Seasons will be the on the line this weekend when the Pioneers and Lady Pioneers set foot on the hardwood in the Region 5-4A tournament. The Lady Pioneers have a date with Brentwood Friday night, while the Pioneers will try to extend their season when they take on Franklin Saturday.
Both games will begin at 6 p.m. and both WCHS teams will be going into the region as the No. 4 seed from District 9-4A after falling in consolation matchups earlier this week in the district tournament.
The Lady Pioneers, 9-22 overall this year after Monday’s tough 51-49 loss to Shelbyville, will be looking for a major upset when they take on the Lady Bruins. Brentwood has amassed a 24-4 record this year, including winning three in a row in the District 10-4A tournament over the last week.
Brentwood downed Page 47-35 in Monday’s championship game, earning the No. 1 seed and a home game in the region quarterfinals. Brentwood was ranked No. 7 in the state in the latest Tennessee Sports Writers Association poll released Monday.
The Lady Pioneers are no strangers taking on top-10 teams, having already faced off with Coffee County (30-0, No. 2 in 4A) three times this year. Warren County also played two games against White County (28-3, No. 1 in 3A) and faced off with Lincoln County (No. 11 in 4A) twice in district play.
Junior Trinity Reynolds’ play of late could give the Lady Pioneers some hope against the Bruins. Reynolds is coming off a career-best 24 points in the consolation game Monday and earned all-tournament honors for her performance in Shelbyville over the last week.
Friday’s game is one of two postseason elimination games in the region tournament, meaning if the Lady Pioneers lose, it would mean the end of the careers of seniors Brinlee Griffith, Zoie Verge and Valery Esparza.
Other Region 5-4A matchups: Nolensville at Lincoln County, Shelbyville at Page and Franklin at Coffee County.
On the boys side, the Pioneers will also be faced the No. 7 ranked team in the state in the region quarterfinals. The Admirals, led by 6-foot-8 star senior forward Christian Brown, are 23-5 this year and are riding a seven-game winning streak entering the region tournament.
Franklin topped Ravenwood, Centennial and Independence in the District 10-4A championship, highlighted by edging Independence 42-40 in the championship game.
For the first time this year, Warren County is on the losing streak, having lost back-to-back games in the district tournament. The Pioneers were upset by Lincoln County Saturday 54-51, then fell 59-46 to Coffee County Tuesday as the group suffered its first back-to-back losses all year.
Warren County will need a big bounce-back performance Saturday in Franklin to avoid ending its season with three losses in a row. The Pioneers are hopeful to have senior Nate Turner back in the fold this weekend after he was absent Tuesday due to illness, while junior Deashawn Adams will be looking to build upon his all-tournament performance from the weekend in the region.
The region semifinals and finals are scheduled to be held at Coffee County High School starting Monday unless no teams from District 9-4A advance to the semifinals.
Voice of the Pioneers and WC Sports Hall of Famer Jay Walker will be at both games this weekend on Star 107.
Photo provided: From left, Trinity Reynolds, Corban Felton, Keyton Reno, Devin Fish, Deashawn Adams and Pioneer coach Danny Fish show off their District 9-4A awards received in Shelbyville Tuesday night.
For more basketball conversation, follow this link to the Warren County Sports Authority show on the WBMC Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BN8HJCm1g/