Region bids won’t be tough to come by for Warren County High School basketball in the next few years if the TSSAA moves forward with the proposed alignment it released Friday morning.
The Pioneers and Lady Pioneers are projected to join Coffee County, Shelbyville and Cookeville in a four-team Class 4A district for 2027–29. With four teams advancing to region, every team in the proposed district would be assured a berth.
Those four schools currently compete in a five-team district with Lincoln County, but the Falcons are slated to drop to Class 3A based on enrollment. This will be the final winter with that current alignment.
The same change is proposed for baseball and softball, where Lincoln County’s departure would leave the Pioneers and Lady Pioneers competing against Coffee County, Shelbyville and Cookeville for district honors on the diamonds.
Volleyball is facing a much bigger shakeup.
The Lady Pioneers have spent the last two years trying to climb toward the top in a crowded Class 3A district featuring Cookeville, LaVergne, Lebanon, Smyrna, Stewarts Creek, White County and Wilson Central.
Under the proposed alignment, Warren County would compete in a seven-team district with Cookeville, Green Hill, Lebanon, Mt. Juliet, Stone Memorial and Wilson Central. Green Hill was a sectional qualifier out of District 12-AAA this year, while Stone Memorial - playing in AA - was a region qualifier as well in 2026.
Soccer will see a complete overhaul of its district opponents in the proposed 2027–29 alignment.
Both the Pioneers and Lady Pioneers would move to District 7-AAA, joining Cookeville, Green Hill, Lebanon, Mt. Juliet and Wilson Central.
The move would replace every current district opponent. Warren County’s soccer programs currently compete in District 9-AAA alongside Coffee County, Columbia, Franklin County, Lincoln County and Shelbyville, where the Pioneers are the reigning champions and the Lady Pioneers were a second-place finisher this fall.
“It will be more travel, but we’ll deal with it. Hopefully it makes us better and more competitive,” said coach Todd Willmore of the Lady Pioneers, who saw his team compete against Lebanon this season and scrimmage Cookeville in the preseason.
Willmore also noted that there are ongoing conversations currently to play each district opponent twice in the regular season, though that may not be made official for several weeks.
Flag football would also get a major makeover as more schools add the sport following its inaugural season for many programs in 2024–25.
Warren County is projected to join Coffee County, Cumberland County, Stone Memorial and White County in a five-team District 5 for 2027–29.
The Lady Pioneers currently compete in an 11-team region dominated by Rutherford County schools. White County would be their only returning opponent in the proposed district, while six current opponents - Blackman, Oakland, Riverdale, Rockvale, Shelbyville and Siegel - would form a proposed District 6.
“I like the fact that we're moving to a five-team district as opposed to the 11-team district we're currently in,” said coach Paul Willis Martin, who had the Lady Pioneers on the doorstep of state in the program’s second year last spring. “It will make for a more manageable district schedule. Our mindset will still be prepare, show up, compete and play whoever is standing across from us - Same goals, different district.”
Wrestling would only see a minor change to its largely Rutherford County-centric district, with Franklin County departing under the proposed 2027–29 alignment. The Pioneers would remain in a seven-team district with Coffee County, Lincoln County, Oakland, Riverdale, Rockvale and Shelbyville.
The Warren County Way is reaching out to Warren County coaches for comments, along with reviewing the changes for more of the Pioneers and Lady Pioneers. Stay tuned for updates.
