KYLE MURPHYStaff Writer

The 99^th edition of the Coffee Pot game between Tullahoma High School and Coffee County Central High School saw plenty of action take place both on and off the field.

The rivalry between the two schools tends to bring the heat among the players and fans, as attendees got an unpleasant surprise when they made their way home student section Friday night and found manure in the seats, according to Tullahoma Police Chief Chase Sons.

“There were regrettable actions from both Tullahoma and Coffee County Central High Schools on Friday,” Tullahoma City Schools officials said in a statement. “Both high school administrators are working closely to identify those individuals.”

In years past, both schools have played some kind of prank on each other prior to the Coffee Pot, like last year when Coffee County covered their visitors’ student section with syrup. However, few have made headlines like in 2014 when THS students found a dead bobcat hanging on one of the goal posts on the practice field prior to the 89^th Coffee Pot. The act was condemned by both school districts. A 16-year-old male Coffee County Central High School student was later charged with killing the bobcat out of season.

Other than pranks, the Coffee Pot tends to see some hostility between attendees. Sons said there were a few arguments between students, and some juveniles were stopped leaving the area by patrolling officers. Sons added there were more officers present, with seven officers from the Tullahoma Police Department and seven deputies from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department.

“We did increase officer presence, so I think that helped tame it down from what we’ve seen in the past,” Sons said.

The night didn’t end there as after the game the lights went out due to a junction box malfunctioning. The Tullahoma Fire Department were on hand to quickly put out the fire.

“As a district, we would also like to thank the Tullahoma Fire Department for working closely with our high school to ensure our stadium was ready for the big game and for assisting us with a quick response when we had an issue arise with one of our lights that caused a small fire at the conclusion of the ballgame,” Tullahoma City Schools officials said in a statement.

According to Tullahoma Police Chief Chase Sons, the junction box was just an electrical issue and no foul play is suspected.