Coaches Pick Columbia to Repeat as District 8-AAA Champs

Two things happen every year that lets high school football fans know the season is just weeks away; fall practice begins and Murphy Fair releases his Tennessee High School Football magazine.

Now that both have happened it can only mean that 7-on-7 passing camps, controlled scrimmages, and putting on the pads for the first time are just around the corner. And it means we now have solid information to do a quick preview of District 8-AAA.

During its first two years of existence after the TSSAA reclassification in 2009, the district was a powerhouse in the Class 5A playoffs. The first year Columbia finished runner-up in the state, while Lawrence County advanced to the second round.

The 2010 postseason was even better with Columbia winning the BlueCross Bowl, Tullahoma advancing to the quarterfinals, and Lawrence County once again winning its first playoff game before falling in the second round. All six teams from the district qualified for the playoffs.

However last season was not so kind to the district as Columbia, Tullahoma and Shelbyville, the only three teams to qualify for the playoffs, all lost in the first round. The Lions fell to Lenoir City 34-30, the Wildcats were shut out by Centennial 24-0, and Shelbyville got hammered by Ooltewah 42-20.

The primary question heading into the 2012 season is can District 8-AAA return to its former position as one of the toughest 5A districts in the state, or will it once again be a postseason pretender unable to escape the first round. We will know the answer the first weekend in November.

For now though all we can do is speculate, and the coaches in the district have speculated that Columbia is once again the preseason favorite, as they were two years ago. Tullahoma was the preseason coaches pick last year, ultimately finishing second behind the Lions.

Columbia returns all-state quarterback Matthew Markham and all-district wide receiver Dre Hall, as well as 1,000 yard rusher Chris Martin. All three have started for three years and were key ingredients on the 2010 title team. The Lions are 18-2 since Markham became the starter in 2009.

Howard Stone takes over for departed coach Vance Belew and will have seven starters to replace on the defensive side. Expect there to be an adjustment period for Columbia with a new head coach on board, even though Stone was an assistant on Belew’s staff.

For the first time in its four-year existence, someone other than Tullahoma or Columbia is picked to finish second. The Shelbyville Golden Eagles were just one vote away from sharing the top spot with the Lions, and Shelbyville features the only preseason all-state selection in running back Marquis Morton, last year’s district MVP with almost 2,000 yards from scrimmage.

The Golden Eagles return three starters from the offensive line, including all-district selection Luke Dickson, and have a number of talented sophomores who will make in impact, especially Will Trice.

John Olive heads into his 20^th season at the helm of the Tullahoma Wildcats with one of his least-experienced squads, and the district coaches recognize that yet still pick the Cats third. Replacing a three-year starter at quarterback is only the beginning of Olive’s challenge, as all but two starters on the defense must also be replaced.

Franklin County and Lincoln County, the district’s two Class 6A members, are picked to finish tied for fourth place, although both of them have the talent to challenge for an upper-half finish and a playoff berth.

Franklin County returns extraordinary running back Kelton Nunley, along with fellow backfield mates Layton Wells and Caleb Limbaugh. Nunley and Wells have combined for 4,000 yards rushing in two years, while Limbaugh has a season under his belt at QB. With three starters back on the offensive line, expect the Rebels to try and wear down their opponents with a punishing ground game.

Don Thomas begins his second season at Lincoln County with a number of challenges in front of him, not the least of which is the continued growth of the new Fayetteville City High School. Experience in the skill positions is lacking for the Falcons, although they return four linemen who tip the scales at 270 pounds or more.

Lawrence County is picked by district coaches to bring up the rear in the standings for the second consecutive season. Head coach Davis Marston enters his tenth season in Lawrenceburg with some quality size returning up front, while at the same time a lack of overall team speed is apparent.

If the coaches are correct in their prognostication, then the game-of-the-year should fall in week four on Sept. 14 when Shelbyville travels to Columbia. Both teams have an excellent chance to be undefeated when they meet.

Tullahoma opens spring practice with many questions

The Tullahoma Wildcats will open spring football practice on Wednesday, May 2 and conclude with the annual ‘Red & White’ Game on Friday, May 18 at Wilkins Stadium. If weather or another school athletic event interferes with Friday then the game will be held Monday, May 21.

Tullahoma has won 17 games the past two years, winning District 8-AAA two years ago and finishing second last season. However, there are very few starters remaining that were on the 2010 team that advanced to the Class 5A quarterfinals.

On the other hand, the Wildcats freshman team was very successful last season. There are three returning offensive line starters and an outstanding tailback comes back. On defense there are a half-dozen returnees who played significant minutes, primarily on the defensive line.

Gone is QB Jared Davis, who started 30 games and accounted for 5,271 yards of total offense and 55 touchdowns over the past three years. The Wildcats have virtually no experience returning behind center.

Also graduating this May are most of the skill position players, secondary, linebackers, kickers, and two offensive linemen who were all-district players. There are a lot of holes for head coach John Olive and his staff to fill.

THS has had a tremendous run of talent the last couple of years, adding a district basketball championship and run to the substate, two baseball trips to the substate, region champion track and field teams, state tournament wrestlers, and more to the football success.

It will be interesting to see if Tullahoma can sustain that success during the 2012-13 athletic season. Olive always gets the most from the talent that is available, and although there are some great athletes in the school who don’t play football you can count on the Wildcats to be once again contending for a playoff spot when late October rolls around.

The serious work towards that goal begins May 2.

Division I Prospects Abound at Westwood, Knoxville West

The Top Prospects List, now known simply as ‘The List’, has grown to over 200 high school football players in its infancy. By the time he is finished, The Guru will build that list to 1,000 players on MurphyFair.com. There is nothing else like it in the state of Tennessee.

Each year as the list builds from March to July, its fun to learn which coaches are realistic in the ability of their players and which coaches think their guys are better than they actually are.

I’ll leave it to your descretion to decide which coaches fall on which side of that spectrum. In fact, its always enjoyable at the end of the year to go back to the list and see how close players were accurately judged as far as talent goes.

Two schools that jump out as far as listing a significant number of Division I prospects so far this year are Westwood and Knoxville West.

Westwood has returned its survey to Murphy, and on it are five players who are projected to play on Saturdays at the highest level.

Running back Randolph Zieh is 6′ 200 lb. and has already made a name for himself last year as a sophomore. Twin brother Guei Zieh is listed as a defensive back at 5-10 175 lb.

Wide receiver Nakia Cathey is a 5-9, 175 speedster, who along with the Ziehs is only a junior. Senior quarterback Jerome Gilkey III is 6-1, 185 and classmate linebacker Jereme Glass is solid at 6-2, 225.

Those five Division I talents headline a list of nine total prospects submitted by Westwood head coach Anthony Jones. He believes his Longhorns, who won District 16-A last year and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Class 2A playoffs, are on the verge of contending for a state championship.

Knoxville West has been making significant moves in the Class 5A playoffs since realignment happened three years ago.They barely lost to Powell in the semifinals last year, and this could be the year that Scott Cummings and his Rebels push through to Cookeville.

Three Division I prospects are listed by Coach Cummings, led by 6-1, 195 senior free safety Ryan Francis. His YouTube highlight video is featured right now on MurphyFair;com, and watching it will give you an appreciation of his considerable abilities.

Junior linebacker Cody Underwood is 6-1, 205, while senior linebacker Zack Stuart stands 6-3, 200 pounds. Those three defensive stalwarts are joined by four more players with chances to play on Saturdays, three of them on the defensive side of the ball. The Rebels should have a great defense this season.

As we watch the 2012 season unfold we will keep our eyes on Westwood and Knoxville West. Both are expected to be competing when the calendar begins approaching December.

CAK Early Top Prospects Leader

Ah yes. The smell of spring football is in the air. In five months we will kick off the 2012 high school football season. The countdown is on.

For Murphy Fair, the Guru of high school football in the state of Tennessee, spring means the beginning of the creation of the coming season’s Tennessee High School Football magazine.

The first step in that process is when Murphy begins to receive surveys from head football coaches across the state. Every head coach in the state was recently sent a survey, which upon its return will enter their team in Murphy’s 2012 magazine. If they don’t return the survey then they don’t get in the magazine.

But thankfully most do, and one of the items that Murphy asks them to include is a list of their top college prospects. The coaches are asked to guess as to what level of college football each prospect is expected to advance to, and for the most part history says the coaches are very knowledgeable in their ability to gauge the potential of their players.

The list, which will grow to around 1,000 players by July, is the only list of its kind in Tennessee, and is exclusive to MurphyFair.com. The low subscription price of $15 per year is easily justified by the top prospects list alone, not to mention the coaching changes list, exclusive statewide individual statistics lists during the season, previews and reviews by Murphy, and a whole lot more. The site is the best of its kind in our state.

The top prospects list already has almost 100 players in it, and without question the early leader in both quantity and quality is defending Class 3A state champion Christian Academy of Knoxville. The Warriors list eight top prospects, and Warrior head coach Rusty Bradley believes four of them can play at the Division I level on Saturdays.

Based on the performance of the offense in 2011 there is no reason to doubt Coach Bradley’s assessment. Starting with QB Charlie High, who threw for more yards in a single season than any player in state history, and two of his top receivers who also entered the all-time record book, the Warriors are loaded on the offensive side of the ball.

Josh Smith and Davis Howell will catch a lot of footballs for a bunch of yards this season, especially with players such as 6-5, 300 lb. junior Patrick Dalton, 6-5, 290 lb. senior Brett Kendrick, and 6-3, 260 lb. senior Alec North blocking on the offensive line; the Warriors should be able to provide good protection for High to once again pick defenses apart.

Speaking of defense, CAK also lists a pair of linebackers as top prospects, although they aren’t expected to play on the Division I level. L. J. Goodridge and Camden Winzenburg are both around 5-11, 200 lb. with good speed who can hit.

As the list progresses through the summer there will schools that send in more names than CAK. There might even be schools listing more than four Division I prospects. But considering the kind of numbers that the Warriors offense put up last year and the players they have returning, their might not be another team with as much quality as this CAK bunch has.

Sometimes Things Happen That Make You Wonder

As we roll into February we begin to see stories taking shape in communities across our state in respect to their high school football coaches. As of today, Murphy Fair’s Tennessee High School Football website lists 39 schools that have hired, or are in the process of hiring, head coaches. That’s considerably down from the over 50 last February, or the over 60 the previous winter.

It’s a big deal when schools change coaches, especially when the outgoing coach has had success.

Such is the case at Powell, where Matt Lowe suddenly resigned on the morning of Feb. 3. Matt played at Powell in the mid-90s and was outstanding. During his six years there he was 49-23, including a runner-up finish in last year’s Class 5A BlueCross Bowl. That heartbreaking 17-14 loss to Henry County turns out to be his last at Powell.

Despite the loss of some great players to graduation, including the state’s all time single season rushing leader DyShawn Mobley, the Panthers look to be very competitive in the coming season. It’s difficult to understand how he could step down after having so much success in his hometown.

I’m sure the folks surrounding the Powell program, including assistant coaches, players and families, supporters and booster clubs, and administration are all shocked by the sudden departure.

Now the search will begin for a replacement, and I’m predicting there will not be a heavy flow of applications. Not because it isn’t a good job, but because it will be almost impossible to duplicate the success of Lowe, and even if you do you still won’t be a ‘hometown hero’.

Brentwood Academy is another interesting head coach development. The announcement of Cody White as head coach and athletic director included the news that White was offered the job in 2006, but turned it down as Ralph Potter was hired from McCallie.

White was both the head coach and athletic director in Denison, Texas, before agreeing this week to make the move to Brentwood. Obviously the job is one of the state’s best, with plenty of resources and a proud tradition of state championships, although none during the last decade.

Interestingly, White’s Denison team was a combined 5-15 over last two seasons after enjoying great success, including a combined 25-3, during his second and third years. That’s a pretty big drop in success pretty quick, which tells me that the Brentwood Academy administration must really like what they see.

I’ve had the pleasure of broadcasting a number of games from Stratford’s stadium during my 28 years covering high school football, and although crowds were never large, the folks who were the backbone of the program support it intensely.

Aaron Pitts is the man tabbed to replace Jason Smith in Spartan country, and he will have his hands full against tough competition in District 10-AA. CPA, Maplewood, and David Libscomb are teams Stratford has to beat to win a district championship.

Programs such as Columbia, Franklin, Gallatin, and Austin-East are proven winners year after year. The consistent talent level shows that state titles can, and have been, won at those schools. As each goes through the coaching search process, it has to be difficult on those who support it as they wait to find out who the boss is.

The quality of open head coaching slots within Tennessee is extremely high, with those four heading the list. There are smaller schools, who haven’t been near as successful, also going through the challenges of hiring a new head football coach.

Schools such as Tellico Plains, Richland, and Cannon County are not exactly juggernauts in high school football, but they are communities that support their programs and want to win. They are in the process of making hires as well, and my hope is that each of them makes a great hire who can motivate the kids and enjoys success. They deserve it.

Perhaps the Top Stories of 2012?

As the new year unfolds we know what the top stories have been over the past 12 months. Maryville, Ensworth, and Greeneville repeating, Charlie High and CAK joining Wayne County, Henry County, and Friendship Christian as first-time winners are the team highlights.

Individually, the single-season records for both rushing yards and passing yards fell. In fact many single-season passing records fell at the hands of CAK’s High.

The Top Stories of 2011

High’s assault on the single season passing record book was amazing. His 5,191 yards was over 1,000 yards more than the previous record, 4,166 yards set by Anderson County’s Tanner Williams in 2009. The CAK signal-caller’s 484 passing attempts was more than 50 more than Williams’ 431, and High’s 357 completions was a staggering 78 more than Williams’ 279 set in 2010.

Oh yeah, his 65 touchdown passes shattered the previous mark of 48, set in 2001 by J.P. Shelley of Ezell-Harding.

Powell running back Dy’Shawn Mobley’s feat of breaking the all=time rushing record was more rare. Troy Fleming’s state record of 3,008 rushing yards was set in 1998, before the spread offense filtered down to high school football. For Mobley to gain 3,068 yards in 2011, and lead his team to the state championship game where they lost a heartbreaker, is certainly a major story and a great accomplishment.

But enough about 2011 because, again, we know those stories. What about 2012? What might the top stories be this time next year?

Three Three-Peats are a real Possibility

Let’s start with teams. I’ll step way out on a limb and go ahead and pick Maryville to win the 6A title in 2012. Do I really know how many seniors they lose and how many starters return – no. Do I care – no. Same thing with Greeneville in 4A and Ensworth in DII-AA. All three of those teams have great players returning and their head coaches returning. I see no reasoning for picking anyone to beat them in Cookeville next December.

Class 5A continues to be dominated by middle Tennessee and I see no reason to expect anything different next year. In 3A suddenly CAK is the team to beat with High returning for his senior season in 2012, but don’t be surprised if Alcoa returns to form. Injuries really hurt the Tornado last year and they have a lot of talent returning.

Who might come out of nowhere and play in Cookeville, or at least get close, next year. Will there be a Dresden or a Frienship Christian? And who is going to take a deep step down from their 2011 heights?

One team that comes to mind that might be least likely to repeat is Wayne County. The Class 1A BlueCross Bowl champions lose each of their 22 starters. I look for Columbia Academy, Moore County, and Gordonsville to be prime contenders for that 1A title in 2012.

Individually, High is certainly the story heading into next year. I don’t know how many yards, if any, he passed for in his sophomore season. The numbers tell me he is 5,299 yards away from breaking the all-time career passing yardage record of 10,489 even if he didn’t play his sophomore year. Perhaps a reader can provide me with High’s sophomore statistics.

Columbia, Signal-Mountain Return

Another team that I expect to contend for a state title is Columbia. The Lions, Class 5A champions in 2010 and runner-up in 2009, return first-team all-state quarterback Matthew Marcum and wide receiver Dre Hall. The pair could set some records of their own if they can find another receiver to replace Eric Belew and help take some focus off of Hall.

Signal-Mountain will return to challenge for the 4A title. The six vacated wins kept them from a likely showdown with Greeneville at some point in the 2011 4A postseason bracket, but don’t expect Bill Price’s team to be anything but hungry to prove they not only belong in 4A but can win it all in 4A.

The Potter’s Hands

Ralph Potter’s return to McCallie is the biggest Division II story outside of Corn Elder and Ensworth. Potter was magnificent during his previous tenure leading the Blue Tornado, winning a state title in 2001. Baylor has been the beast of the east side of the state recently in DII, but I expect a new opponent for Ensworth in Cookeville next year.

Anytime the Brentwood Academy head coaching job is open it is a major story. Although the rumor has been that Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward was interested, as of the release of this blog there has been no announcement. The Eagles are probably the highest-profile team in Tennessee, even though they haven’t won any titles lately. It’s still a great job.

In Class 2A don’t be surprised if Knoxville Grace is a contender as the calendar extends into late November next season. Despite their postseason ban this past season, they appeared to be one of the classification’s top teams and should be highly motivated to prove themselves next season.

Tullahoma Delivers Knockout Blow to Lawrence County

For the second consecutive week the Tullahoma Wildcats activated the TSSAA mercy clock on their first possession of the second half and cruised to a 41-14 victory over Lawrence County at Hendrix-Staggs Stadium in Lawrenceburg Friday night.

With the win the ‘Cats (8-2, 4-1) now turn their attention to the TSSAA state football playoffs. Tullahoma is the third seed in Quad 2 of the Class 5A playoff bracket, and will host sixth-seed Centennial (6-4, 2-3), from a very tough District 11-AAA, this Friday night at 7pm at Wilkins Stadium. The broadcast will begin at 6pm on Fantasy 101.5, FantasyRadio.com, and Charter channel six.

“I continue to be very proud of the seniors on this team and their leadership in helping us finish the season strong heading into the playoffs,” said THS head coach John Olive on the field following the game. “All season my question to them has been do you want to make a playoff appearance or a playoff run. We will start finding that out next week.”

Centennial ended the regular season with a 42-14 rout of Hillsboro. The Cougars have won four games in a row, including a 35-7 shellacking of Shelbyville last week. Centennial beat District 12-AAA champion Antioch 31-8 earlier this season and also has wins over Nashville Overton, Wilson Central, Cane Ridge, and Ravenwood.

Friday’s winner will advance to the second round of the playoffs and face the winner of #7 Lenoir City (5-5) at #2 Columbia (9-1). Other opening games in Quad 2 of Class 5A are #8 Anderson County (5-5) at #1 Powell (10-0) and #5 Shelbyville (7-3) at #4 Ooltwah (7-3).

Tullahoma exhibited its dominance over Lawrence County on its first possession following a failed onside kick attempt, and didn’t let up until it had a 41-0 lead with 5:20 remaining in the third quarter. Lawrence Co. did not have a first down until it faked a punt with eight minutes left in the first half trailing 21-0.

The Wildcats once again rode a number of big plays to their big lead. Trey Burks returned a punt 93 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter, and Jared Davis connected with Austin Creasman for an 18-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter.

Davis, who needed only seven completions in 12 attempts to gain 239 yards and four touchdowns, connected with Zane Price from 42 yards away to give the Wildcats a 27-0 lead with 3:56 left in the half.

On its final possession before the intermission, Davis found Shaquille Harris in the middle of the field and Harris outran the Lawrence County secondary for an 87-yard score. The final score came in the third when Davis found Ryan Lawson in the middle of the field and Lawson exploded into the end zone for a 33-yard score.

Lawrence County’s two late touchdowns came against Tullahoma defensive reserves and were helped by the home team recovering two consecutive onside kicks.

Tullahoma’s offense continued its season-long pattern of scoring on quick strikes and big plays as opposed to sustained offensive drives. The ‘Cats only ran 36 plays while gaining 400 yards total offense, its second straight week averaging more than 10 yards per play.

The THS first-team defense tossed its second straight shutout, with over half of Lawrence County’s 281 total yards coming in the fourth quarter. Tullahoma did not punt in the contest and held Lawrence County four different times on fourth down.

Tullahoma Uses Big Plays to Blitz Warren County

The Tullahoma Wildcats scored on their first four possessions, including a game-opening 77-yard kickoff return by Montrell Berry and a 77-yard run from scrimmage by Jared Davis; cruising to a 42-0 victory over Warren County on senior night at Wilkins Stadium. Both Berry and Davis are part of this year’s upper class.

The victory keeps the ‘Cats (7-2, 3-1), who have already clinched second place in District 8-AAA and a TSSAA playoff berth, in prime position to be a top-two seed in quadrant two of the Class 5A playoffs when they begin the first weekend in November. Tullahoma concludes the regular season next week at Lawrence County.

“Once again I am just extremely proud of the seniors on this football team and the leadership they are providing,” said Tullahoma coach John Olive on the field after the game. Olive is now 138-75 in his 19th season at Tullahoma and 162-90 as a head coach.

“It is always good to get a bunch of players in the game,” continued Olive. “Every varsity player got on the field tonight and I’m happy for them. It’s tough to get everybody in when that mercy clock is running because it eats up the game so quickly, but we got them all in.”

The TSSAA mercy clock rule says when one team leads by 35 points or more in the second half, the clock only stops for timeouts and scores. Tullahoma activated that clock with 9:27 left in the third quarter, and the game ended in a near-record time of only two hours.

With the loss the Pioneers (0-3, 0-9) continue a disappointing season that has seen them rarely be competitive. They have a chance to play spoiler for White County this Friday though, as the Warriors could secure a playoff spot with a win. A loss to Warren County would almost surely end any postseason dreams White County has.

Knowing their playoff spot is secure and coming off an emotional win over Shelbyville last week, some thought the ‘Cats might come out flat on Friday. They did anything but that. After honoring the 18 seniors on this 2011 squad, the home team went right to work.

Berry, who rushed for 96 yards on only nine carries, took only 15 seconds to race past the Pioneer kickoff coverage team on the opening kickoff, and after Joseph Burke kicked the PAT the Wildcats had a 7-0 lead. The domination was just beginning.

Warren County gained two yards on its first possession, and after a short punt the Tullahoma offense was set up at the Pioneers’ 42-yard line. Trey Burks carried four times for 26 yards, and Davis hit Shaquille Harris and Austin Creasman with seven-yard passes before finishing the eight-play, four-minute drive with a quarterback sneak on fourth-and-goal at the one. Burke, who was a perfect six-for-six on the night, split the uprights and the lead was 14-0 with 6:06 left in the first quarter.

An illegal procedure penalty killed the visitors’ next opportunity, squandering one of three outstanding kickoff returns by Warren County’s best player, sophomore D’Andre League. After a Pioneer punt of only seven yards, the home team began its third drive at its 25-yard line.

Burks, who had his second consecutive 100-yard rushing night, gaining 101 in only 10 carries, began the drive with a 35-yard gallop. After a pair of Tullahoma penalties, Davis found Harris with a 26-yard strike. On the next play Berry burst through the defense for 24 yards and scored his second touchdown of the quarter. Burke’s kicked it through and the lead was 21-0 with 1:43 left in the opening quarter.

Still without a first down, the Pioneers committed two more penalties on their next possession and punted again. After a penalty of its own, Tullahoma put the ball in the hands of its senior quarterback, and Davis simply outran the entire Warren County team for a 77-yard touchdown, with Burke’s kick giving the ‘Cats a 28-0 lead with 11:43 left in the half. Davis completed all four of his pass attempts for 43 yards and carried the ball three times for 85 yards and two scores.

The Pioneers finally picked up a first down on their next possession, three in fact, before the Wildcat defense stiffened and the two teams exchanged punts. THS junior linebacker Dalton Cox recovered a Warren County fumble with 1:17 left in the half.

Olive then did something he hasn’t done all season, swapping Harris and Davis on the field with Harris at quarterback and Davis as a flanker. Harris completed a 30-yard pass to Creasman as the half expired, his only completion and the final pass the Wildcats would throw, and the two teams entered the locker room with Tullahoma leading 28-0.

The second half began much like the first, with Tullahoma forcing a punt on the visitors’ first possession. After Harris, who had 95 yards total offense on three rushes, three catches, and the one pass, knifed through the defense for 16 yards, Davis ran for six before Berry showed his quickest burst of the season, scoring from 24 yards away. Burke set the mercy clock in motion with his successful PAT early in the third quarter.

Tullahoma’s final score came on its next possession, with Harris engineering a seven-play, 65-yard drive that consumed almost five minutes. Berry had runs of 12, 14, and 17 yards, and Harris finished the drive with a four-yard touchdown run. With 29 second remaining in the third quarter the scoring was completed.

The Wildcats rushed for 329 yards as a team, their second consecutive 300-yard rushing performance. As impressive was their 400 yards total offense on only 37 plays, averaging more than 10 yards every play. That will win a lot of football games. Warren County was held to only 179 yards total offense.

Tullahoma One Foot Better Than Franklin County

Tullahoma’s Dalton Cox stopped Franklin County quarterback Caleb Limbaugh at the one-foot line on a two-point conversion attempt in the second overtime to give the Wildcats a come-from-behind 31-30 win over the Rebels Friday night in Winchester.

With the win the Wildcats (2-1, 5-2) moved into a tie for second place in District 8-AAA with Shelbyville (2-1, 6-1), a 41-6 winner over Lawrence County on Friday. The ‘Cats and Golden Eagles square off October 14 at Wilkins Stadium after both enjoy an open date this weekend.

“My hat goes off to coach Jim Carr and that Franklin County football team,” said an emotional Wildcat head coach John Olive on the field following the game. “I want to thank everybody who participated tonight, including the fans, bands, and the teams. This was what high school football is supposed to be in southern middle Tennessee.”

The nail-biter was familiar to fans of both teams, as battles between the two have featured exciting finishes the past few years. Two years ago in Winchester the ‘Cats also came from behind to win in double overtime.

“Our defense kept us in this game,” continued Olive. “Our offense was not hitting on all cylinders and I take the blame for most of that. We probably tried to do a little too much on a week when the players had mid-term exams.”

Indeed the Wildcats seemed out of sync offensively, amassing only 197 yards on the night and running only 48 total plays. Quarterback Jared Davis struggled, completing only 5-14 passes for 64 yards with two interceptions.

However, the senior quarterback stepped up huge running the ball, gaining 70 yards on nine carries, with many of those yards coming at critical times. Tullahoma totaled 133 yards on the ground, with Trey Burks gaining 42 on 11 carries and scoring three touchdowns.

On the other side the Rebels’ rushing attack was as good as advertised, gaining 268 yards on 59 attempts. Junior Koleton Nunley led the way, with 200 yards on 36 carries and three scores. Limbaugh completed only 2-4 passes, but his 20-yard toss to Maurice Walker gave Franklin County its first lead on the first play of the second quarter.

The Wildcat defense began the game with a fourth-down stop of Nunley at the Franklin County 40-yard line, and after the two teams exchanged punts the ‘Cats finally got their initial first down with five minutes left in the opening quarter.

After a holding penalty, Davis hit Shaquille Harris for 26 yards and a first down at the Rebel’s 39-yard line. Harris suffered an injury on the hit and did not see action the rest of the way. On the next play, Franklin County junior Layton Wells picked off Davis to end the Wildcats’ first serious scoring threat.

Nine plays later Limbaugh found Walker all alone in the end zone as the second quarter began to put the home team on top 7-0.

Davis and the offense responded though with their best drive of the night. First Davis ran for 19 yards, and then hit Austin Creasman for 11 yards. Burks caught a seven-yard pass from Davis, and then followed a 12-yard Davis run with a 12-yard run of his own for the touchdown. Joseph Burke nailed the PAT and the score was tied at seven with 9:10 remaining in the half.

But Nunley and Franklin County jumped right back out in front with an 80-yard drive that featured a 69-yard sprint down the right sideline by the talented junior running back. Cox was again the man on the spot for the Wildcats, chasing Nunley down from behind and stopping him at the four-yard line. Two plays later Nunley scored and the home team led 14-7 with 6:40 remaining in the half.

Senior Allen Starks stepped up and made a game-changing play for the ‘Cats with three minutes remaining, blocking a Rebel punt and giving the Tullahoma offense a short field at the Franklin County 21-yard line.

Three plays later senior Montrell Berry pounded into the end zone from 11 yards away, and Burke’s extra point again tied the score at 14 as the first half came to a close.

“Joseph Burke did an outstanding job for us tonight,” continued the coach. “He kicked with confidence and that proved to be the difference for us.”
After a quick Tullahoma punt opened the third quarter, the home team put its wing-T offense on full display with a 14-play drive that consumed 7:50 off the clock. However, the Wildcat defense again displayed its bend-but-don’t-break ability, forcing Rebels’ junior Tyler Rhoten to kick a 30-yard field goal and give his team a 17-14 lead with 2:23 remaining in the third quarter.

Nunley ran the first six plays of the drive, but seemed to suffer a slight ankle injury on the sixth play. Although he ran the ball a dozen more times, he seemed to lose a little of his quickness and cutting ability.

Both offenses sputtered somewhat through the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth. Franklin County linebacker Maurice Hill picked off a Davis pass, and the Rebel punter dropped a long snap, setting up Tullahoma’s offense at the Franklin County 41-yard line.

The ‘Cats drove to the Rebel’s six-yard line, but on fourth-and-one Tullahoma drew an illegal procedure penalty, forcing Burke to kick a 28-yard field goal to tie the game with 1:53 remaining.

Franklin County scored first in the initial overtime, overcoming an illegal procedure penalty themselves, with Nunley scoring from six yards away to give the home team a short-lived 24-17 advantage.

The Wildcats answered quickly, with Burks sprinting untouched into the end zone on the first play of Tullahoma’s first overtime possession. Burke nailed another PAT to even the score at 24 and force a second overtime.

Tullahoma had the ball first in the second overtime, and the Wildcats chose to swap ends of the field, electing to play on the end where the THS band was seated. Olive felt that was critical.

“I give Sam Melton credit for that decision,” said Olive. “He thought that would be an advantage for us to be in front of our band. It was an advantage and I appreciate Sam’s quick thinking.”

Burks again scored on the first play of the second overtime from the 10-yard line, and Burke again converted the PAT to give Tullahoma its first lead of the game at 31-24.

It took the Rebels all four plays to score in the second overtime, with Nunley finishing things off with a four-yard run. Then came the fateful two-point conversion attempt and the standout play from Cox, sealing yet another thrilling win for the ‘Cats on the home turf of the Rebels.

“We have a great opportunity against Shelbyville to control our own destiny and clinch a first-round playoff game on our home turf,” concluded Olive. “The bye week comes at a good time for both teams, and it should be another tremendous atmosphere for a high school football game in two weeks.”

Tullahoma Wins Wet, Cold Homecoming Over Tyner

The Tullahoma Wildcats dominated the first quarter, grabbing a 14-0 lead in the first six minutes, and then relied on its defense to hold down Tyner and beat the Rams 24-14 at Wilkins Stadium Friday night. The homecoming win came before a full home crowd on a cold, wet night that brought out the coats and blankets for the first time this season.

“We played well enough to get the win and that’s the goal,” said Wildcat head coach John Olive on the field following the contest. “We knew Tyner would be a physical team and the game would be kind of sloppy on this cold, wet field. We are just happy to not have to come from behind late in the game to win on homecoming night. Congratulations to these seniors.”

Tullahoma (1-1, 4-2) survived a sluggish offensive night against a solid Tyner defense that played its best game of the season. The Wildcats will step back into District 8-AAA action next week, heading down Highway 41A to take on the Franklin County Rebels (1-1, 2-3), who had an open date this weekend.

“Tullahoma and Franklin County are both fighting for a playoff spot right now,” continued Olive. “We need to go into our open date with two district wins and five wins overall. It’s important that we work hard this week to get ready for the Rebels.”

Things couldn’t have started out any better for the Wildcats against Tyner. Tullahoma won the opening coin toss, got a 25-yard kickoff return by senior Sam Epley to start the game, and drove 38 yards in six plays to take the lead for good with 10:29 remaining in the first quarter on Trey Burks’ two-yard run.

The defense forced the first of five Tyner punts, this one a short one that set the ‘Cats’ offense up at the Rams’ 48-yard line. On first down senior running back Montrell Berry sprinted 31 yards, and despite a holding penalty on second-and-goal, senior quarterback Jared Davis punched it in from seven yards away. Joseph Burke added a successful PAT, and with 5:50 left in the first quarter the Wildcats had their 14-0 lead.

It appeared the Wildcats would extend their early lead after the defense forced another three-and-out. Tyner’s punt was returned 30 yards by Burks, giving Tullahoma a first down at the Tyner 22-yard line. However, the offense stalled and Burke missed a 30-yard field goal attempt. The first quarter ended with the Cats enjoying a 14-0 lead.

The two teams exchanged a pair of punts each before Tyner took over at its 43-yard line midway through the second quarter. The Rams marched 57 yards in six plays, jump started by a 40-yard pass from quarterback Willie Stewart to receiver De’Rick Calloway. Stewart got the visitors on the scoreboard with a four-yard run, and the PAT cut the Tullahoma lead to 14-7 with 2:05 left in the half.

But the Wildcats responded after Burks returned the kickoff 41 yards to the Tyner 36-yard line. After an offensive pass interference penalty, Davis hit Shaquille Harris twice, first for 16 yards and then for 24 yards and a touchdown. Burke’s PAT gave Tullahoma a 21-7 lead at the half.

Tullahoma got on the scoreboard first in the second half, overcoming a pair of penalties to set Burke up for a successful 30-yard field goal with 5:13 left in the third quarter, giving the Wildcats a 24-7 lead.

Tullahoma was forced to punt on its next possession, but the defense rose up and forced a fumble by the Rams, recovered by sophomore defensive lineman Jacob Pearson.

Tyner’s last score came with 1:40 remaining as running back Joseph Sturkey scored from 30 yards away. The Rams got one more possession, but senior defender Allen Starks ended the game with a sack on the visiting quarterback.

The post-game celebration was quick on the field, with fans and players taking refuge from the cold, damp air. Tullahoma will now begin preparation for the annual clash with the Rebels, a game that in recent years has featured some classic moments and memorable contests.

Tullahoma was penalized nine times for 60 yards. Davis completed nine of 19 passes for 112 yards and the touchdown to Harris, who caught two passes for 39 yards. Davis also carried the ball eight times for 50 yards and a score. Berry had nine carries for 54 yards and Burks ran 13 times for 48 yards and the score, also adding 110 yards in return yardage.