BD Newsletter

By Brad Durham

After seeing Cookeville beat Warren County (49-7) this past Friday night, I was stunned and searching for answers. Eating popcorn in the stands does not give one a true perspective of what transpires on the football field. Unless you are highly educated in the elements of football, know the plays that are called, know the individual assignments, and observe the team in practice and on film, you are most likely clueless about the particular reasons a team is losing by over 35 points. Clearly, Warren County was not matching up well with their opposition, but the knot in my gut sent me searching for more definitive answers.

I made three choices on Monday and Tuesday to better inform myself. First, I went to watch Warren County’s JV and Freshman games Monday evening against Cookeville at Nunley Stadium. On Tuesday morning, I asked John Olive, former Tullahoma football head coach and current AD questions. The last stop on my search for information was Warren County’s practice on Tuesday, and I interviewed two sophomores and head coach Matt Turner.

There were three revelations in my search for answers. Number one, four JV linemen and the complete JV backfield were all sophomores who started for the varsity on Friday night. Number two, Coach Olive told me that Tullahoma’s varsity once lost on Friday nights and won on Monday nights during JV games with young, inexperienced sophomores. This occurred during Tullahoma’s losing seasons before they won their state championship in 2021. The third revelation was that head coach Matt Turner has faith in his sophomores and offensive line.

Varsity linemen at practice on Tuesday, September 26, 2023.

As I look back 50 years to the Pioneers’ undefeated 1973 schedule, there is a win over Riverdale, 14-0 that pops off the page. That Warren County team was loaded with seniors who had gone 3-6-1 and 4-4-2 the previous two seasons as sophomores and juniors. A turnaround happened when the young kids became seniors.

Both John Olive and Matt Turner were explicitly clear about the difference in a 14-to-15-year-old body and that of a senior who is 17-to-18 years old. It is extremely difficult to win games with a team dominated by young, inexperienced players.

Conclusion: There is a silver lining in the Pioneer’s present losing streak that should continue throughout the season. Sophomores and freshmen are gaining valuable experience and maturing. Yes, the losing is shaking their self-confidence, but they are doing well against peers their own age in JV games. The young players hard work and suffering on Friday nights should produce positive outcomes once they become juniors and seniors.

A transformation to a competitive, winning season in the future is possible. Head coach Matt Turner has faith in his young players. They are learning and growing every week, although the scoreboard may not be in their favor. Significant learning is happening each day in practice and twice a week in varsity and JV games. There is no reason to hit the panic button and assume Warren County is headed toward another three decades of losing seasons. 

Other reasons to be hopeful and to expect a turnaround in the Pioneers future is the growing number of football players at the middle school and in the new youth program. Read below and watch the entire interview with Coach Turner to get a better sense of what he thinks about football in Warren County. 

THE INTERVIEWS

Sophomores Isaiah Robledo left and Brady Swallows on the right – Tuesday, September 26, 2023.

Sophomore Isaiah Robledo is an outstanding athlete who plays wingback and is a playmaker. He is exciting to watch in varsity games because on every play he has the potential to turn any play into a touchdown. Pound-for-pound, he is as good as any athlete on the field. As many people have said, he plays “bigger” than his size. 

BD Newsletter: How do you feel about playing varsity and JV games back-to-back?

Isaiah Robledo: I think it is fun. There is totally different competition, but varsity is harder. I am working my way up. The JV games are easier because you are used to going against harder competition in varsity games. It is fun with JV games to win and put points on the board. 

You can view the Robledo’s interviews below.

Brady Swallows was forced into a starting role earlier this season when senior quarterback Alex van Vuuren suffered a season-ending injury. Swallows has all the tools to be a great high school football quarterback. He is improving each week, and he is dedicated to becoming an exceptional quarterback.

BD Newsletter: You are a sophomore who was forced into a starting position on the varsity, what does that feel like and what are you trying to do right now to be the quarterback on this team?

Brady Swallows: You don’t expect it to happen the way it did. It is not good, but when you are thrown in there, you have to slow yourself down and prepare each week. Once you get used to that speed, it slows down every week. You have to keep getting better week after week. You have three years to learn and get better. 

You can view the Swallow’s interview below.

Head coach Matt Turner is in his fifth year as the Warren County High School football coach. Turner played at Warren County and was a starter at UTC, and returned home after graduation. Turner kept the Pioneer team together after it had reached a low of 32 high school players. He coached his second team to an 8-3 regular season record in 2020. He is optimistic about the state of Warren County football from the high school down to the youth program.

Head Coach Matt Turner, staff and team at practice on Tuesday, September 26, 2023.

BD Newsletter: Coach Turner, how do you feel about playing all these young guys…a lot of sophomores. Pretty much the entire offense line is playing varsity and JV games back-to-back. What is the benefit of that, and what do you believe is happening in your program?

Coach Matt Turner: We played all our sophomores and one or two juniors (in the JV game Monday night) who are new to the game or need that experience. They get to play six quarters (JV games are two quarters), and we need to take advantage of that. I told Coach Hennigan (Cookeville’s head coach) that he was going to see the same backfield that he saw Friday night. 

The benefit for these kids…is the bridge that I feel as though we have missed for so long in Warren County…getting numbers in the program. The 6A programs we are trying to compete against have a true freshman program. They have upwards of 50-60 freshmen. That is the Mt. Juliets, Oaklands and Green Hills of the world. Then they have a JV that is mainly made up of sophomores and maybe some new or inexperienced juniors. That makes a full JV team of 30-40 kids. Then you have seniors and juniors who make up your varsity football team. 

This year we have nine seniors. Of course, we have had a few injuries including our QB1, a young man who was becoming a leader. We are now putting together a varsity football team on Friday nights with primarily a JV squad. Winning is contagious and so is losing. I feel as though we have had to do this for so long, that is one of the ingredients that has put us in this situation…if that makes any sense. That is why we have been so bad for so long.

I feel as though we have never really established that true freshman program, a true junior varsity program and a varsity program. When I took over this program, there was 32 varsity players 9-12. There were no freshmen. There was no JV. We have a core of kids who do not get to play against their peers — people their same age, same maturity, same body chemistry. We have had to throw them into the fire on Friday nights when they are playing 18-year-old men.

Gallatin was so much bigger and looked more mature than us. Some of our seniors fit right in there, but that is only a handful of the 11 players on the field. So, it was nice to give the sophomores a chance to play against peers their same age – just to remind them that they are doing the right things and can be successful.

It was 50 to nothing against Cookeville (JV game), and they had a young freshman backup quarterback on the JV. They could not get a lot of center-to-QB exchanged. But neither could we on Friday night in the varsity game. We turned over the ball on the first play from scrimmage. A lot of that is because our young guys are just learning, and we are not giving them that opportunity to learn. 

We have to play them on Fridays, but playing on Monday (JV games) gives them the opportunity to have some success and some positive confidence.

I should have done that earlier in the year. We struggle here in the county in a rural area. I feel like Sparta has the same issue. A lot of freshmen have to play, but not so many on JV because they are having to play varsity. Of course, I don’t want to play my starting quarterback on JV and possibly get him hurt, but I feel like giving him some confidence outweighs the chances of getting him hurt.

They should be playing against kids their same age and maturity. People don’t realize the difference between a sophomore and a junior and a sophomore and a senior maturity gap.

That is a gap I have to learn how to build and fill. I am not for playing an out-of-region schedule, but it would be nice to have a year of playing both freshman football and JV football. 

BD Newsletter: Coach Matheny has more players coming out at the middle school and you have a youth league. That will help fill the gaps over time and develop properly.

Coach Turner: No doubt. Right now, we have 150 plus kids playing youth football. Coach Matheney is pushing 75-80 kids. We have about 35 freshmen, and we have about 45-50 varsity players. 

BD Newsletter: That is right over 300 kids playing football in Warren County.

You can view the entire interview with Coach Turner below.

A TURNAROUND IS POSSIBLE FOR WARREN COUNTY FOOTBALL

Coach Turner believes that it will take longer than four-to-five years to bring to fruition the development of real freshmen, JV and varsity programs. Turner believes the youth program will continue no matter who is the head coach at the high school. Turner believes there is a system in place that will continue and feed into the middle school, which will feed into the high school. 

Coach Matt Turner believes that he must stay the course. He wants to trust the system and give the youth, middle, freshman, JV and varsity programs time to evolve. More experience at every level of competition will pay dividends over time.

The most successful programs across the state have large numbers of kids participating in youth football. For example, Tullahoma presently has 500 kids in their youth program. Maryville’s youth program has thrived for decades, and many say that it is a major reason Maryville has been so successful. Oakland has strong youth and middle school programs. 

A turnaround can happen in Warren County football’s future. Pioneer football needs stability at the head coach position. Matt Turner has laid the foundation for a successful program. What Warren County needs now is consistency that allows football to grow and develop at each of these three levels: youth, middle and high school.