Bigger tests surely loom for the Pioneers, but right now Warren County is bulldozing its way through district play. The Pioneers put on another clinic Friday, smashing Shelbyville 65-48 to improve to 3-0 in District 9-4A play.

Devin Fish scored a game-high 17 points and fellow juniors Keyton Reno and Chance Whitlock joined their teammate in double figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively, as the Pioneers moved to 12-3 overall and won their eighth straight game.

Shelbyville (6-11) seemed to want to come out and make a statement the group could hang athletically with the long and lanky Pioneers off the opening tip. The Golden Eagles dialed up a lob on the first play, but the dunk didn’t go and Shelbyville would only take one more shot the rest of the game that had a chance to tie the game.

The Pioneers opened on a 6-0 run, sparked by a Whitlock putback and a Fish layup, in front of a packed home crowd. Fans were brought to their feet midway through the first quarter when the Pioneers tried their own alley oop, one Reno slammed home with authority off a pinpoint pass from Corban Felton.

Whitlock continued to pour it on in the paint a minute later, connecting on a three-point play after bullying two Shelbyville defenders for a rebound and finishing through contact. By the time the 6-foot-7 center swished a free throw, Warren led 13-3 and the Eagles needed a timeout.

The break didn’t slow down the Pioneers.

Fish hit a corner 3-pointer to grow the lead, Deashawn Adams got an easy layup off an inbounds play and Nate Turner came off the bench with four quick points as the Pioneers surged to a 22-9 lead after the first quarter.

Felton punctuated a dominant second quarter with a wild reverse layup in transition, adding some extra spin on a righty finish as the Pioneers powered their way to a 23-point advantage, 36-13, at the break.

The Pioneers pushed their lead up to 26 points three separate times in the third quarter, twice when Fish hit tough midrange jumpers, before the teams traded baskets over the last 12 minutes.

Things got testy between the district rivals as Shelbyville continued to press until the final horn, but the Pioneers led comfortably wire-to-wire to stay atop the district standings.

WC scoring – Fish 17, Reno 11, Whitlock 10, Adams 8, Felton 7, Turner 6, Canaan Parris 4, Isaiah Robledo 2