GRAY DEYOSports Writer

Before the Tullahoma Middle School football team set out on their 2025 season, they had one goal in mind. That being, to win the CTC Championship. They accomplished that goal with arguably their best performance of the year on Sept 30, winning 30-8 against E.O. Coffman Middle School.

It was an emotional post game for the middle school Wildcats as they saw all the blood, sweat, and tears they have poured into this team dating all the way back to the offseason, now taking the form of a golden trophy. A big touchdown run at the end of the second half, and some huge defensive plays led the way in a dominant championship win for Tullahoma.

In the first quarter, the Wildcats took an 8-0 early. They hung this lead over the Panthers’ heads throughout the first half. E.O. kept having chances, but they could not break through the Wildcat’s defense. The Wildcats had two interceptions in the first half, while the Panthers were on their side of the 50. These plays were made by Jeremias Browning and Gavin Barnes.

Another big turnover play in the second half grabbed the momentum for the Wildcats, which led to where they eventually ran away with the game. The Panthers in the third quarter were driving down the field, picking up positive run play after positive run play, all the way until they were at the Wildcats’ eight-yard line. It felt like E.O. made the right adjustments at halftime, and they were marching their way to potentially tying this game. But unfortunately for the Panthers, good players make big plays, and this Tullahoma Wildcats defense is full of those players. On an attempted run up the middle, the Panthers fumbled, and Tullahoma recovered. On the ensuing possession, the Tullahoma offense were in a fourth and long scenario and opted to roll the dice, and it paid off big time.

On their own nine-yard line, the Wildcats ran a double reverse handoff to their star running back Macc Chapin, and the designed play completely shifted the Panthers’ defense. All that was in front of Chapin was green grass and a slew of Tullahoma blockers. In a blink, Chapin was in the endzone for a 91-yard touchdown run that gave Tullahoma a 16-0 lead after a two-point conversion, with 4:47 left in the third.

The Panthers, trailing by two touchdowns, began to take more risks on offense, which resulted in multiple turnovers. The star of the show in creating these Wildcats turnovers was Browning. Adding on to his first-half interception, Browning created three more turnovers in the second half—one fumble recovery and two interceptions. When the game concluded Browning got the game ball for his performance.

The Wildcats, as time dribbled away, added on two more Chapin scores, and as a win became clearer, the water jugs on the sidelines began to rise. One after another, each coach who devoted their time to coaching these young men got a bucket of water poured on them, symbolizing the work they put in all year had paid off.

This group of eighth graders is littered with talent, and as they move on in their football journeys to Tullahoma High School, they are more than capable of bringing more trophies home to Tullahoma at the next level.