The Tullahoma Wildcats proved they can play with the best Class 5A team in the state of Tennessee at Columbia Friday night, but made critical mistakes at the most-inopportune times in a 13-10 loss to the defending state champions on a hot, humid night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

Tullahoma (1-2, 0-1) fumbled twice in the red zone in the second half, then watched Columbia (3-0, 2-0), ranked No. 1 in Class 5A by every poll in the state, consume the final four minutes with machine-like execution to do what champions do - find a way to win.

“It’s a tough loss and we’re all disappointed,” said Wildcat head coach John Olive on the field following the third Thursday night TV game in as many years for his team. “I hope our guys realize they can play with the best team in our district. I’m so proud of the effort we gave tonight, and it’s unfortunate that we couldn’t find a way to win.”

Unfortunate indeed as the Wildcat defense played its best game in two years against an offense that had averaged 450 yards and 47 points a game. During the first 18 minutes of the second half Columbia had a total of 14 yards while the Wildcats gained 180, but despite entering the red zone three times the ‘Cats could only score three points; not enough to overcome a 13-7 Lion lead at halftime.

Tullahoma must recover quickly, with a trip to Manchester’s Carden-Jerrell Field scheduled Friday night for the annual Coffee Pot showdown with Coffee County, which had an open date this weekend. Olive knows what that means for his disappointed squad.

“We’re going to take the field next week against a team that doesn’t like us a bit,” added the coach. “I’m expecting our guys to get over this tough loss and do what they are supposed to do this weekend, then hit the practice field Monday and start working to get better. We can all get better.”

Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm in Manchester, with pregame beginning at 6 with Scott, Binns, Mike, and Derek on Fantasy 101.5, FantasyRadio.com, and Charter channel six in Tullahoma and Manchester.

Columbia, playing its first home game since beating Hendersonville 28-7 in Cookeville last December, won the opening toss and deferred its decision,  giving Tullahoma the ball first. A mid-state television audience, remembering last season’s thrilling overtime slugfest at Wilkins Stadium, anxiously waited for the rematch to begin between two teams ranked among the top ten in the state in their classification.

The Wildcats didn’t disappoint on their first possession. Senior QB Jared Davis, who threw for 142 yards on 14-23 passing and ran for 105 more on 17 carries, hit senior receiver Shaquille Harris on a 21-yard strike on the first play, then junior tailback Trey Burks for nine yards on the second. It was the only time Harris would touch the ball all night, while Burks finished with 63 yards rushing and 19 yards receiving on 10 touches.

After 19 and 17-yard runs by Davis the drive fizzled and ended, with Joseph Burke missing a 41-yard field goal attempt. Columbia took over at its 20 yards line and made a strong opening statement by marching 70 yards in seven plays. The ‘Cats defense, as it did the entire game, stiffened and  stopped the drive, forcing outstanding Lions kicker Chris Harris to kick a 27-yard field goal  to give the home team a 3-0 lead with 7:04 remaining in the first quarter.

Despite an entertaining 32-yard kickoff return by THS senior Montrell Berry, the Wildcat offense couldn’t pick up a first down and punted, with Burke averaging 34 yards on three kicks. Columbia again moved down the field, jump started by a perfect 43-yard strike from junior QB Matthew Markham to senior WR Eric Belew.

Markham finished the night completing 11-21 passes for 224 yards and rushing 15 times for 10 net yards. Belew, who has committed to play at the University of Memphis, had two catches for 65 yards.

But on third-and-goal at the Tullahoma five yard line, senior Allen Starks stormed into the backfield and sacked Markham for a 12-yard loss, forcing Columbia’s Harris to try another field goal. Tullahoma’s Harris blocked the kick on the first play of the second quarter though, keeping the Columbia lead at only 3-0.

Burks exploded through the defense on the Wildcats’ first play for 48 yards, setting his team up with a first down at the Lions’ 22-yard line. Three plays later the second scoring opportunity of the first half ended as Burks caught a short Davis pass but was stopped four yards short of a first down.

After the Tullahoma defense forced a three-and-out, the offense finally took advantage of the opportunity and put points on the scoreboard. Davis raced for 32 yards on first down, and then Berry finished off the drive with a nine-yard touchdown run. After Burke’s PAT, the Wildcats led 7-3 with 9:31 to play in the first half, and everybody in the stadium and watching at home realized this was not going to be another Columbia romp, which had happened in the Lions’ first two games this season.

However, the Lions did show their championship-level determination, immediately responding with a touchdown drive. A controversial pass interference penalty helped a lot, coming late on a third-and-ten pass into the end zone from the Tullahoma 27. The Lions took advantage of the call, with junior tailback Chris Martin racing in for the score on the next play. With 7:07 showing on the clock the Lions regained the lead for the last time at 10-7. Martin was held to 44 yards rushing on 17 attempts.

The Tullahoma offense sputtered on its next possession, and the Lions took advantage by driving into Harris’ field goal range. The senior kept his night perfect by nailing a 37-yard field, extending the Lions’ lead to 13-7 with 2:31 left in the half, which ended as neither team got close to scoring in the final 150 seconds.

Tullahoma forced a quick Columbia punt as the third quarter opened, then marched straight down the field with a first down at the Lions’ 15. The first of two red zone turnovers happened with six minutes left in the quarter as Berry and Burks, crisscrossing in front of Davis, collided; and the ball popped into the air and onto the turf and was recover by Columbia’s Ryan Nutt.

Still, the Wildcat defense continued its second-half domination. Starks, Harris, Joseph London, Will Sharpton, Dalton Cox, Austin Creasman, Ryan Lawson, Jacob Pearson, Luke Fredrick, and others made play after play; shutting down the high-powered offense of Columbia. The Wildcat defensive performance was even more impressive considering that senior linebacker Cody Farr, a three-year starter, was unavailable due to an injury.

Taking over at its 36-yard line, the ‘Cats put together another impressive drive by marching to the Columbia 10 as the fourth quarter began. But on fourth-and-one at the one, the Wildcats drew a delay penalty and settled for a 23-yard Burke field goal, pulling to within 13-10 with 9:40 remaining.

Starks again sparked a quick three-and-out defensively, sacking Markham for a 12-yard loss on third-and-16 at the Columbia 32. Tullahoma’s offense began with great field position at the Lions’ 44-yard line with 7:37 remaining and a bunch of momentum. Despite its mistakes, the visitors were still in position to pull the upset.

Following a holding penalty, Davis connected with Berry for 11 yards. Berry had only seven touches during the game for 62 yards. Davis then found Creasman, who had four catches for 42 yards, for a 13-yard strike and a first down at the Columbia 28.

On third-and-21 following another holding penalty, Davis found senior Ryan Lawson nestled inside the Columbia secondary for a 25-yard gain. With 3:50 to play and Tullahoma possessing the football with a first down at the home team’s 14-yard line, the visiting stands buzzed with the possibility of an upset for the second year in a row.

But hopes were instantly dashed when Berry, racing down the far sideline headed for the end zone, lost the football. The ball crossed the goal line and went out of bounds, forcing a touchback and giving Columbia the ball at its 20.

Despite all the misfortune suffered by the ‘Cats in the second half, there was still a chance to win it with two timeouts and 3:40 remaining in the game. However, for the only time in the second half the Columbia offense clicked efficiently, with Markham connecting with Dre Hall for 35 yards, then again for 14 yards, and finally for 12 yards on fourth-and-11 with 75 seconds left to send the Lions’ offense into the victory formation.

While Columbia celebrated its hard-fought win, the Wildcats listened attentively as Olive reminded them there is a lot of football yet to be played this season. If Tullahoma plays its remaining games with the same intensity it displayed in Columbia, there is every reason to believe the two teams could meet again in the TSSAA playoffs in November.