Brent Carden photos - AJ Whitman has already piled up 484 rushing yards in three weeks as starting QB for the Pioneers.
Warren County finally got the result it had been chasing last Friday, but coach Eric Belew isn't interested in seeing his team change because of it.
After two heartbreaking losses to open the season, the Pioneers broke through in emphatic fashion against Hunters Lane, racing to a 27-point lead in the first quarter and rolling to a 41-12 victory. It was Warren County's first win of the season, but the message around the practice field this week has remained largely the same: Don't become circumstantial.
“You get a running clock on the good end or the bad end of it, that's just one reason to be distracted, but we have so many other more important things to be worried about,” said Belew on this week's Warren County Coaches Show. “I think our players are starting to grasp that. Once we really understand that for four quarters of a game, that's when you really start putting entire games together and I think we're starting to make it click.”
The Pioneers (1-2) will get their next opportunity Friday when Franklin County visits Nunley Stadium for a 7 p.m. kickoff. The Rebels are 1-1 and will arrive with some momentum of their own after dismantling Howard 44-0 last week.
Much like Warren County, Franklin County didn't waste much time putting its last opponent away. The Rebels led Howard 27-0 after the first quarter and 42-0 by halftime. Logan Polkinghorne scored twice, quarterback Baylor Hayes connected with Austin Heath for a touchdown and Monte Johnson, Jonah Holt and Isaac Lyle also found the end zone. Lyle's score came on a pick-six, while the Rebel defense also recorded two safeties.
And while the teams seemed similar with the way they played last week, don’t expect Franklin County to be familiar to the group that the Pioneers beat 28-14 last year. Belew believes the challenge will look much different against new leadership.
Franklin County hired Chuck Reid in the offseason and has completely changed its offensive approach. The Rebels don’t mind at all to air it out under Reid.
“They've got a lot of Air Raid stuff, four receivers to one side, empty,” said Belew. “A lot of times they'll put four receivers into the boundary, which is really unusual.”
It's a look Warren County hasn't had to defend much through its first three games.
“They're going to spread it out a bunch, so it's going to be making sure that we're getting lined up, always have our eyes in the right spot,” Belew said.
That makes Friday an interesting test for a Pioneer defense that has been very good for long stretches, but has also surrendered explosive plays through the air.
Hunters Lane did very little offensively last week outside of two touchdown passes from Kayden Wynn to Stephon Curry. The two scores covered 71 and 36 yards, accounting for 107 of Curry's 154 receiving yards.
For Belew, correcting those plays starts well before the ball arrives.
“We've got to make sure from the get-go we're not out of position to get ourselves in those situations,” said Belew, who pointed to the first steps and positioning of his defenders as the areas that need to improve.
Fortunately for Warren County, the Pioneer defense has plenty of players making things happen around the line of scrimmage.
Sophomore Cameron Redmore has emerged as one of the team's biggest playmakers, totaling 33 tackles and eight tackles for loss through three games. Redmore seemed to live in the Hunters Lane backfield last week and also continues to play an important role offensively as one of Warren County's B-backs.
Marek Sadlon, Camron Holder and Isaac Smith all have 22 tackles while Kolton Wood has 20. Overall, the Pioneers have 12 players already in double figures in tackles - something that could be important as the team still tries to get fully healthy.
Smith's availability Friday remains the most uncertain. Belew said the junior is a game-time decision after missing the Hunters Lane game while dealing with an injury.
“He's got full range of motion back. It's just all about how much strength can he get back between now and Friday,” said Belew.
Christian Munoz continues to work his way back as well. Munoz is playing a major role defensively while wearing a club on his hand, which has limited how much Warren County can use him offensively. Huck Damon is still battling a groin/hamstring issue, while Kayden Solomon is dealing with a knee injury and is expected to have a procedure that will end his season.
While Franklin County's offense presents Warren County with something new, the Pioneer offense isn't looking for a new identity.
Warren County has established exactly what it wants to be through three weeks - The Pioneers have rushed for 722 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 9.3 yards per carry. They've produced 864 yards of total offense, outgaining their first three opponents by 135 yards despite their 1-2 record.
At the center of it all has been AJ Whitman.
The junior quarterback has rushed for at least 100 yards in each of his first three starts, piling up 484 yards and five touchdowns on 42 carries. His 11.5-yard average has made him one of the most dangerous runners on the Pioneer roster, but Warren County has also gotten 117 yards on just 15 carries from senior Dylan Aguilar.
Nothing happens in the ground game for the Pioneers without the O-line moving players around on the front line.
Whitman has added 142 yards and a touchdown through the air, giving him 626 yards of total offense through three games.
Warren County isn't planning to suddenly start throwing the ball all over Nunley Stadium. Belew said 10-12 passes could be the high end in many games and there will be nights, like last week, when the Pioneers barely need to put the ball in the air.
What matters is making those opportunities count.
“We want to be 100 percent on quick game and everything that's down the field, we've got to have a chance to get our hands on it,” said Belew. “He's really bought into that and he understands that he doesn't know how many chances he's going to get to throw in a game, so he's going to make it count when he does. I do feel like we can lean on our pass game if need be.
“Really thrilled about how he's thrown the ball this year.”
Carter Lee leads Warren County with 90 receiving yards on six catches, while Smith also has six receptions. Sadlon caught his first touchdown of the season last week when Whitman found him on a 9-yard screen against Hunters Lane.
The success on the ground has also been a product of a veteran offensive line that has shown more versatility as the season has progressed.
Belew described the group as almost “positionless,” with players capable of shifting spots depending on the situation. Ryan Romzek can play all five positions, while Nate Luviano is another piece Warren County can move around when needed.
“The possibilities are endless with them,” Belew said.
That group will be important against a Franklin County defense with plenty of size. Senior Kyran Peace is listed at 6-foot-5, 220 pounds at defensive end, while Isaac Lyle is a 240-pound senior who already showed his athleticism with a pick-six against Howard. Leo Anderson is another 240-pound senior and junior Dylan Parks is listed at 250 pounds.
Schematically, though, Belew sees a Franklin County defense that is much more straightforward than its offense.
“They don't have that many different looks, they're probably going to be a little more solid because they spend a whole lot of time on the basic stuff,” said Belew. “But you do feel like you would have an advantage formation-wise because, hey, when we do this, they're going to do that.”
Belew doesn't expect Warren County to rely solely on what it sees on film, either.
“We're very rules-based. It's not, ‘If they do this, you do that.’ No, you just go back to your rule,” said Belew. “I think that's what gives us confidence to go against any look.”
There is plenty of recent history between the teams to draw from.
Warren County went to Winchester last season in almost the exact same spot on the schedule, fresh off its first victory of the year against Hunters Lane. The Pioneers followed it by jumping all over Franklin County, leading 21-0 at halftime and 28-0 through three quarters before the Rebels scored twice late in a 28-14 Warren County victory.
Aguilar is one of the returning Pioneers who contributed directly to that win, scoring on a 1-yard run in the first quarter.
Dylan Aguilar scored on a short run last week against Hunters Lane.
This time, Franklin County will come to McMinnville with a new offense and plenty of confidence after scoring 44 points last week. Monte Johnson, one of the Rebels' biggest playmakers a year ago, is back as a senior and remains part of an offense with several ways to attack a defense.
The best way to defend all those formations may be keeping them on the sideline.
“We've got to win the battle up front because they scored 44 points last night,” said Belew. “So the best thing we can do is keep their offense off the field.”
That's a formula Warren County appears built to follow.
Fans can show up Friday night to support the Pioneers as the Pioneers end a three-game homestand against the Rebels. If fans can’t make it to the game, they can watch all the action on The Warren County Sports Authority Facebook Page or the Studio 605 Productions YouTube page.
Pregame coverage starts at 6 p.m. with the pregame show featuring Jeff Simmons, Chris Sullens and Michael Thrower. Game coverage will begin at 6:45 p.m. with Simmons and Sullens on the broadcast and Ansley Mullican Murphree and Trevor Evans giving updates from the sidelines. Catch Simmons and Thrower on the halftime show and postgame as well.
