Tuesday - February 09, 2010
 
 This is day 39 of 2009 and week 06 .
Stars Wax Wildcats Under Thursday Night Lights
by Shasteen on Friday, October 23, 2009
Siegel's stifling defense held Tullahoma's offense below 100 yards as the Stars beat the Wildcats 21-16 Thursday night before a live television audience at Wilkins Stadium.

Tullahoma (3-1, 4-5) must beat Lawrence Co. (3-1, 6-2) in Week 10 to advance to the TSSAA state playoffs. The teams have played in Week 10 the last two seasons for a playoff berth and they will do it in Lawrenceburg yet again, with the victorious team claiming second place in District 8-AAA to earn an automatic berth.

The contest Oct. 30 will be broadcast live on Fantasy 101.5 FM, FantasyRadio.com, and Tullahoma Charter channel 6. Pregame begins at 6:30pm with kickoff scheduled for 7pm.
Cats Scratch Past Golden Eagles
by Shasteen on Friday, October 16, 2009
Junior Derek Bowles came off the bench to throw two third-quarter touchdown passes and lead the Tullahoma Wildcats to a 20-7 win over Shelbyville Golden Eagles Friday night at Wilkins Stadium.

The win puts Tullahoma (3-1, 4-4) in position to play for an automatic playoff berth Week 10 in Lawrenceburg against Lawrence Co. (3-1, 6-2). It will be the third consecutive year the two teams have closed out the regular season playing for the playoffs.

After starting QB Jared Davis went down with an injury halfway through the first quarter, Bowles entered and played a near-flawless game the final 42 minutes. The junior was still wearing a cast on his broken left arm.

Bowles finished the night 8-13 for 114 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran 21 times 63 yards. Senior Zach Bryson had his third outstanding contest, rushing 23 times for 145 yards and a touchdown.
THS Keeps the Coffee Pot
by bash on Saturday, September 12, 2009

MORE PHOTOS & STORY TO COME!
Cookeville Converts Wildcat Turnovers Into Win
by Shasteen on Saturday, August 29, 2009
The Cookeville Cavaliers took advantage of two critical mistakes, turning them into the touchdowns that proved to be the difference as the home team beat the Tullahoma Wildcats 21-7 on Friday.

Tullahoma (0-2) will travel to Columbia next Friday to open District 8-AAA action. The Lions beat Lawrence Co. 21-13 last week to take the early lead. Columbia (2-0) went to Dickson Co. Friday night and won 22-19.

The THS defense rebounded from last week's subpar performance with an inspired effort that is to be highly commended. Linebackers Cody Farr and Dillon Crouch led a defense that held Cookeville to 125 yards rushing and 266 total yards.

The offense meanwhile got somewhat on track, although there were still too many illegal procedure calls and three turnovers. But there were solid drives and one spectacular play when QB Derek Bowles hit Zach Bryson with a swing pass and Zach outran the entire Lions defense, sprinting 82 yards for a touchdown that tied the game at 7-7 with9:07 to go in the first half.
Photos On The Way
by bash on Monday, August 24, 2009
Sorry for the delay in getting everything on the site. Whether you are moving across town or across the state, it's still a hassle. Now that we have most everything moved, we are starting to settle in a little bit. Hopefully by the end of the week, we will have everything moved.
We finally have our DSL moved to our new house, so we are able to connect and start updating the Wildcat Web. We are planning on having the game photos and player bios online tonight and/or Tuesday night. Then at Friday night's game, we are getting all of the cheerleaders together for their section.
Thanks for you patience and understanding. In the mean time, you can view Mike's photos at tullahomasports.com by clicking here.
One Game Does Not a Season Make
by Shasteen on Saturday, August 22, 2009
The Tullahoma Wildcats opened the 2009 football season with a humbling 52-0 loss to Blackman on Friday, Aug. 21 at the Inferno on the Blackman campus in Murfreesboro.

The loss was the worst in the John Olive era, which is beginning its 17th season at THS. The Wildcats will travel to Cookeville on Friday, Aug. 28. Pregame begins at 6pm on Fantasy 101.5 FM and FantasyRadio.com. Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm.

The one bright spot for the Tullahoma faithful is that the game was not the opener in the new Wilkins Stadium. Although the contest was originally scheduled to be played at home, it was moved when it became evident Tullahoma's new football stadium would not be completed in time.

That move turned out to be a blessing for THS, because although the beating was complete at least it did not take place at home in a brand-new stadium.
Derek Bowles Named QB Starter For 'Cats
by Shasteen on Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Tullahoma head football coach John Olive announced that junior Derek Bowles has been named starting quarterback for the 2009 season opener against Blackman on Friday, Aug. 21 in Murfreesboro.

Olive made the announcement Monday night on High School Sports Plus, the talk show program hosted by C. Scott Shasteen and Binns Jordan that airs every Monday at 6pm on Fantasy 101.5 FM and FantasyRadio.com.

"Derek showed a good command of the offense in the final scrimmage against Oakland," said Olive. "He led us on our only touchdown drive and showed good toughness the entire game."

Bowles beat out senior Jacob Honea for the starting QB spot. Olive also announced that Honea, who is a very talented all-around athlete, will move into a starting position at wide receiver.

"We've had some receiver issues this fall and starting Derek at quarterback and moving Jacob to receiver just seems to be the best fit for our football team right now," added Olive, set to begin his 17th season with the Wildcats.

The opener against Blackman can be heard on FantasyRadio.com, with pregame scheduled for 6pm and kickoff at 7pm.
Wildcats Now Place Focus on Blaze
by Shasteen on Saturday, August 15, 2009
The preseason has ended and the buildup has begun. The Tullahoma Wildcats are ready to put a sub-par fall practice behind them and begin preparation for their season opener.

Tullahoma will travel to Murfreesboro to face Blackman on Friday, Aug. 21 at 7pm. The Internet broadcast of the game can be heard at FantasyRadio.com, with pregame scheduled to begin around 6pm.

The game was originally scheduled as a home game for Tullahoma, but construction on the new Wilkins Stadium has been plagued by work stoppages and wet weather, with the decision to move the game to Murfreesboro coming a couple of weeks ago.

During the preseason Tullahoma has scrimmaged Riverdale, Giles Co., and Oakland; three very talented teams with a collection of exceptional athletes. It is fair to say the first team for Tullahoma has looked solid, but depth appears to be an early issue that the Wildcats must overcome.

The trip to Blackman is the first of four consecutive road games that will begin this 2009 season, the first in the new District 8-AAA, which also includes Columbia, Shelbyville, Lincoln Co., Franklin Co., and Lawrence Co.

Trips to Cookeville and Columbia follow, with the fourth road contest being the Coffee Pot game with Coffee Co. in Manchester on Sept. 11. Tullahoma finally debuts its brand-new stadium on Sept. 18 with old rival Lincoln Co. visiting for a critical early district contest.

The experience for this year's team is focused in the offensive line and at running back. Senior Justin Miller and juniors Brandon Miller and Jacob Hill all started all or most games last season, while junior Joe Dausha also saw extensive playing time. Center Will Taylor rounds out the five up front.

Zach Bryson returns at running back after gaining over 1,000 yards last season. Bryson is one of the quickest and toughest running backs to grace the Tullahoma lineup in a long time. The line and Bryson should be counted on to carry this young Wildcats offense.

The starting quarterback has not been announced, with senior Jacob Honea and junior Derek Bowles having competed for the job during the preseason. Neither has played significant minutes in a competitive varsity atmosphere, although both saw snaps from center last season during garbage time.

Wide receiver is another area where a number of players must step up and replace graduated seniors who dominated playing time last season. Shane Hagen and Chad Bond, both juniors who saw playing time last year, step into starting roles along with senior returnee Josh Fuhrman.

The big questions for Tullahoma this season come not on the offensive side of the ball but on defense and in the special teams. We've made the decision not to even mention all the players who are competing for playing time in those two critical departments.

What we know is that Fuhrman returns at safety and big Justin Waggoner is back for his third season starting at defensive tackle. Other than that, the doore is wide open for playmakers and game-changers to step up and earn playing time on Friday nights.

The kicking game has been shaky at best, with punting a significant weakness during the preseason. Considering how many contests tend to come down to just a few points on either side, the Wildcats special teams will need to get better quickly in order to be a positive influence on game outcomes.

It is critical for Tullahoma Wildcat fans to plan on traveling to those first four road games in support of their team. As we have seen so many times in years past, a large, vocal crowd on the road can sometimes be the difference between a win and a loss.
Questions, Timelines Loom as Preseason Begins
by Shasteen on Wednesday, July 22, 2009
The opening of the 2009 High School Football Season is now less than one month away, and as the Tullahoma Wildcats begin preparation for their Aug. 21 battle with Blackman there are a number of questions that will be answered over the next four weeks, including whether the game can be played at the new Wilkins Stadium.
But the answer to that question, and the timeline that will need to fall into place for the answer to be yes, has nothing to do with the players on the field. The young men who will represent the Wildcats during the 2009 season, however, will have a lot of say on answering some different questions.
Gearing up for 2009 Season
by bash on Saturday, July 18, 2009
The time is drawing near for the 2009 Tullahoma High School Wildcat Season to begin. As the Wildcats will start off the 2009 season in a new stadium, the Wildcat Web will start of with a new design. We are putting the final touches on the new look of the Wildcat Web
As we begin our 14th season of covering the Tullahoma Wildcats, we are adding some features that we are really excited about. These new features will give you even more insite to the THS Football Program.
Wildcats End Spring With Red and White Game
by Shasteen on Saturday, May 23, 2009
Rising senior running back Zach Bryson was the rushing star in a game that showcased a big-play offense as the White team beat the Red team 22-7 in the annual intra-squad scrimmage to end the 2009 spring practice for the Tullahoma Wildcats.
The game Friday night was played at Wagonner Park due to the current construction of the new Wilkins Stadium. A good crowd turned out to watch this Wildcat team that will open its season Aug. 21 in its new stadium against Blackman.
THS Set to Host 2009 Season Opener
by Shasteen on Monday, November 17, 2008
The Tullahoma football administration has completed assembling its 2009 and 2010 football schedules, and fans who assumed that the recent TSSAA realignment would give the Cats a less-challenging 10-game slate will be sorely disappointed.

In fact, the 2009 schedule could be the most-difficult slate in recent history, beginning with the home opener on Week 0, Aug. 21, when Blackman helps the Tullahoma community open its brand new football stadium. Although the schedule is not as top-heavy as it has been, with powerhouses Maplewood and Hillsboro gone, the overall strength of the new schedule is impressive.

The new District 8-AAA alignment means Tullahoma will have the same district opponents in football as it has in basketball, baseball, softball, and volleyball. The big change for the next four years is that Coffee Co. will no longer be a district opponent.