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Tullahoma lost 17-16 at home in their region opening game Friday night to Franklin County.

The Rebels scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:01 left on the clock. The loss moves the Wildcats’ record to 2-2 with a 0-1 start to region play.

The game began with the Rebels receiving the ball first. They ran two quick screens to the right before a quarterback keeper by CJ Seals to pick up a first down. That moved the ball to the 50. Seals ran for a gain of 7 yards. Then he handed the ball off to Eric Jones for a first down at the Tullahoma 39-yard line. Jones ran left for a gain of 4. He ran up middle for another gain of 4. Seals ran left for a gain of 5 yards for a first down at the 26. Jones ran for 3 yards before a Rebels’ timeout. Ethan Hargrove made a tackle for a loss of 2 yards. Then Seals hit Jones for a 28-yard touchdown pass on the left sideline. Jones caught the ball at the 15-yard line and broke a tackle before running down sideline to the end zone. The point after try was good and it was 7-0 Rebels with 5:50 left in the first quarter.

Bronson Bunch returned the kickoff to the 27 for Tullahoma. Mason Bratcher’s pass right to Khani Johnson on a quick out was complete for a gain of 13 yards. Bratcher then found Bryson Steverson over the middle for a gain of 5. Ryan Denby carried the ball on second down, but lost a yard. The third and 6 pass attempt was incomplete. Grant Chadwick’s was punt downed at the Franklin County 26-yard line. Jones ran left for gain of 2.

Then the Rebels had a bad snap, but Seals was able to fall on the ball and keep possession. That brought up third and 20 at the 16, then an encroachment penalty on the Wildcats made it third and 15. Seals pass was completed and the ball was at the 32, but a holding penalty brought it back to the 12. A run for 9 yards brought up fourth and 15. Franklin County had their second bad snap this drive, and the punter was unable to get a kick off. Jalen Hill got back there and tackled the punter in the end zone for a safety. The score was 7-2 with 1:49 left in the first quarter and the Rebels had to kick the ball back to Tullahoma. Johnson returned the kickoff all the way back for a touchdown, giving the ‘Cats a 9-7 lead after Chadwick’s kick was good with 1:35 left in the quarter. On Franklin County’s next drive they went three and out as the quarter ended.  

Johnson returned the punt to the Rebels 38-yard line to open up the second quarter. The first play of the drive was a fumbled snap, Tullahoma recovered at the 41. Denby had a tough run left to the 30, forcing a third and 2. They pass right intended for Hargrove was incomplete. On fourth down, Tullahoma’s field goal unit came out to attempt a 47 yard kick, but it was not good. Franklin County took over at their own 20-yard line. An offsides made it first and 5. Seals hit Jones on the right for an 11 yard gain. Then Robert Tatum sacked Seals, but a horse collar penalty negated the sack and moved the ball to the 49 and gave the Rebels a first down. They picked up another first down with a pass that brought the ball to the Wildcats’ 36-yard line. Hill pressured Seals and made him step up into DeCarlos Slaughter for a sack to force a third and 14. Hargrove broke up the pass over the middle, but a pass Jones picked up a first down at the 21 on the next play. Eli Morgan made a tackle for a 4 yard loss, then Hill picked up a sack for another loss of 4. Third down pass attempt was incomplete. The Rebels field goal unit came out and made a 46-yard kick to make it 10-9 with 6:23 left in the half. Tullahoma went three and out. Chadwick’s punt went out-of-bounds at the 50. The Rebels tried to score again before halftime, but they fumbled at the Tullahoma 26 and Bunch recovered with 1:32 left in the half. Bratcher threw a screen left to Hargrove who got the ball to the 31. Another pass to Hargrove on a slant moved the ball to the Rebels 45. Another pass, this one to Jack Damron got the ball to the 33 for another first down. After an incomplete pass, Bratcher went down the left sideline to the end zone for Hargrove. Who made an incredible catch over the Rebel defender for a 33-yard touchdown, despite there being a flag for defensive pass interference. The kick was good and the Wildcats went up 16-10 with 20 seconds left. The Rebels took a knee to go to halftime.

Tullahoma went three and out to begin the second half. The Rebels returned the ball to their own 39, but a block in the back at the 29-yard line brought it back to the 18. On second and 7, Slaughter made a tackle for a loss of 1. The deep pass over the middle was incomplete, but a flag for pass interference was called. That gave Franklin County a first down at the 35. Jones tried to run up the middle but Colby Tucker tackled him before he made it back to the line of scrimmage. Then two incomplete passes forced the Rebels to punt. Khani returned the punt returned 20 yards to the Rebels 39. Denby ran for gain of 4 to start the drive. A third down pass to Hargrove picked up a first at the 26. The pass to Hargrove in the end zone was incomplete, but an unsportsmanlike penalty moved the ball to the 13. Tullahoma moved the ball down to the 5 for first and goal, but were unable to punch it in after a penalty and two incomplete passes. Franklin County got out of the shadow of their own end zone with a gain of 9 on a first down pass. Then Jones ran up the middle for the first down at the 21. A second down pass right to Kai Baker gained 8. Jones again went up the middle for the first down. He ran two more time for a combined gain of 2 yards to end the third quarter with the score still 16-10.

The first play of the final quarter was an incomplete pass that was knocked down by Sam Bobo. Johnson returned the punt to the Franklin County 42. The teams traded unsportsmanlike conduct penalties that offset. The Wildcats went three and out. Chadwick’s punt bounced back and was downed at Rebels 30. An incomplete pass on third down should have ended the Rebels’ drive, but a pass interference gave them a first down at the Tullahoma 46. Ezra Myers sacked Seals for a loss of 3 yards. Seals pass right to Jones picked up a first and moved the ball to the Tullahoma 36. Ethan Farris ran for a gain of 8. Then Slaughter tackled Jones for gain of 1 to force a fourth and 1. Bunch tackled Jones after a gain of 1, but it still resulted in a first down. After a false start Liam Grider knocked the ball loose to force an incompletion. On third and 10, Seals threw left for Jones for a gain of 15 with 3:41 left. Dawson Sowers ran three straight time and got the ball to the 2-yard line.  Franklin County took their second timeout of the half with 1:06 left. After the timeout Jones went up the middle for the go-ahead touchdown with 1:01 on clock. The kick was good giving the Rebels a 17-16 lead. Grider returned the ball to the 40 but a flag for holding brought the ball back to the 15 with 50 seconds left. Bratcher hit Denby on a swing pass left for gain if 5, 36 seconds left. Then he hit Steverson on a seam route to move the ball to the Rebels 45 with 21 seconds left. After a false start and incomplete pass incomplete, Tullahoma moved the ball to the 35 with help by a pass interference flag with 2 seconds left. The field goal unit came out for a game-winning 52-yard attempt. Franklin County called their last timeout to try and ice Chadwick. The kick had the distance, but hooked just left and the Rebels won 17-16.

The Wildcats will look to bounce back and win their first Region game Friday as they travel to Lincoln County to take on the Falcons at 7 p.m.