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The Tullahoma High School football team travelled to Battle Creek High School to take on the Columbia Central Lions and won 13-0.

The win evened up the ‘Cats record to 3-3 with district split of 2-1. Surprisingly the team has been better on the road going 2-1, while being 1-2 at home. This bodes well for the team in the middle of a three-game road trip.

This week Tullahoma will be going to Lawrence County to take on the 2-4 Wildcats, who have a 1-2 district record. Both of their wins have come at home, the first against Loretto and the second against district foe Spring Hill.

The Wildcats completed zero passes, but found the end zone twice on the ground in the win. The weather conditions made throwing the ball very difficult with the rain and wind, they also affected the kicking game. Marvancy Johnson went over 100 yards rushing for the fifth time this season in 6 games. He had 184 on 32 carries. His longest run of the game was 30 yards. The other score came from Lucas Reed’s legs on a designed quarterback run inside the 10.  

Marvancy Johnson carried the ball on the first play of the game for 13 yards. He got it again and got to the Tullahoma 49. On his third straight carry he picked up another 11 yards to the Columbia 40. The he gained 3 up the middle, but a holding flag backed the team up back to their own 45. After the flag, Johnson got another carry and gained 3. It brought up third and 12. After a false start made it third and 17, there was a miscommunication on the snap and Lucas Reed tried to run but was stopped at line of scrimmage. Sam Bobo’s punt was downed at the 14. A bad snap on the first play was fallen by the Lions at the 3. A run up the middle gained 1. Then Robert Tatum made a tackle for the loss of 2. The punt rolled out of bounds at midfield.

Johnson went up the middle for a gain 4. He got a sweep left and took it to the 33, but another hold backed it up to the Tullahoma 44. A run left by Johnson moved the ball to the opposing 44, bringing up third and 4. He got it again and went to the 41. Bobo’s punt rolled out of bounds at the 15. The Lions started with a run for 3 yards, a group of ‘Cats made the stop. The next run left went to the 24, Aiden Kelley made the tackle. They ran for the first down and a penalty on Tullahoma moved it to the 33. Creed Adams and Bronson Bunch stopped a run for a loss of 1. Trey Palmer then made a big collision with ball carrier for a loss of 2. Too many men on the field for Columbia made it third and 18 at the 25. The first pass of the game was incomplete. The punt went out of bounds at midfield again. Johnson’s run lost 2, then Tullahoma’s first pass play was incomplete. Johnson ran for 1 to end the first quarter.

Bobo’s punt to open the second quarter was downed at the 6. A run gained 4, Then Robert Brooks stopped a jet sweep touch pass for a loss of 5. Adams stopped the third down run after a gain of 4. The punt was inhibited by the wind and was downed at the Lions 22. Tullahoma had an issue with the handoff exchange, so Reed fell on the ball for a loss of 4. Johnson got the ball going up the middle, bounced it out right then made two defenders miss before taking it to the house for the 26-yard score. The snap on the extra point was no good, the Wildcats took a 6-0 lead with 9:01 left in the half.

The Lions came out throwing and went three and out with three straight incomplete passes. Khani Johnson returned the punt to the Lions 38. The deep shot to him was incomplete. M. Johnson got a carry and took it to the 9. He had another run and gained 7. Tullahoma went quick and caught Columbia subbing with too many men on the field to make it second and goal at the 1. M. Johnson got it again, he slipped in the backfield for a loss of 1. A naked quarterback bootleg run by Reed scored the touchdown. He fought through a defender at the 1-yardline. The extra point kick by Chase Dodson was good, making it 13-0 with 6:12 left in the half.

The Wildcats forced another three and out, but then went three and out themselves.  A pair of defensive pass interference flags moved the Lions to midfield. The possession stalled there and the Reed took a knee to go into the locker room up 13-0.

The Lions went three and out to start the second half. M. Johnson gained 29 yards on six carries before Tullahoma had to punt. The punt rolled to the Columbia 46. A deep pass was completed, but an illegible recover downfield negated the big play and made it first and 15. Another pass interference made it first and 10 at the Tullahoma 44. Then the Wildcats stopped three straight runs to force a punt. After four plays Tullahoma punted it back. The quarterback ran left for a gain of 3, Aiden Kelley made the tackle. A pass was incomplete, Bunch broke it up. The third down pass was also incomplete, Will Hyden nearly picked it off to end the third quarter.

An offside penalty on Tullahoma made it fourth and 2. Columbia called a timeout to avoid a delay of game. The run picked up a first down at the 48. A deep pass was incomplete, Kelley broke it up. The lions completed a pass for the first down two plays later. Kelley broke up the first down pass play, then a pair of runs moved the chains.  With 7:26 left, Tullahoma stopped a quarterback run for no gain on fourth down. M. Johnson got the ball on eight straight plays for 22 yards. The third down pass with less than two minutes left was incomplete. Bobo’s punt was downed at the Columbia 35. A personal foul on them took it back to the 20. As Adams was pulling quarterback down for a sack, he grounded the ball. On second and 17, the pass was nearly intercepted by Adams. After a pair of completions for a first down, Hyden sacked the quarterback and the clock ran out. Tullahoma held on to win 13-0.