Three Generations of Tough
Mikhail Wilcher carrying on family legacy with WCMS Pioneers
Brent Carden photo - Mikhail Wilcher has looked like a man among boys running the ball for the 2-0 WCMS Pioneers.
When Mikhail Wilcher runs the football for WCMS, he's not just packing a punch not many middle schoolers can match. He's also carrying the weight of the Wilcher legacy - three generations of tough, physical Pioneers who bleed red, white and blue.
Long before Mikhail started making opponents make business decisions as a lead back for the WCMS Pioneers, his grandfather Tim Wilcher was dishing out punishment for one of the most celebrated teams in Warren County history.
Tim was a defensive tackle for the 1980 Pioneers, a team still remembered more than four decades later for winning and for being tough as nails. When Tim looked back on that group years later, he summed up its defensive mentality simply: "When you played Warren County, we brought the pain."
Now he gets to sit in the stands and watch his grandson bring a little pain of his own.
"PROUD," Tim said when asked what it's like watching Mikhail. "I'm like a kid - I cannot wait for the next game. Seeing him run the ball, I did not know he had it in him. But he's doing a great job at it.
"(It) May be the wrong thing to say, but I like hitting hard and seeing him play like that makes me proud. That's football - It's a contact sport."
That physical style has quickly made Mikhail one of the weapons in a deep WCMS backfield. He scored twice in Warren County's season-opening 44-14 victory at DeKalb County, running with the kind of power that prompted Pioneer coach Ben Matheney to describe him with one word: "bulldozer."
There may be a reason running the football looks so natural.
Mikhail's father, Morgan Wilcher, saw his career follow a similar trajectory nearly 20 years ago.
"From a personal standpoint, I am so proud of him. Being a former Warren County football player myself and having the same opportunity when I was in eighth grade to move from the O-line to running back, it’s awesome to see,” Morgan said. “"I have been like a kid on Christmas Eve patiently waiting for Thursday night lights!"
Morgan knows a little something about delivering punishment from the backfield.
A three-year varsity player for Warren County High School and part of a senior class that went to the playoffs all four years, Morgan eventually developed into a standout fullback for the Pioneers. As a senior in 2008, he carried 95 times for 536 yards and eight touchdowns and earned a spot on the East team for the Tennessee All-Star Classic.
His signature performance came on Senior Night at Nunley Stadium.
Warren County hadn't beaten Cookeville since 1992, but Morgan helped change that in dramatic fashion. He rushed for 127 yards on 23 carries and scored twice in overtime as the Pioneers stunned the Cavaliers 20-14.
Photo from the Southern Standard archives - Morgan Wilcher (34) was the center of attention after beating Cookeville.
Morgan scored from 10 yards out on the first play of overtime. After Cookeville answered, the Pioneer defense made a goal-line stand in the second overtime. Warren County went right back to Wilcher. He gained eight yards on his first carry, then plunged in from two yards out to send the Pioneers, their families and fans pouring onto the field in celebration.
A week later, Morgan closed his WCHS career by scoring both Pioneer touchdowns in a 31-14 playoff loss at Oakland.
His play eventually earned him an opportunity to continue his football career at Carson-Newman.
Now Morgan is getting almost as much enjoyment watching from the stands.
"It's truly special to see Mikhail get the opportunity to be an asset to a team," Morgan said. "Having someone like Mikhail in the backfield in those tough moments really makes WCMS a force to be reckoned with.”
There's another familiar face watching Mikhail develop, too.
Matheney was a Pioneer teammate of Morgan's, playing one year behind him at WCHS. But despite knowing exactly what Mikhail's father could do with the football in his hands - “My 7th grade year, I was playing safety on scout team and he was charging down the field untouched. The end result was certainly not in my favor - I had to turn my helmet back the right way,” remembered the longtime WCMS coach - Matheney wasn't trying to recreate history when he moved the younger Wilcher into the backfield.
Mikhail did that himself.
"He volunteered to run the ball during our inside period on defense and he did such a good job I sent him with the backfield when we went on offense," Matheney said. "He was just naturally a runner and not like a lineman."
The Wilcher family couldn’t be happier with the results, particularly the ones that really matter: a 2-0 record. it’s something Tim and Morgan stress all the time - being a part of the team and doing something great.
“Warren County used to be feared. Nobody wanted to play us. It can be brought back again, but you have to have the heart and be willing to give,” said Tim when remembering his 1980 days and hoping for new success in the 2020s. “Playing football is not easy. It’s a lot of mental work – you have to keep pushing. You’re always a Pioneer – it never stops.”
For Mikhail, the story is only beginning. The football is in his hands and with the way he’s been carrying it, the Wilcher legacy is in pretty good hands too.
