened plenty and I’m used to it). The fear comes from my now 40-year-old brain and the worry I may forget some truly great athletes or moments from the year.
I love the idea of these serving as a time capsule of 2025-26, so that’s why I pour over the lists multiple times, go back and read everything I wrote throughout the year (Hey, at least I had free time this time around), and then I try to bring out top-5 lists from what usually ends up as a list of around 100 male and female athletes (on each side).
I’m not saying I’m always right - but I do try to put in the work to ensure these are the best thing I can put MY name on.
So with that in mind, let’s dive into the first Simmons Superlatives list on the boys side - the top newcomers.
Gage Walker, WCHS baseball
Does it feel like cheating to put a sophomore in as best newcomer? You could make that argument, but Walker is new to Warren County and I changed it to best newcomer instead of best freshman a few years back for reasons exactly like this. It’s just not common to find five instant-impact freshmen, but usually there will be one or two kids who arrive on the scene from out of county and make a big splash.
That was Walker this year for the Pioneer baseball team.
The stats speak for themselves. Walker quickly established himself as one of the top young players in District 6-4A, earning all-district honors while emerging as Warren County’s ace on the mound. He finished with a sparkling 1.79 ERA and 47 strikeouts while also becoming a catalyst at the top of the lineup offensively.
Honestly, you know a kid is going to be good when you hear the buzz before you ever see them. I was getting tidbits and updates on Walker throughout basketball season, with people constantly talking about the smooth-fielding shortstop the Pioneers were going to have on their side.
He turned out to be all that and more in his first year as a Pioneer.
Like many others, I’m glad we get to watch him for two more seasons.
Malachi Wilcher, WCHS cross country
You got to give it to kids when they step out of their comfort zone and try something new.
Wilcher didn’t have to go out for cross country at WCHS. Heck, if he’s anything like me, he would've never run another day in his life after turning 14. But he wanted to see how good he could be.
Turns out he became the fastest distance runner Warren County has ever produced.
Wilcher burst onto the scene in the fall and immediately started rewriting expectations. By season’s end, he owned the school 5K record, qualified for the state meet and established himself as the centerpiece of a cross country program that suddenly had a star to rally around.
What impressed me most was how quickly he improved. Every time results came in, it felt like Wilcher had chopped another few seconds off his time. Every race became another challenge. Every challenge became another accomplishment.
When you talk to coaches about Wilcher, they’ll tell you he loves the chase. I don’t know what his next challenge will be, but based on what we saw this year, I wouldn't bet against him catching it.
Turner Griffith, WCHS soccer
Talk about an unsung hero.
The Pioneers won a district championship this spring and everybody is going to remember the goals from Kaito Takahashi, Erik Hernandez and Guillermo Martinez. They should.
But where would Warren County have been if Griffith hadn't emerged as a freshman and turned into a brick wall in front of the net?
The answer is probably nowhere near a district title.
Griffith stepped into one of the toughest positions in sports and immediately looked comfortable. He made difficult saves look routine, routinely erased mistakes and seemed to play his best when the pressure was highest.
His biggest performances came in postseason play, where he looked far more like a veteran than a freshman. Time after time, opponents would create quality chances only to watch Griffith slam the door shut.
When it comes to postseason success in the spring, I’m used to thinking about dominant pitchers.
The Pioneers gave me a new thought process moving forward.
What happens when a goalkeeper decides nothing is getting past him?
District championships happen.
Levi Jordan, Boyd basketball/soccer
Funny story about Levi: He showed up at Boyd mostly with the intent to hoop it up.
He was already a pretty accomplished basketball player and slid right into the starting lineup as a freshman. What he wasn’t known for - at least until this spring - was his soccer ability.
Jordan decided to give it a shot anyway and the Broncos are sure glad he did.
It was funny watching him learn the game in real time. Fans were explaining rules. Coaches were teaching positioning. Referees were probably helping too. Jordan would just smile, nod to let you know he heard you and then go right back to being one of the fastest athletes on the field.
Meanwhile, he kept finding ways to score.
He's always going to be known as a basketball player first after helping Boyd make a surprising run all the way to the TSIAA state championship game. That's where most people first learned his name.
But after watching him become a contributor in soccer almost overnight, it's pretty clear Jordan isn't just a hooper anymore.
He's a bona fide multi-sport athlete.
AJ Whitman, WCHS football
When you're the sole creator of these lists, you get to make the rules.
As I moved athletes around and tried to find ways to recognize as many deserving kids as possible, I realized there was one player I couldn't stop thinking about when looking ahead to next year.
AJ Whitman.
Technically, Whitman wasn't completely new. He played varsity football this fall.
But every time he stepped on the field, it felt like you were getting a preview of something much bigger.
Whitman was an instant-impact player on defense and every offensive touch seemed to come with the possibility of a big play. Better yet, he looked that way despite coming off offseason hip surgery.
Coach Eric Belew has spent much of the spring praising Whitman and it's easy to understand why.
I don't know if he's going to throw for 2,000 yards.
I don't know if he's going to rush for 1,000.
What I do know is Warren County fans tend to fall in love with players who compete with toughness, energy and grit.
Something tells me Whitman is about to become a household name.
