Brent Carden photo - Todd and Sally Willmore coach different teams now, but they have also shared the sidelines at WCHS field as coaches and when Todd coached his daughter too.
For decades, there has been one constant as girls soccer has grown in Warren County. Todd Willmore has been there helping build it. Now, the Willmore Way is experienced for any Lady Pioneer as Sally Willmore leads the WCMS team and Todd has retaken the reins of the high school program he’s become synonymous with over the last two decades.
And over the next two days - and hopefully for weeks to come - the Willmore Way can produce championships at both levels. It’ll be cause of roots that were established years ago.
Willmore has become one of the pillars of the local soccer community, developing players, building programs and establishing a standard for Lady Pioneer soccer that stretches from Warren County Middle School to Warren County High School.
During his original 14-season run leading WCHS, Willmore won more than 150 games, captured four district championships and twice took the Lady Pioneers to the substate, falling just one victory shy of the state tournament in back-to-back seasons. More than 40 players earned all-district honors under Willmore during that tenure, while Morgan McCormick, Ansley Mullican, Katie Toney and Bekah Jackson became All-State performers.
Willmore also got the opportunity to coach all three of his daughters along the way. Eventually, one of them started coaching beside him.
Now, Sally is beginning to build a résumé of her own.
Todd stepped away from the WCHS program before eventually taking over at Warren County Middle School, where Sally served as his assistant. Those years together gave Sally a chance to learn alongside her father before getting the opportunity to lead the young Lady Pioneers herself.
Todd, meanwhile, returned to WCHS before the 2025 season. At that moment, with Sally tabbed as his successor, it created a natural progression for Warren County soccer - Sally now leads the players coming through the system and Todd is waiting for them at the next level.
For Sally, the transition from assistant to head coach has come with immediate results.
She has guided WCMS to the region tournament in each of her first two seasons and this fall added a district championship to her growing résumé. The Lady Pioneers earned the title Friday by beating Prescott South 2-0, getting goals from Emma Kate Lippe and Abigail Laxson.
It was a championship Sally had reason to believe was possible long before her team actually lifted the trophy.
Prescott South had beaten Warren County 1-0 during the regular season, but Sally walked away from the loss impressed rather than discouraged, believing her team had played its best game.
Well, at least to that point.
“I told the girls hopefully we will see them again when it really matters in the championship and be able to stick out a win,” said Sally back after the regular-season loss.
Her young Lady Pioneers made their coach look prophetic. They turned the tables on Prescott South in the championship, winning 2-0 and securing another trip to the region tournament. June Cossitt, Finn MacDonald and Guthrie were named all-district after Warren County finished its run to the title.
The championship is another sign Sally is no longer simply learning how to coach - She's building something of her own. And one her biggest fans, her dad, has enjoyed watching it happen.
“I have loved every minute of watching her grow as a young woman and as a coach over the last few years,” said Todd. “The kids love her and respond so well to her coaching. She sees the game so well, understands what is happening on the field, and does an excellent job anticipating changes and making adjustments quickly.”
Todd sees qualities in his daughter that go well beyond what happens during 60 minutes on the field.
“She is very organized and has incredible attention to detail behind the scenes, which allows her to focus her energy on the girls and on coaching when she is with them,” said Todd.
Sally hasn't done it alone. Savannah Cox has been beside her as an assistant, reuniting two former high school teammates who now bring different perspectives to the WCMS sideline.
“Having Savannah as an assistant coach with me helps a ton,” said Sally. “Since we played together in high school, we can usually tell what the other is thinking, and her defensive mindset balances out my offensive mindset really well. We work really well together, which makes everything so much easier! Super thankful for her.”
There is also another coach Sally knows she can call whenever she needs advice.
“And of course, having my dad there to answer all my questions helps a ton, too,” said Sally. “He’s such a great mentor and truly knows the game of soccer. I’m really lucky to have him to learn from.”
Players can’t help but to gravitate to the coaching of Todd and Sally Willmore.
It's where the Willmore Way becomes more than a catchy description of a successful soccer family. There is an actual connection between what the young Lady Pioneers are learning now and what will be expected of them when they reach WCHS.
“From my perspective as the high school coach, it is a perfect scenario,” said Todd. “I know what she is teaching her team, and we speak the same coaching language and use the same terminology in practice. That makes the transition so much easier for the girls when they come to our team.”
The results at both levels are starting to show the benefits.
Sally has WCMS in the region tournament for the second straight season and this time the Lady Pioneers won't have to leave home to continue their postseason run. After winning on the road in region play last year, capturing the district championship earned Warren County the opportunity to play in front of its own crowd tonight at 6 p.m.
“Last year we had to travel,” said Sally. “Even though we won last year on the road, it will be a lot more fun to host and have their friends and family there cheering them on.”
Then the focus shifts to the next level Tuesday.
Todd's Lady Pioneers have already collected nine victories this season and will welcome Notre Dame for Senior Night. Warren County has continued building momentum late in the season, including a 5-0 victory over Spring Hill, a 6-1 win at DeKalb County and a penalty-kick victory against Columbia Central all last week.
The night will also give Todd an opportunity to celebrate another senior class that has helped push Lady Pioneer soccer forward.
“This is a special group of girls who have been an absolute joy to coach,” said Todd. “They always have a smile on their faces and genuinely enjoy being around one another. Their positive attitudes and enthusiasm make my job as their coach so much easier and more enjoyable.
“I truly appreciate each and every one of them, and I’m excited to see them all take the field together. It has been a privilege to be part of their journey, and look forward to celebrating and honoring them on Senior Night.”
The next two nights offer a snapshot of what Warren County soccer has become. Tonight, Sally gets another opportunity to show just how far her young Lady Pioneers have come. A team that has already delivered her a district championship as a head coach will try to keep its season alive at home and advance another step through the postseason.
Tuesday, Todd takes his turn, leading a nine-win WCHS team onto the field for Senior Night and another opportunity to prepare for its own postseason run.
It’s different teams facing different challenges under dfferent coaches, but there is a connection running between them.
Todd spent decades helping establish the standard. Sally spent years playing for him, then coaching beside him and learning the profession. Now, she’s also showing she may be ready to carry that standard for another generation of young Lady Pioneers. And all around them, the sport continues to grow.
More girls are learning the game, young Lady Pioneers are winning championships while the high school program is winning games and the path from one level to the next has rarely been clearer.
Soccer is taking off in Warren County - moving forward by following the Willmore Way.
