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Tullahoma won their second straight region game Friday 34-14 over the Columbia Central Lions.

Before the game the team held the Homecoming Ceremony on the field to honor the elected Attendees, Escorts, and Queen.

The win gives the ‘Cats a 2-1 region record and has them tied in second place. Tullahoma’s offense was moving the ball consistently Friday, unofficially gaining 400 total yards. The offensive line was the catalyst for the explosion, creating clean pockets to pass from and opening up running lanes for the running backs.

“It’s great to see it. We’ve been talking every week and I been telling people every week how much better the offensive line is getting and now you got to see it,” head coach Coy Sisk said. “These guys, they have been pretty much what I would call ‘the hot coals, the embers that have started a fire.’ They were there in November working and knowing they had to get better, and tonight they deserve some recognition because they were opening up some big holes.”

Tullahoma began the game with the ball and wasted no time scoring, with Mason Bratcher hitting Jalen Hill for a 71-yard touchdown on the second play from scrimmage. The 2-point try was unsuccessful, so the lead was 6-0 with 11:11 left in the opening quarter. The Lions answered back by running the ball, Kayden McCoy picked up 49 yards on the ground on their opening drive. Quarterback Cason Tice ran for the last 3 yards with back-to-back QB sneaks for the TD.  The point after try was no good as the kick appeared to have been tipped at the line. The game was tied 6-6 with 8:01 left in the quarter. The Wildcats second drive began with a 10 yard run by Marvancy Johnson. He got it on the next play as well and fought through the middle for 7. On second down Bratcher scrambled left and got sacked for a loss of 3. Johnson ran left for another 5 yards, but came up short of the first down marker. Grant Chadwick’s punt was returned to the 33-yard line. Beau Banks and Will Hyden made a tackle at the line of scrimmage on second and 10 to force third and long. The third down pass was completed and moved the ball to the 45. On first and 15, the Lions threw a screen swing left for 1 yard. Banks made the tackle. After an incomplete pass, Columbia had to punt. The punt was blocked by Hyden and then he recovered the ball at the Columbia 32. Bratcher continued to stay in rhythm and hit Malik Grizzard for a gain of 5 yards. Johnson picked 8 yards on the next two plays and a first down, placing the ball at the 19-yard line. He got the ball again going up the middle and scored a TD. Chadwick’s kick was good, giving Tullahoma a 13-6 lead with 53 seconds left in the first quarter. Columbia struck back in two plays with McCoy running for 80 yards, including his 69-yard TD. The Lions went for a 2-point try after a Wildcats offside penalty, the try was successful. Columbia took the 14-13 lead with 11 seconds left in the first. Johnson picked up 3 yards on the last play of the quarter.

The ‘Cats picked up a first down on a pass to Hill that brought the ball to the 32-yard line. Two plays later Bratcher hit Grizzard for a gain of 10 and a new set of downs. Johnson picked up 3 yards on first down and Jack Damron picked up another 3 yards to force a third and 4. The hard count from Bratcher drew an encroachment penalty that gave them a first down in Columbia territory at the 46. Damron with another 3 yard run. On third and 7 Bratcher rolled out left and threw the ball to Khani Johnson for a first down at the 23. Damron went up the middle for a 4 yard gain. Bratcher threw to Bryson Steverson for a gain of 12. On first and goal at the 7, Bratcher pitched the ball to M. Johnson going left and he broke three tackles to get into the end zone for another TD. Chadwick’s extra point was good, 20-14 Wildcats leading with 8:21 left in the half. After the Lions picked up a first down, Hyden and Robert Tatum made a tackle for a loss of 2 yards. Steverson almost intercepted the second down pass after he tipped the ball into the air at the line. The Lions QB had to scramble left away from the pressure of Hill. The next play was another incomplete pass, Sam Bobo helped knock the ball out of the receiver’s hands. The punt was shanked and kicked back to the 37-yard line to give Tullahoma a short field.  Johnson ran up the middle for a gain of 6 yards and then picked up another 2 on the following play. Bracther rolled right and hit Grizzard for a gain of 8 and a new set of downs. Johnson ran for 5 yards, four yards and then 6 yards to get the ball to the 6-yard line. He got it again going up the middle to the 2. A block in the back flag on the next play backed the Wildcats up to the 12. Bratcher found Steverson on a slant and he fought his way for the 12-yard TD to make it 26-14 with 2:23 left in the half. Chadwick made it 27-14. On the first play after the touchback, Hill got a sack for a 7 yard loss. Colby Tucker made a tackle for no gain on third and 16. Tullahoma called a timeout with 1:02 on the clock. There was a bad snap on the punt, so Tucker and Hyden were able to tackle the punter at the 7 with 56 seconds left. Mistakes on offense moved the ball back to the 23-yard line, forcing the ‘Cats to attempt a 40-yard field goal with 3 seconds left. The kick was blocked, but they still had a 27-14 lead at the break.  

The Tullahoma defense started the second half with a stop and the offense began their drive at their own 14. The drive began with two straight passes to K. Johnson, the first gained 7 and the second picked up the first down but a hold brought it back. Bratcher threw to Grizzard for a 7 yard gain and a first down. M. Johnson ran right for 10 yards. The he carried two more times for another 10 yards. He got it for the fourth straight play and picked up 11 yards, moving the Wildcats into Columbia territory at the 39. Three more runs gained a combined 4 yards. After an offsides on Columbia made it fourth and 1, the 47-yard field goal was missed. Columbia picked up 45 yards on a deep pass on their first play. Then a defensive pass interference call gave them the ball at the Tullahoma 20. The Lions converted a fourth and 10 on a QB run to the 6. Bunch made a tackle for a loss of 2 yards to end the third quarter. 

After an incomplete pass, Hyden sacked the QB at the 18 to force fourth and goal. K. Johnson broke up the pass to the end zone. M. Johnson gained 13 going right, then picked up 4 on the next play. K. Johnson got the ball to the 47 on a jet sweep. On third and 10 Bratcher rolled right and found Grizzard for a first down at the Lions 34. The Wildcats turned it over two plays later on a fumble. The defense got off the field in three plays with the interception by Bobo. Damron gained 7 yards combined on three attempts, then on fourth and 3 the ‘Cats called a fake punt. Chadwick hit Alex Bobo for a gain of 24 yards. An unsportsmanlike penalty on Columbia moved the ball to the 14. Damron ran right to the 6, then gained 1 up the middle. He got a third straight carry on third and 1 and scored the 5-yard TD. The kick was good making it 34-14 with 2:43 left. Tucker picked up a sack for a loss of 4. Columbia picked up a first down, then threw an interception to Bunch as time expired for the Tullahoma 34-14 victory.

The Wildcats will look for their third straight region win Friday against Lawrence County, the other team with a 2-1 region record.