The Tullahoma Wildcats took on the 6A Summit Spartans on Friday night for their final preseason game. They played well and secured a 21-7 win, to give them some positive momentum going into their official start of the season on Saturday.

Tullahoma looked to be ready for the regular season with players flying around and making plays left and right against the Spartans. One of those players for Tullahoma being no other than their leading rusher from last season, Marvancy Johnson. Johnson was the main workhorse in a couple of the scoring drives for the Wildcats in their 14-point win. He grabbed Tullahoma’s first touchdown of the day with a 17-yard touchdown run. The senior back throughout the contest showed that he is more than ready to produce a year capable of surpassing his junior season, which was one of the best seasons any running back in TN had in 2024.

He still has his ability to change direction on a dime, but he is also noticeably stronger. Almost every time he got the ball, it took several Spartan defenders to get him to the ground. On a few occasions, Johnson did not even go down to the turf. He ended up just dragging the pile of five-plus defenders with him until the ref blew the play dead. It was an overall great performance from Johnson, and starting quarterback Lucas Reed looked solid as well. He was effective in throwing to his receivers in short yardage, and he showed what he could provide as a ball carrier. He willed his way past defenders using brute strength on a couple of third-and-short scenarios. He capped off the Wildcats’ second scoring drive with a 1-yard quarterback sneak in the second quarter.

On the defensive side of things, the Wildcats had some promising pieces that are sure to make a positive impact in 2025, with one of those players being senior Will Hyden.

Tullahoma head coach Coy Sisk, at an offseason practice, mentioned that he believed Hyden was going to be the Wildcats’ sack leader in 2025. Hyden showed Friday night that that statement was for good reason. He was everywhere. He had a few quarterback hits, including a big sack that shook up the Summit QB late in the third quarter. Another one of his big hits in the backfield nearly caused another turnover in the form of an interception. On the receiving end of the near pick was another senior Wildcat who had a good showing against the Spartans, Sam Bobo. Bobo played mainly the role of a defensive back. He had great coverage and was great at predicting and jumping on Summit’s passing attempts. He produced a couple of pass breakups in the shortened playing time the starters had.

With it being a preseason game, pretty much every Wildcat in the football program saw a snap-on Friday. With that given opportunity, many players showed what they could give this team if given the chance this season, and what they could do later in their tenure at Tullahoma.

Tullahoma’s second unit shines

There were a couple of players who made big plays in their time on the field in the second half. Backup QB Patrick Riddle especially stood out. He has a quick release and was getting the ball out to his teammates accurately and efficiently. He showed off his rocket arm and his ability to extend plays on the Wildcats’ third and final touchdown of the game.

He went through his progressions and did not find anyone open. He then rolled to his left and delivered a beautiful 39-yard touchdown strike to sophomore Zion Jeffrey. Jeffrey, after the big touchdown grab, continued to show he had big-play ability. He had a couple of carries in the backfield that went for 10 or more yards.

On the defensive end of things, the second unit rounded out a great team win for the Wildcats with an interception from Colby Shepherd.

Tullahoma seems to be in the right space to start the season strong in their home and season opener on Saturday against Shelbyville. Although the matchup will be by no means easy. The Golden Eagles are coming off of a 2024 season where they finished with an overall record of 12-2 and had a first-place district record of 6-0.