WCMS working hard in Spring
Ben Matheney calls a timeout at WCMS Game, 2026.
The grind never stops on the gridiron. Warren County Middle School has high hopes this fall, and a large group of kids has been hitting hard this spring under coach Ben Matheney to make sure those lofty goals are achievable in a couple of months.
The Pioneers are coming off a 4-3 season in 2025, during which they once again qualified for the CTC playoffs. Warren County lost to EO Coffman 34-14 in the semifinals, ending what was another transformational year on the gridiron.
It took several years into Matheney’s tenure before Warren County picked up its first win, but lately the team has begun posting winning seasons with regularity, giving its coach plenty of hope that the trend can continue in 2026.
“We are looking to build on some of the success we had last year. This group had a lot of success in JV last year, and they expect to win,” said Matheney. We’ve also got several kids that got varsity snaps last year, we are trying to build around.”
Brody Chisam, Gabe Rowland, Gus Bouldin, and Bryson Anderson are all returning starters from last year and have come back bigger and stronger as they look to take larger roles on the team. Dallas Gater, currently at the controls of the offense, is another playmaker who is trending in the right direction in the spring.
“We’ve still got work to do, but he can spin it, and Gus can go up and get it. I wish we were playing another team (this spring) because it’s looking good,” said Matheney.
Rowland, Chisam, Gater, and Raylan Herman have all earned the distinction of Pioneer of the Week from the program this spring, showing grit and determination in offseason workouts and hustle on the practice field.
Setting the tone in practice is something Matheney and his staff have worked on in the spring, and to this point, the Pioneers seem more than ready to embrace the work.
“We have cranked up the pressure. " A lot of kids are expecting bigger roles, and this is their first chance to earn them,” said Matheney.
While the roster churns at the middle-school level - a common theme when the most a kid can play is three years - the coaching staff remains largely intact. Matheney is back for his eighth year at the helm, while he brings back Isaiah Grayson as offensive coordinator and Joe Damon at defensive coordinator. Damon is currently away from the team while recovering from an accident last month, but his role will be waiting for him when he can return.
Former tackling machine for WCMS and WCHS, Braylon Grayson, has stepped in to coach linebackers and running backs, while Ryan Smith continues to be a jack of all trades on the sidelines for the Pioneers. Zach Little is also back to work in the trenches for the coaching staff, which could still see a few more additions before the fall.
Matheney is hoping to wrap up the spring with an intersquad scrimmage on Thursday, weather permitting.
