It was kind of odd standing on the Smithville side of the football field this past Friday, wearing the Tiger colors and finding myself rooting for the home team.

Now, if you’re new reading the paper then you have an excuse not to know that I’m not from around here. I’ve worked at the Review for about six months after coming here from a long stint at the paper down south in McMinnville. That’s right, I’m a Warren County boy. I was born and raised there, went to school there and still live there. So, you can kind of see my quandary Friday night.

I’ve stood on that opposite sideline for many years, often making noise with those rowdy Warren County fans while critiquing my opposite number.

“Why do they keep clanging those annoying cowbells?” I’ve asked on numerous occasions, hearing the bells clanging when the Tigers made a good play. “Who shakes a cowbell? Do they have any idea how annoying they are?”

This year I had a close up with the cowbells and the Tiger fans as I stood looking across the field at the Warren County side.

“So who you going to root for, Duane?” a friend asked me before the border battle Friday night. “Don’t tell me you’re going to be a Benedict Arnold.”

“You know, Benedict Arnold was actually an American patriot and a hero and was even wounded in action fighting for America,” I replied.

“So, you’re rooting for the Tigers?” he surmised from my historical diatribe.
“Yep,” I nodded. “I like the Tigers. They’re scrappy.”

Sure, I rooted for the Pioneers all those other years. I was in Nunley Stadium in McMinnville when the Pioneers mopped the field with the Tigers back in 2005 when the series began and muttered things under my breath those years when the Tigers got the best of the Pioneers, spanking them 50-0 one season.

That’s right, my allegiance changed quickly. I like the smaller town, the underdog feel, the fire you have to play with going up against the large Warren County High School.

Granted, as a life-long resident of the Nursery Capital I can safety tell you that the Pioneer football team is playing under a curse. The Pioneers haven’t had a winning season since 1990 and even then that season was an anomaly. I haven’t the slightest of what the problem is as the rest of the athletic teams are okay. All I know is I graduated Warren County Senior High in 1983 and they were a winning program. However, starting in 1986 the program came off the rails and has never recovered despite going through a laundry list of coaches, building a $1.1 million indoor practice facility on campus and having a student population of around 2,000.

With that being said, I was glad when the Tigers pulled out the 19-14 win Friday night. There were bragging rights on the line with my Warren County friends.
“Coach, you've got to win this or I can’t go back home,” I told Coach Steve Trapp as he led his team onto the field Friday night.

As for my confidence, the sports guy from the McMinnville paper asked me just before the game what I thought.

“DeKalb County by a touchdown,” I replied, hitting it on the head.

Now, if I just had some Tiger stuff to wear. That’s right, I’m the newest Tiger fan but don’t have a thing to wear (men’s large). Hint, hint.

Contact Duane Sherrill at          
news@smithvillereview.com