FRIDAY Sports MARCH 2, 2018 MCMINNVILLE, TENNESSEE B THE ART OF RACING ART LARSON Succesful season ends Sullens reflects Harvick on region run dominates BY JEFFERY SIMMONS stretch. Sports Editor for the Southern Standard The Pioneers played the (McMinnville, Tennessee) region semifinal without in Atlanta their third leading scorer, When a season ends, Irving Espinoza. The sopho- In Daytona, it was a race coaches often find them- more was dismissed from where drivers floored the selves wondering "what the team Monday. School gas pedal and hoped for the if?"The questions pile up. officials didn’t comment fur- best. Most all the cars had a What if a ball bounced a dif- ther, other than to say the shot at winning if they could ferent direction? What if a dismissal will remain until stay out of the wrecks that shot fell instead of rimming further notice. were bound to happen. The out? It was the second straight Monster Energy NASCAR Coach Chris Sullens has game Warren County played Cup Series Folds of Honor pondered all the what ifs, without an honorable men- race in Atlanta was a especially after the Pioneers tion District 6AAA selection. different story. Teams had to ended their season one step In Saturday’s region quarter- plan their strategy as the short of the state sectionals final, the Pioneers prevailed track conditions and Tuesday with a 70-63 loss to over Walker Valley while threatening weather Stone Memorial. being without Sloan changed during the race, Despite being devastated Seymour, who was out for a and the veteran drivers by the defeat, which brought violation of school rules. Jeffery Simmons photos showed the youngsters how to end the high school Sullens praised his seniors Sloan Seymour directs traffic during Tuesday's region semifinal game. it was done. careers of five seniors and for staying together and Seymour, a junior, is a strong building block for the Pioneer program. Kevin Harvick led 181 of one of the best seasons in nearly pushing the Pioneers 325 laps and earned a very decades for the Pioneers, into a spot the school hasn’t emotional victory. Harvick, coach Sullens started chang- seen since the 1980s. who replaced Dale ing his mindset to what was. “Our five seniors did Earnhardt Sr. following his “We’re disappointed by everything we asked them death in 2001, won his first falling one step short of the to do. They made this pro- Cup race at Atlanta. He sectionals, which was one of gram better,” said Sullens. honored Earnhardt Sr. with our biggest goals this sea- “The distractions they a three-finger salute as he son,” said Sullens. “This endured in the last 3-4 days made a victory lap. group did some great things of our season speaks vol- Seventeen years later, though. We won a region umes to their character.” Harvick returned to Victory game for the first time in Three of those seniors Lane in Atlanta, and with decades. We won over 20 (Grayson, Chance Hobbs tears in his eyes, once again games. We competed night and Tyree Ladet) leave the honored Earnhardt Sr. with in and night out with the program after all-district the three-finger salute. The type of intensity and drive seasons. Bunker Brock and win in the Cup series that we asked of them before Caleb Newby split starts in completed a weekend the season.” the post, providing scoring sweep as he also won the Warren County (23-8) had in the paint, strong defense Xfinity Series race last its chances to get a bid to the and rebounding. Saturday. sectionals. The Pioneers Their efforts set up the In the last five years at trailed by just two points, next class of seniors with a Atlanta, Harvick led the 45-43, in the opening min- feat rarely seen in Pioneer most laps in the race and utes of the fourth quarter basketball. seemed well on his way to against Stone Memorial, the “Our upcoming seniors victory until bad luck and District 6AAA champions. will have a chance to gradu- pit road mishaps thwarted Warren County couldn’t ate with over 80 varsity him. For the first time in five overcome the deficit though, wins. It’s not often we have a years, Harvick led the most with Isaiah Grayson fouling class that averages 20 wins laps and actually scored the out with 5:30 left proving to per season,” said Sullens. win. be a pivotal point as the It’s Sullens’ next what if. The young guns of Pioneers were left more What if next year’s Pioneers NASCAR had their troubles short-handed down the are better than this version? Isaiah Grayson was held to six points in his final outing as a Pioneer. trying to figure out the 1-½ mile track. It took a lot more than just putting the “pedal to the metal,” and staying out of trouble. The veteran NASCAR drivers showed the youngsters how it was done. For the most part, Hobbs, Ladet named all-region veteran drivers were in the top 10 during the whole BY JEFFERY SIMMONS race. Threatening weather Sports Editor for the Southern Standard caused some drivers to (McMinnville, Tennessee) change strategies. As the threat of rain loomed over The Pioneers may not Atlanta, Denny Hamlin and have made it to the his team decided to gamble region finals, but two of on less pit stops than the rest their players were still of the field. Staying out a invited to the proceed- little longer in case the rains ings. came, the strategy may have Seniors Tyree Ladet worked, however the rain and Chance Hobbs were stayed away until the cars both named to the all-re- crossed the finish line. The gion team after helping strategy still gave Hamlin a Warren County reach the top five finish. region semifinals for the Ford was the dominant first time in decades. manufacturer at Atlanta for “Those two did every- the second straight year. thing they could to give Stewart/Haas Racing fin- us a shot to win,” said ished first (Harvick), third coach Chris Sullens. (Clint Bowyer), eighth (Kurt “Tyree and Hobbs kept Busch) and 13th (Aric making plays. They bat- Almirola). In 2017, Ford also tled with everything they started strong but only won had.” one other intermediate track Ladet carried the race the rest of the year. Pioneer offense in a 70-63 Joey Logano’s sixth-place loss to Stone Memorial finish was enough to take Tuesday, the team’s third over the points lead. Ryan loss in four matchups Blaney, Hamlin, Harvick, with the Panthers this Bowyer, Austin Dillon, season. Ladet scored a Martin Truex Jr., Kurt Busch, season-best 24 points, Paul Menard and Almirola almost lifting the complete the top 10. Pioneers to the region Sunday’s race is in Las finals. Vegas where 37 cars are entered in the race. CHANCE HOBBS Continued on 3B TYREE LADET STARTS AT THE C INNVILLE CITY CIVIC CENTER & LEADS M M ALL OVER TOWN!!! CAVENGER HUNT 25435 S th st Register before March 26 and receive an extra clue th - March 31 $3 per person • Registration at Civic Center March 26 500 Garfield Street • McMinnville, TN • 931.473.1212.