Lady Pioneers win season opener
Summer Wanamaker and the Lady Pioneers didn’t back down from a challenge at home. WCHS opened the season with a 3-2 victory over Ooltewah Tuesday night.
It wasn't always pretty, but the Lady Pioneers found a way to start the season 1-0.
Warren County battled through some early-season struggles Tuesday night and made enough plays when it mattered most to defeat Ooltewah 3-2 at home. Emory MacDonald scored twice and assisted on the eventual game-winner from Addison Steakley as the Lady Pioneers carried their preseason momentum into a victory in their regular-season opener.
"It is always nice to get a win, especially at home," said coach Todd Willmore. "I felt like we struggled at times with Ooltewah's pressure and were a little slow getting rid of the ball in those situations. That took us out of the flow we had established during the last few scrimmages."
Kinsley Simpson, a freshman making her first appearance in the net for WCHS, helped keep the Lady Pioneers settled in the early moments. The Owls came out in attack mode, but the young keeper was up for the challenge. Simpson turned away a point-blank shot on a breakaway and soared through traffic to make another stop on an early Ooltewah corner.
Once Warren County weathered the early pressure, MacDonald provided the breakthrough.
MacDonald, who played soccer growing up before stepping away from the sport for a few years to pursue dance, has made an immediate impact since returning to the pitch. After scoring three times during the preseason, the junior continued her hot start Tuesday with two more goals.
Her first came from the left side near the corner of the 18-yard box, where MacDonald found the net unassisted to put Warren County ahead 1-0 by halftime. The goal gave the Lady Pioneers some momentum after spending much of the early going fending off the aggressive Owls.
Ooltewah continued to apply pressure, though, preventing Warren County from finding the consistent rhythm it had displayed while going 3-0-1 during the preseason.
"The silver lining is that the girls were gritty, stayed composed and continued to fight despite not having their best overall performance," said Willmore. "They found a way to secure the win, which is something we can certainly build on."
MacDonald struck again in the second half, this time finishing off a corner kick from Noelle Bratcher. The junior then turned distributor, assisting Steakley for Warren County's third goal and a 3-1 advantage.
Ooltewah wasn't finished. The visitors cut the lead to one with approximately 10 minutes remaining, putting the Lady Pioneers under pressure to close out their first victory. Warren County handled that pressure perfectly and how coach Willmore would want it: As a team.
"I was proud of how the girls responded," said Willmore. "They played well during those final 10 minutes, stayed together and did what they needed to do to secure the win."
The Lady Pioneer defense was tested throughout the night. Maci McBride, Addisyn Watson, Summer Wanamaker and Kacey Mitchell worked across the back with Ashlyn Bailey helping in the holding midfield role. When Ooltewah was able to break through, Simpson continued to provide a steady last line of defense in her varsity debut.
Willmore believes staying connected will be an emphasis moving forward. Warren County occasionally became too spread out vertically Tuesday, opening space in the middle of the field for Ooltewah to attack in transition.
"There are definitely things we can improve on, but there are also plenty of positives to take from the game," said Willmore. "We can build on this win, learn from the challenges we faced and continue getting better as a team."
The Lady Pioneers won't have long to make adjustments. After a practice Wednesday, Warren County will travel to Riverdale Thursday for its first road match of the season. The varsity match is scheduled for 7 p.m. while JV action begins at 5 p.m.
