WCMS builds confidence in 7-on-7 Action

Photo courtesy of C4 Sports, official apparel provider of the WCSA

The Warren County Middle School football team will head into dead period with plenty of confidence after a strong showing in 7-on-7 competition Thursday.

The Pioneers proved they could compete with anybody in attendance, tying White County 3-3 (and 1-1 in short down-and-distance scenarios) while also beating Livingston 3-2 and Cumberland County 2-1.

Coach Ben Matheney, back at the helm as the team looks to continue to momentum from last year’s 4-3 year, was pleased with how his team responded against outside competition.

"In some ways, it was better than expected. Summer ball can be unpredictable, but one thing was for sure - the boys really competed," said Matheney. "It was great to see us go against some other teams and it's a really good feeling going into dead period."

Gus Bouldin was one of the biggest playmakers of the night, hauling in several contested catches while finding the end zone multiple times. A rising eighth grader and one of the more seasoned players from last year’s run, Bouldin has emerged as a go-to weapon on offense and Matheney noted that his ability to win 50-50 balls created matchup problems for opposing defenses.

“He came down with a couple of catches I don’t know if we’ve seen before - he went up and over some guys in the end zone,” said Matheney when asked about Bouldin’s play.

It may not be much of a surprise Bouldin looks like a breakout contender at WCMS. His father, Jameson, was a standout on the WCMS basketball team, while his uncle Justin was a 1,000-yard rusher for WCMS when the team had back-to-back winning seasons in the early 2000s.

While Bouldin was reeling in touchdowns, it was Brody Chisam who was slinging them. Chisam stepped into QB duties throughout the day, taking over duties that Dallas Gater (out of town this week) had held down most of the summer during workouts. His steady improvement throughout the day was a welcome sign for WCMS, which is always looking to build overlapping depth at its skill positions.

Hayden Childers also turned in a standout performance, making a key fourth-and-10 reception against White County before adding a touchdown against Livingston. Bryson Carroll added scoring catches during the evening, while Koltin Melson and Kylan Moore each found the end zone against Livingston.

The defense also made its presence felt. Bouldin and Isaac Rowland each came away with interceptions as the Pioneers consistently pressured opposing quarterbacks throughout the night.

The Pioneers will now have to take a break while counting down the days until kickoff. It won’t be long now - Warren County will start its season Thursday, Aug. 6 at DeKalb County.