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Tullahoma was down 20-7 at the start of the fourth quarter at Rockvale Friday night before scoring 21 unanswered points to win 28-20 for their second straight victory.

“First of all it’s the way you start in the month of June, you really start in November,” head coach Coy Sisk Said. “It’s what you do between now and then. Telling and explaining to those guys that in order to be successful in these first three ballgames that they’d have to be able to gut it out in the fourth quarter. We’re not past that, because that’s the way we feel. When we hold those four’s up in the fourth quarter we want it to mean something, but what we have to remember is that when we go down, we were down 13-7 at the half, you can’t let that beat you. You’re getting the ball in the 3^rd quarter, our guys are gonna learn sooner or later that they can make it through adversity. Tonight was a big step because they saw that.”

Rockvale had the ball to begin the game, their opening drive ended with a sack by Jalen Hill. The punt was downed at the Tullahoma 49-yard line. On second and 10 Mason Bratcher fired a pass across the middle of the field to Bryson Steverson and he powered his way to first down at the Rockvale 39-yard line. Next play was a screen pass to Khani Johnson on the left side for first down at the Rockets 25-yard line. After a 1 yard gain left by Johnson, Ryan Denby ran through the middle for a 27-yard touchdown. The point after kick was good for Grant Chadwick, and the ‘Cats led 7-0 with 8:45 left in the first quarter.

The Rockets next drive was also a three and out. Tullahoma took over at their own 24. Marvancy Johnson ran for an 11 yard gain to start the drive. After a penalty and a run for no gain, Tullahoma turned the ball over on a fumbled snap. Rockvale took over at the Tullahoma 10-yard line. DeCarlos Slaughter made a tackle for loss on first down. On second down the Rockets threw a pass right on a play action pass, the receiver fought through two Wildcat defenders for the touchdown. The point after kick was blocked by Will Hyden setting the score at 7-6 Tullahoma leading with 4:58 left in first quarter.

After Hill returned a pooch kick to the 41-yard line, the Wildcats went three and out. Chadwick’s punt rolled to the rockets 18-yard line. Rockvale took a deep shot to start the drive but the pass was incomplete. Ezra Myers and Beau Banks made a stop after a 2-yard run on second down. They picked up the first down on a pass over the middle at the Rockets 45-yard line. Steverson forced the quarterback for Rockvale to throw it away on first down, but on second down he completed another pass for a first down at the Tullahoma 45-yard line. Three straight runs left picked up another first down. The running back ran left again, for a gain of 9 yards. Colby Tucker made a tackle for a 2-yard loss on third down to end the first quarter with Tullahoma leading 7-6.

The fourth and 3 pass attempt was incomplete. It was the ‘Cats ball at their own 25-yard line. Another three and out for the Wildcats followed however. A huge 57-yard punt by Chadwick flipped field position as the ball was downed at the Rockvale 17-yard line. Tucker picked up another tackle to open the drive, stopping the running back after a gain of 1 yard. A quick pass right picked up 5 yards for the Rockets, then their quarterback ran left for a first down at the 28-yard line. He ran left again and carried the ball to the 44-yard line, but a flag on the Rockets for unsportsmanlike conduct brought the ball back to the 29-yard line. On third and 14 they completed a deep pass at the Tullahoma 45-yard line. A flag for intentional grounding forced a second and 22. The Rockets drive stalled after the penalty and had to punt. Tullahoma went three and out, and the Chadwick punt rolled to the Rockvale 20-yard line. A 23-yard run left is how the drive started for Rockvale. A holding penalty backed them up, then they ran left to make it second and 9. Another run left brought it to third and 1. The quarterback picked up the first down with a run to the Tullahoma 46-yard line. Sack by Eli Morgan for a loss of 6 set up third and 16 at the Rockets 48-yard line. The third down pass was incomplete. They downed the punt at the Tullahoma 19-yard line. A pass right from Bratcher to Logan Prosser for a gain of 3 yards on first down was followed with a loss of 4 yards on a screen pass to K. Johnson. There was a fumble on third down that was recovered by Rockvale at the 4. Two plays later the Rockets were in the end zone on a run. This time the kick was good and Rockvale led 13-7 with 38.2 seconds left in the first half.

Tullahoma opened the half with a three and out. Sack by Robert Tatum for a loss of 6 on first down. The Rockets could not overcome the sack and punted after going three and out. The Wildcats went three and out again. Chadwick flipped the field with a 70-yard punt that rolled all the way to the Rockvale 8-yard line. A couple of runs right combined with an offside gave the Rockets a first down. They ran the ball to pick up two more first downs. That is when their drive stalled and they punted into the end zone for a touchback. The ‘Cats went three and out and the punt was returned to the Rockvale 45-yard line. On first down they took a deep shot down the middle, it was incomplete but there was a pass interference penalty on Tullahoma that gave the Rockets a first down with the ball at the Tullahoma 40-yard line. On second and 11 a pass right moved the ball to the 20. Three straight runs later for the Rockets and they were in the end zone again for their third touchdown. After the extra point they led 20-7 with 32 seconds left in the quarter. The ensuing kickoff went out of bounds so Tullahoma’s drive started at their own 35. Denby ran left for a gain of 4 yards to head into the fourth quarter.

Denby ran again for a first down. Before the third and 7 play, coach Sisk took his second timeout of the half with 10:14 left in game. Out of the timeout Bratcher found a wide open Ethan Hargrove for a 51-yard touchdown. Rockvale led 20-14 with 10:14 to go in the game.

“We saw something there and were able to take a timeout to adjust to it, and it came out well,” said coach Sisk. “In the beginning you think what an odd time to take a timeout, but time to take a timeout is when you need a timeout. Sometimes it works out well, other times it doesn’t and tonight it went our way and went exactly the way we wanted.”

After a holding flag made it first and 20 at 10, Rockvale fumbled and it was recovered by Myers making it ‘Cats ball at the Rockets 12. On second down a Jet sweep pass to K. Johnson scored a touchdown but a holding flag brought it back. On third down Bratcher rolled right and threw it to K. Johnson in the end zone on a corner route for the touchdown. Chadwick booted the extra point through the uprights to take the 21-20 lead with 8:55 left.

On third down during their ensuing possession, Rockvale completed the pass to for a first down, but the receiver fumbled. It was recovered Liam Grider and he returned it to the Rockvale 23. M. Johnson ran up the middle for 9 yards. Another run by Johnson and a run from Denby made it fourth and inches. Tullahoma went for it and converted with a run up the middle from Denby. A jet sweep touch pass to K. Johnson gained 5 yards. After a run for no gain, Bratcher threw right to Johnson and he got the ball inside the 1 for first and goal. Denby got the ball going up the middle for a touchdown. Extra point good by Chadwick, 28-20 Tullahoma led with 3:43 left in game. Rockvale, feeling the pressure, went deep down the middle but it was broken up by Bronson Bunch. The quarterback recovered a fumble and was tackled for a loss of 5 yards. Two plays later they gained a first down with a run to the 34. Pass Interference on a deep pass right moved the ball to Rockvale 49. They gained 8 yards on a pass then picked up the first down with a quarterback run. On fourth and 10 with 41 seconds left, the pass was completed to the 23-yard line for a first down. The next play a pass was tipped up by the Rockets receiver and was picked off by K. Johnson to seal the victory. The offense came out to take a knee with 16 seconds left. Bratcher took the knee and Tullahoma won 28-20.

“Super proud of these guys and look forward to getting ready for Franklin County and getting into our region schedule,” Sisk said.

Tullahoma will open up Region play at home against Franklin County on Friday at 7 p.m. The Wildcats will be looking for their third straight victory.