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.

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.

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.

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.”

“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.

The win, in the 87th meeting between the intra-county rivals, was the fourth in a row for Tullahoma and the 16th in 19 tries for Wildcat head coach John Olive. The coach knows his team didn’t dominate the line of scrimmage, but credited superior team speed as the reason for the win.

“I thought their line won the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball”, said Olive on the field following the game. “We played better in the second half but the difference was Trey Burks and Montrell Berry. They have great speed and ran really hard tonight.”

The two running backs combined for 180 yards on 18 carries and scored three touchdowns on the ground, with Burks adding his second score on a 59-yard pass reception from quarterback Jared Davis. The senior signal caller completed 10-19 for 59 yards and the score, and also added a rushing touchdown.

Tullahoma (0-1, 2-2) will host Lincoln County at Wilkins Stadium this Friday, the first home game of the 2011 season for the Wildcats. Coffee County (0-0, 0-3) searches for its first win with a District 6-AAA matchup at White County.

Coffee County opened the game with a long drive that ended on the Tullahoma 19-yard line, only to see the ‘Cats answer with a 12-play, 81-yard scoring drive, overcoming a personal foul during the march and finishing with Davis’ one-yard score. A missed PAT left Tullahoma ahead 6-0 with 2:17 remaining in the first quarter.

Sophomore DeAngelo Rozier answered with a 58-yard kickoff return for the Red Raiders, leading to his four-yard touchdown run and a Coffee Co. 7-6 lead on the second play of the second quarter. The home team then successfully executed an onside kick, only to fumble it right back to Tullahoma’s Joseph London on the next play.

The Wildcats couldn’t covert though, with their drive ending on fourth-and-one at the Coffee County 15-yard line. The Red Raiders remained in the giving spirit, with Tullahoma’s Dalton Cox intercepting Red Raider quarterback Peyton Meeker at the Wildcats’ 41-yard line.

Burks then took Davis’ pass near midfield and outraced the Coffee County defense, with a failed two-point conversion leaving the score 12-7 Tullahoma with 4:43 left to go in the half. Wildcat senior cornerback Austin Creasman picked Meeker off again to send the two teams to the locker room with the cardinal and black leading by five.

The second half began with the Wildcats, led by a 32-yard run by Berry, extending their lead to 18-7 on a nine-yard run by Berry with 10:43 remaining in the third quarter, followed by another unsuccessful extra point attempt.

The Wildcats then did exactly as their head coach wanted, sealing the win with Berry scoring from four yards away. Tullahoma blocked a Red Raider punt on the next series, and then iced the scoring with a 30-yard burst by Burks with 11:25 left in the contest.

“I’m really proud how this team responded after a disappointing loss last week at Columbia,” added Olive. “Now we go to work to get ready for another tough district foe Lincoln County. I’m really happy to be playing a football game at home next week, and I think our team is happy too.”

Tullahoma (1-2, 0-1) fumbled twice in the red zone in the second half, then watched Columbia (3-0, 2-0), ranked No. 1 in Class 5A by every poll in the state, consume the final four minutes with machine-like execution to do what champions do – find a way to win.

“It’s a tough loss and we’re all disappointed,” said Wildcat head coach John Olive on the field following the third Thursday night TV game in as many years for his team. “I hope our guys realize they can play with the best team in our district. I’m so proud of the effort we gave tonight, and it’s unfortunate that we couldn’t find a way to win.”

Unfortunate indeed as the Wildcat defense played its best game in two years against an offense that had averaged 450 yards and 47 points a game. During the first 18 minutes of the second half Columbia had a total of 14 yards while the Wildcats gained 180, but despite entering the red zone three times the ‘Cats could only score three points; not enough to overcome a 13-7 Lion lead at halftime.

Tullahoma must recover quickly, with a trip to Manchester’s Carden-Jerrell Field scheduled Friday night for the annual Coffee Pot showdown with Coffee County, which had an open date this weekend. Olive knows what that means for his disappointed squad.

“We’re going to take the field next week against a team that doesn’t like us a bit,” added the coach. “I’m expecting our guys to get over this tough loss and do what they are supposed to do this weekend, then hit the practice field Monday and start working to get better. We can all get better.”

Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm in Manchester, with pregame beginning at 6 with Scott, Binns, Mike, and Derek on Fantasy 101.5, FantasyRadio.com, and Charter channel six in Tullahoma and Manchester.

Columbia, playing its first home game since beating Hendersonville 28-7 in Cookeville last December, won the opening toss and deferred its decision, giving Tullahoma the ball first. A mid-state television audience, remembering last season’s thrilling overtime slugfest at Wilkins Stadium, anxiously waited for the rematch to begin between two teams ranked among the top ten in the state in their classification.

The Wildcats didn’t disappoint on their first possession. Senior QB Jared Davis, who threw for 142 yards on 14-23 passing and ran for 105 more on 17 carries, hit senior receiver Shaquille Harris on a 21-yard strike on the first play, then junior tailback Trey Burks for nine yards on the second. It was the only time Harris would touch the ball all night, while Burks finished with 63 yards rushing and 19 yards receiving on 10 touches.

After 19 and 17-yard runs by Davis the drive fizzled and ended, with Joseph Burke missing a 41-yard field goal attempt. Columbia took over at its 20 yards line and made a strong opening statement by marching 70 yards in seven plays. The ‘Cats defense, as it did the entire game, stiffened and stopped the drive, forcing outstanding Lions kicker Chris Harris to kick a 27-yard field goal to give the home team a 3-0 lead with 7:04 remaining in the first quarter.

Despite an entertaining 32-yard kickoff return by THS senior Montrell Berry, the Wildcat offense couldn’t pick up a first down and punted, with Burke averaging 34 yards on three kicks. Columbia again moved down the field, jump started by a perfect 43-yard strike from junior QB Matthew Markham to senior WR Eric Belew.

Markham finished the night completing 11-21 passes for 224 yards and rushing 15 times for 10 net yards. Belew, who has committed to play at the University of Memphis, had two catches for 65 yards.

But on third-and-goal at the Tullahoma five yard line, senior Allen Starks stormed into the backfield and sacked Markham for a 12-yard loss, forcing Columbia’s Harris to try another field goal. Tullahoma’s Harris blocked the kick on the first play of the second quarter though, keeping the Columbia lead at only 3-0.

Burks exploded through the defense on the Wildcats’ first play for 48 yards, setting his team up with a first down at the Lions’ 22-yard line. Three plays later the second scoring opportunity of the first half ended as Burks caught a short Davis pass but was stopped four yards short of a first down.

After the Tullahoma defense forced a three-and-out, the offense finally took advantage of the opportunity and put points on the scoreboard. Davis raced for 32 yards on first down, and then Berry finished off the drive with a nine-yard touchdown run. After Burke’s PAT, the Wildcats led 7-3 with 9:31 to play in the first half, and everybody in the stadium and watching at home realized this was not going to be another Columbia romp, which had happened in the Lions’ first two games this season.

However, the Lions did show their championship-level determination, immediately responding with a touchdown drive. A controversial pass interference penalty helped a lot, coming late on a third-and-ten pass into the end zone from the Tullahoma 27. The Lions took advantage of the call, with junior tailback Chris Martin racing in for the score on the next play. With 7:07 showing on the clock the Lions regained the lead for the last time at 10-7. Martin was held to 44 yards rushing on 17 attempts.

The Tullahoma offense sputtered on its next possession, and the Lions took advantage by driving into Harris’ field goal range. The senior kept his night perfect by nailing a 37-yard field, extending the Lions’ lead to 13-7 with 2:31 left in the half, which ended as neither team got close to scoring in the final 150 seconds.

Tullahoma forced a quick Columbia punt as the third quarter opened, then marched straight down the field with a first down at the Lions’ 15. The first of two red zone turnovers happened with six minutes left in the quarter as Berry and Burks, crisscrossing in front of Davis, collided; and the ball popped into the air and onto the turf and was recover by Columbia’s Ryan Nutt.

Still, the Wildcat defense continued its second-half domination. Starks, Harris, Joseph London, Will Sharpton, Dalton Cox, Austin Creasman, Ryan Lawson, Jacob Pearson, Luke Fredrick, and others made play after play; shutting down the high-powered offense of Columbia. The Wildcat defensive performance was even more impressive considering that senior linebacker Cody Farr, a three-year starter, was unavailable due to an injury.

Taking over at its 36-yard line, the ‘Cats put together another impressive drive by marching to the Columbia 10 as the fourth quarter began. But on fourth-and-one at the one, the Wildcats drew a delay penalty and settled for a 23-yard Burke field goal, pulling to within 13-10 with 9:40 remaining.
Starks again sparked a quick three-and-out defensively, sacking Markham for a 12-yard loss on third-and-16 at the Columbia 32. Tullahoma’s offense began with great field position at the Lions’ 44-yard line with 7:37 remaining and a bunch of momentum. Despite its mistakes, the visitors were still in position to pull the upset.

Following a holding penalty, Davis connected with Berry for 11 yards. Berry had only seven touches during the game for 62 yards. Davis then found Creasman, who had four catches for 42 yards, for a 13-yard strike and a first down at the Columbia 28.

On third-and-21 following another holding penalty, Davis found senior Ryan Lawson nestled inside the Columbia secondary for a 25-yard gain. With 3:50 to play and Tullahoma possessing the football with a first down at the home team’s 14-yard line, the visiting stands buzzed with the possibility of an upset for the second year in a row.

But hopes were instantly dashed when Berry, racing down the far sideline headed for the end zone, lost the football. The ball crossed the goal line and went out of bounds, forcing a touchback and giving Columbia the ball at its 20.

Despite all the misfortune suffered by the ‘Cats in the second half, there was still a chance to win it with two timeouts and 3:40 remaining in the game. However, for the only time in the second half the Columbia offense clicked efficiently, with Markham connecting with Dre Hall for 35 yards, then again for 14 yards, and finally for 12 yards on fourth-and-11 with 75 seconds left to send the Lions’ offense into the victory formation.

While Columbia celebrated its hard-fought win, the Wildcats listened attentively as Olive reminded them there is a lot of football yet to be played this season. If Tullahoma plays its remaining games with the same intensity it displayed in Columbia, there is every reason to believe the two teams could meet again in the TSSAA playoffs in November.

“I notice that big number eleven (Ross Davidson) is suited up for them tonight,” said Olive on the field 15 minutes prior to kickoff. “He is supposed to be injured but obviously they are going to play him and see if he can go. I’m afraid they are going to line up and try to run it down our throats, and if they do I just hope our young men can respond.”

To be blunt, the Wildcats didn’t respond very well as Davidson carried the ball 19 times for 170 yards and two touchdowns in a 14-7 Cookeville win. After the game Olive, as he often does when the Wildcats don’t play well, was quick to put the responsibility on himself.

“I didn’t do a very good job of getting this team ready to play,” said the coach. “And I did a terrible job of calling plays. We just couldn’t get into any kind of rhythm offensively. Give Cookeville credit though because they won the line of scrimmage. We have a lot of work to do on the practice field this week.”
Tullahoma (1-1, 0-0) opens District 8-AAA competition with a trip to defending TSSAA Class 5A state champion Columbia this Thursday night, the Wildcats’ third consecutive year with a Thursday night TV game. Last year the Wildcats beat the Lions 21-20 in overtime on a Thursday night at Wilkins Stadium. Cookeville (1-1, 0-0) opens District 6-AAA play with a trip to Sparta to face White County.

Columbia has started strong, defeating its first two opponents by a combined score of 93-26. Both games were on the road, which means the Lions will likely unveil their championship trophy in their home opener. They are ranked number one in the state in Class 5A in every poll. Emotions will be sky high. The Wildcats better be ready from the opening kickoff because you can bet the Lions will be.

Two things stand out as reasons Tullahoma was unable to escape with a win over the determined Cavaliers, despite an obvious advantage in speed. The first was at least six dropped passes, which consistently stopped offensive drives and seemed to spread to almost every receiver the Wildcats trotted out onto the field. The second negative issue was penalties, especially personal fouls. Tullahoma had nine penalties, including four personal fouls that kept Cookeville in good field position for much of the game.

The teams swapped turnovers, although Cookeville was the only team able to capitalize on one for a score. That happened in the third quarter with Tullahoma leading 7-6. The muffed punt by the Wildcats set the Cavs up at the THS 25, and on the next play Davidson ran right through the defense for a touchdown. A successful two-point conversion accounted for the final score.

The first quarter featured Cookeville partially blocking a Wildcat punt, and Tullahoma’s Austin Creasman picking off a Cookeville senior quarterback John David Edgington pass. Neither team could capitalize on those mistakes however, and the Cavaliers started a drive at their 34 with 2:21 remaining in the first quarter.

Four different players ran the ball in a six-play drive, helped tremendously by a Tullahoma personal foul. Davidson scored his first touchdown on a 10-yard run on the second play of the second quarter. The PAT was missed, giving the home team a 6-0 lead, followed by both teams missing field goal opportunities before the half ended with the Cavs on top.

Despite a terrible first half that ended with the Wildcats having rushed for a net of 0 yards, Tullahoma began the second half like a team responding to a coaches’ challenge. The Wildcats marched 80 yards in eight plays, with Tullahoma senior signal caller Jared Davis accounting for all but one yard in the drive and scoring on a 29-yard sprint to the end zone with 8:26 left in the third quarter. Joseph Burke’s PAT gave the cardinal and black its only lead at 7-6.

After an exchange of punts, Marcus White intercepted Edgington at the Tullahoma 45. The ‘Cats drove to the Cookeville five, but Davis’ fourth down pass fell incomplete and the scoring opportunity was wasted. The muffed punt sequence followed, but the visitors never quit. The ‘Cats forced a punt and took over on offense at their 26-yard line with three minutes left.

Davis connected with senior Shaquille Harris twice, once for 11 yards and once for 26. The second set the Wildcats up with a first down at the Cookeville 20 with less than a minute remaining. At that point Cookeville senior defensive back Darrian Harlan stepped up and made the play to seal the win, intercepting Davis at the ten. One victory formation play later the Cavaliers were celebrating on their home field with their first win of the season.

Davis was 13-30 for 181 yards through the air, and carried the ball 14 times for net 39 yards. Berry was the leading rusher with 58 yards on only eight carries and scored the lone touchdown. Austin Creasman had three catches for 46 yards, Price had 46 yards receiving on three catches, and Shaquille Harris caught three passes for 43 yards.

Tullahoma suffered multiple injuries to significant contributors during the contest, with medical evaluations to come next week. Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Columbia is a tough place to win, but the challenge will expand for the Wildcats if one or more starters can’t take the field.

Tullahoma (1-0, 0-0) will travel to Cookeville this Friday to face a Cavaliers team that dropped its season opener 21-7 to Brentwood Thursday night. The game will be broadcast live on Fantasy 101.5FM, FantasyRadio.com, and Charter channel six, with pregame beginning at 6pm and kickoff at 7. McGavock (0-1, 0-0) hosts Mt. Juliet this weekend.

“I’m really pleased with the effort that our young men and our coaching staff gave this week,” said victorious head coach John Olive on the field following the game. “I thought our defense played a great game, forcing five turnovers; the offensive line had a good night, and our running backs and receivers ran hard and fast.”

The outcome was basically decided after junior linebacker Justin Brown intercepted a Pressley Gamble pass with 43 seconds remaining in the first quarter and Tullahoma leading 10-0. Ninety seconds later Trey Burks left a Raider defender tackling air and scored from eight yards out, and after Joseph Burke’s PAT the Tullahoma lead was 17-0 and the rout was on.

With a 36-0 halftime lead and the mercy clock set to begin running in the third quarter, Olive began substituting freely and most every available Wildcat eventually played.

“It is great to get a win to start the season,” added Olive. “We did some things on offense tonight that we hadn’t really shown in the preseason. I’m sure the McGavock coaching staff and players were a little confused. Cookeville will look at the film from tonight and they won’t be near as confused. It’s always good though to build depth, and we got most everybody some plays tonight.”

McGavock won the toss and deferred, so the ‘Cats took the opening kickoff and were jump-started by Montrell Berry’s 28-yard return, setting the offense up at the Tullahoma 40. Shaquille Harris took a handoff and raced 30 yards on the big play in the drive, which ended when Burks, who rushed for 66 yards in eight carries and scored three times, powered in from the one.

The drive took over six minutes, with a steady dose of Burks, Berry, and Harris. Berry had eight carries for 71 yards and a touchdown, all in the first half, while Harris rushed twice for 37 yards and caught four passes for 29 yards and a touchdown.

“We have some very athletic players on this team and when they get the ball in open space they are hard to tackle, continued the coach. “We followed our blocks and held onto the ball.” For the game Tullahoma rushed 30 times for 214 yards and four touchdowns.

On the kickoff following the opening touchdown drive, Burke sailed the kickoff into the end zone, one of three touchbacks on the night for the senior kicker. The defense immediately took control, holding the Raiders to minus-three yards and forcing a punt. Burks returned the punt 30 yards, giving the Wildcat offense a short field at the Raider 18. McGavock sniffed out a pair of short Jared Davis passes, and Burke finished off the drive with a 31-yard field goal, giving the Wildcats a 10-0 lead with 2:27 left in the first quarter.

After Brown’s pick and Burk’s TD, McGavock fumbled on its first offensive play and junior linebacker Joseph London recovered at the Raider 12. On third-and-13, Davis found Harris for a 15-yard score and Tullahoma was on top 23-0 with 8:12 remaining in the first half. Davis was a very efficient 11-16 through the air for 81 yards and a touchdown. He also ran three times for eight net yards and led the offense with confidence and without turnovers.

“Jared really played well tonight,” added Olive. “He has struggled and pressed a little bit during our scrimmages, but he’s a talented player and a good leader and he did exactly what we asked him to do.”

The Wildcat defense, on its way to holding McGavock to only 33 yards of total offense in the first half, stopped the Raiders on fourth-and-two, and again the offense got great field position at its 45. Davis raced 24 yards down the left sideline on first down, and a play later Berry exploded through would be tacklers and scored from 23 yards away.

When it seemed like it couldn’t get any better for Tullahoma and any worse for McGavock, it did. Senior safety Ryan Lawson, who missed all but a few plays of the 2010 season with a knee injury, intercepted a Gamble pass at midfield.

Davis connected with senior receiver Austin Creasman, who had three catches for 23 yards, twice for 22 yards during the next drive, and Burks took the rushing load, scoring from eight yards away to give Tullahoma a 36-0 lead with ninety seconds remaining in the opening half. McGavock fumbled it away yet again before intermission, but the Wildcat offense couldn’t take advantage.

With the outcome decided and the mercy clock set to start, the Wildcats went into the third quarter aiming to let that clock run and control the football. McGavock helped the cause by fumbling again on its first drive, and senior linebacker Sam Epley pounced on it, although the offense couldn’t take advantage.

After an exchange of punts and a 13-minute real time third quarter, the Raiders added their two scores against a consistent stream of Tullahoma reserves. McGavock ended up with 214 yards total offense, with approximately 150 of it coming against reserves. The Raiders kept their first team offense on the field until the end.

Although the win was convincing and fun for the Wildcat family, Olive cautioned about getting too excited. “It just counts as one win, and the next game is going to be against a much more mature team who has now seen us on film,” concluded Olive. We’ll enjoy this tonight then get back to work tomorrow.”

Others have given you all the teams, players, coaching records, and stats. If you haven’t yet gotten your copy of Murphy Fair’s Tennessee High School Football magazine, there is still time. Just go to the web site and check retail outlets. If you can’t find one is stores, ask members of your school’s booster club. Many schools use Murphy’s magazine as a fundraiser. If you can’t find one anywhere else, simply send Murphy a check and he’ll send you a magazine.

So I want use this space to give you endless player information, but I will take a stab at picking the teams I believe have the best chance to win state championships in each classification.

I’m not about to pick against Maryville after watching their comeback victory over Smyrna in last year’s Class 6A final. The Rebels never panicked when they trailed, and when their opportunity came to make the defining play they made it. It’s pretty easy to predict that a team from District 7-AAA will play in the 6A final. The question is which one. This year I think Blackman has a real chance.

Columbia is a popular choice to repeat as Class 5A champ. The Lions did lose Tra’Darius Goff, one of the truly great players in 2010, but they have a whole lot of really good players coming back. After two years of all-midstate finals in 5A, I’m gonna say Ridgeway ends the domination and captures the 5A title.

Mitchell has moved from 5A to 4A, and if Mitchell was to play Signal Mountain in Cookeville for the Class 4A title it wouldn’t surprise me. But I think its too tough for a team to move up two classifications in one season and play for the title. Giles County on the other hand could be just the team to face Mitchell, providing the brackets work out right. Unfortunately for Signal Mountain and Giles County, I think its defending champ Greeneville that battles Mitchell in Cookeville.

In Class 3A its Alcoa.

In Class 2A I think Trousdale County returns to the throne, and in 1A don’t be surprised if Huntingdon or Wayne County comes out of the west for face defending champion South Pittsburg. The Pirates lost of lot of talent, but they just know how to win the big games.

As long as Corn Elder is at Ensworth, I’m picking them to win football and basketball titles for a second consecutive season in Division II-AA. He is a really special player and if you haven’t seen him play make it a point in 2011. I’ll also go with the defending champion in Division I-AA. Knoxville Webb has built a powerhouse and I don’t think anybody brings them down this year.

I guess its easy to pick defending champions to repeat in five of the eight classifications, but I honestly think South Pittsburgh, Alcoa, Maryville, Ensworth, and Knoxville Webb have great opportunities to hoist the gold ball again.