GRAY DEYOSports Writer

The Tullahoma Wildcats, this Friday, take on a 5-1 Lincoln County team. Here is a preview of the matchup.

The opposing Falcons are coming off their first loss of the 2025 season, losing 28-20 to Giles County High School. This came as an unforeseen upset as Giles was going into the game, struggling with a record of 1-3. Coming off a loss like this, Lincoln will come in ready to prove that what happened Friday night was a fluke against Tullahoma.

Keys for Tullahoma

The Tullahoma Wildcats, unlike Lincoln, will be coming off a high. They just snapped a two-game losing streak against a one-loss Lawrence County team at Lawrence’s home field. They will have to carry that momentum and be ready to discourage Lincoln by asserting themselves early. That being said, one of the major keys will be to get off to a quick start. If the Wildcats are able to shut down the Lincoln offense early and score a couple of touchdowns, that frustration from the loss to Giles can roll over and make it hard for their players to continue to compete.

The second key for the Wildcats will be to cut down on penalties. Tullahoma last week had an egregious number of penalties in the first half that had a major impact on the game. They had two scores negated in the half. The penalties also helped give Lawrence good field position in the first two quarters. A team of Lincoln’s caliber, if given these same opportunities, could put Tullahoma’s lights of winning two straight games out early.

The last key for Tullahoma is to just play Wildcat football. Don’t overthink it, play free, play hard, and have fun.

 In that second half against Lawrence, the level that Tullahoma had played at all year before their two losses was present. The guys in black, red, and white were communicating at an elite level and were executing on everything they set out to do. If they play that second half of football over the course of a full game against Lincoln, there is no reason that the Wildcats cannot go into their bye week with a 5-2 record.

Lincoln County notable players

On the offensive end, the Falcons’ main player that the Wildcats need to contain is their junior running back Carsen Carter. The junior, through the team’s six games, has the most rushing yards on the team with 504 yards on 75 carries. He also has the most touchdowns on the team with nine.

Lincoln’s number one option in the pass game is senior Trashawn James. He has 26 receptions and 444 receiving yards on the year. Tullahoma corners will have to lock him down because he is capable of making a house call on a moment’s notice.