GRAY DEYOSports Writer

In a crazy sequence of events, the Tullahoma High School football team dropped to 4-4 on the season, with a loss to Rockvale High School last Friday, losing 39-38.

Tullahoma senior Will Hyden trotted across the endzone with just 39 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter against the Rockvale Rockets. Senior quarterback, Lucas Reed, after a called back near 70-yard TD strike to senior running back Marvancy Johnson Jr., delivered another beautiful ball to Hyden for a TD, that went for 51 yards. The score gave the Wildcats a 31-28 lead.

 The Tullahoma faithful who made the drive to RHS had the energy of a packed Wilkins Stadium in that moment. Hyden sprinted to the sidelines to be met by all of his teammates jumping up and down, celebrating the score that gave Tullahoma the lead. This score snapped a 21-0 scoring run for the Rockets, with the Wildcats surrendering a once 24-7 advantage with just over 10 minutes remaining in the third quarter. The Wildcats just needed to hold Rockvale for 30 seconds to claim their fifth win of the season, and that task proved to be more difficult than expected.

Rockvale quarterback Jonathon Hamby, on the Rockets’ ensuing possession following Hyden’s score, connected on an over 40-yard pass to their big tight end that marked the ball at Tullahoma’s 26-yard line with 15 seconds remaining. A couple of unsuccessful plays, including a play for a negative loss, followed, which only left a few seconds on the clock for Rockvale.

The Rockets earlier in the game tried a 38-yard field goal attempt and missed it. With a few seconds left, Hamby connected with one of his WRs on a sideline shot, and as he trotted out of bounds, 0:01 shined on the clock. The ball was marked at the Wildcats 21 21-yard line, as the Rockets’ kicker then trotted out onto the field to attempt an identical 38-yard field goal to send the game into overtime.

The intensity was well built up with the Rockvale kicker starting to go through his cadence. He lined up, declared himself ready, and the snap shot out. The ball was low as the Rockets’ holder had to scoop the ball off the gridiron, as a pile of Wildcats were about to break through the line of Rockets, but despite the pressure and the not clean transition between the snapper and holder, the Rockets kicker got a kick off. His strike came out low and was leaking wide right, but the ball was able to scrape over the very right side of the inside of the goal post, tying the game at 31-31.

In overtime, the Wildcats were able to score on their first possession off a three-yard touchdown run from Johnson Jr., who had another big day for Tullahoma. Rockvale, on their possession, trailing 39-31, scored on their first play of their first overtime drive, bringing the score to 38-37. Instead of going for an extra point to tie the game, they left their offense on the field. They called a timeout to further talk over their decision, and after further deliberation, they trotted out their offensive unit once again. It was now a win or lose play for both teams, and in the early goings of the play it looked as Tullahoma had the advantage. When the ball was snapped, the Wildcats had the play covered in every way.

Rockvale’s quarterback rolled right, had no one open, a Tullahoma defender was in his face, and in a last ditch effort he floated a pass into a crowded corner of players by the right pylon of the endzone. One Tullahoma defender had a beat on the football and deflected the pass, but the ball continued to travel further into the endzone, now wobbling. Sitting in a crowd of players positioned perfectly for the deflected pass was Rockvale’s tight end tucked in a little past the right pylon in the middle of the endzone. He caught the pass and gave the Rockets a 39-38 walk-off win in overtime.

The Wildcats will look to recoup and shake off the heartbreaking loss in their homecoming game, this Friday against the Franklin County Rebels, who are currently 1-7 on the season.