by Scott Shasteen on Friday, October 5, 2007
   The Tullahoma Wildcats used an old-fashioned, ground-oriented attack and once again came from behind to beat the Shelbyville Golden Eagles 20-14 Friday night in a crucial Region 5-4A contest at Shelbyville Central High School.
   Tullahoma (2-0, 4-2) is now tied for the lead at the top of the region standings with Hillsboro, which was idle on Friday. The Wildcats and Burros meet on Oct. 26 in a contest that could decide the top seed in the region. However, the Cats next order of business is a home date with Stratford this Friday at Wilkins Stadium. The Spartans captured their first win of the season by beating Whites Creek 34-12.
   Shelbyville (2-1, 2-5) is still in position to challenge for a playoff berth. The Golden Eagles have an open date this week before traveling to Stratford on Oct. 19.
   The win by the Wildcats wasn’t particularly a thing of beauty if its offensive fireworks that excite you. However, if it’s offensive line work, bruising rushing attacks, and bend-but-don’t-break defenses that you enjoy then you were served a full helping of each Friday night in Bedford County.
   Tullahoma amassed only 25 yards passing for the game, the lowest total for the Wildcats for any single game in a number of years. However, the Cats only attempted seven passes and connected on five of those. The game plan was to run the ball, and run the ball is what the offense did, gaining 241 yards on the ground on 43 carries.
   Bobby Dowdell was explosive and punishing the entire night on his way to a 16-carry, 129-yard performance. Quarterback Chris Bishop gained 98 yards on 19 carries and scored all three touchdowns, while Ryan Bean picked up the slack in the fourth quarter with six carries for 26 yards. Derek Lawson caught a pass and ran the ball one time each and gained 10 yards each time.
   Shelbyville meanwhile showed the Tullahoma defense an option offense that the Golden Eagles had not run all year. It was extremely effective early, as the home team had 135 yards rushing at halftime. However, after the break the Wildcat defense made the right adjustments and held the Shelbyville offense to only 45 yards on the ground for a total of 180 yards rushing.
   The Golden Eagles sprung that new option offense on the Cats from the beginning, and it paid instant dividends as the home team took the opening kickoff and marched 72 yards in nine plays, scoring on a 17-yard pass from quarterback Julian Haile to wide receiver Emmanuel Andrews. With 7:57 left in the first quarter the home team was on top 7-0.
   A surprise onside kick followed the opening touchdown and the Golden Eagles pounced on the football. Once again they began driving. Following a first down run of 15 yards by Julius Smythe, Tullahoma head coach John Olive called a timeout and strongly encouraged his squad to get their heads into the game.
   That timeout tongue lashing seemed to turn the momentum somewhat as the Wildcat defense did indeed step up and force a 33-yard field goal attempt which was no good.
   The pep talk may have inspired the Tullahoma offense as well. The Cats drove 80 yards on 10 plays, with the touchdown coming on a three yard run by Bishop with 4:06 left in the first quarter. Corbin Hedges, subbing once again for the injured Craig Roper, successfully booted the PAT to tie the score at seven with 45 seconds left in the first quarter.
   Shelbyville was inspired though, and they showed it by driving right back down the field, going 61 yards in seven plays and scoring on a two-yard plunge by fullback Will Trice. The successful PAT would be the last points the Golden Eagles would score, but at the time it gave the home team a 14-7 lead with 9:33 remaining in the first half.
   After an exchange of punts the Wildcats took over at their 46 yard line. Dowdell opened the drive with a punishing 24-yard gallop that saw him run around, over, and through multiple Shelbyville defenders. Bishop completed the drive with a four-yard score, and after Hedges PAT the game was tied 14-14. The Golden Eagles drove to the Tullahoma 38, but were stopped on fourth down as time expired in the first half.
   Both teams exchanged punts in the third quarter. On Tullahoma’s second possession a fourth-down punt attempt went bad as the center snap sailed over Trevor Schmidt’s head for a 22-yard loss, giving the home team excellent field position and a chance to tie the game or take the lead.
   Perhaps the turning point of the game came on Shelbyville’s next series though. On second-and-six at the Tullahoma 28, with the Golden Eagles seemingly driving for the go-ahead touchdown, Cats safety Matt Hagen forced Haile to fumble the ball and Josh Davis recovered, giving the Cats a first down at the Eagles’ 18 as the third quarter ended.
   Tullahoma’s ensuing drive was a thing of beauty. First Dowdell plowed his way for 15 yards. Then Bishop and Bean took turns punishing the Golden Eagle defense straight up the middle. The offensive line of Marshall Cooper, Taylor Roper, Hampton Quick, Christian Rutan-Woods, and Tristan Soiles was dominating the entire night, but they especially took charge in the fourth quarter.
   Just when Shelbyville began committing fully to the middle of the field, the Cats crossed them up by running wingback Lawson for 10 yards on a mini-reverse. That opened the middle back up, and Bishop took advantage by scampering 15 yards for the winning touchdown with 7:11 remaining in the contest.
   Shelbyville made it interesting by mounting a 14-play drive from its own five yard line. However, the drive ended with a big Tullahoma stop on fourth-and-six at the Shelbyville 45 yard line.
   The Wildcat offense, plagued by a pair of untimely penalties, was unable to run out the clock and handed the ball back to the home team at the Shelbyville 47 yard line with 25 second remaining.
   However, on first down Haile was picked off by Bean, who almost returned the interception for a touchdown, and the matter was finally settled. The Wildcats had pulled out a typical hard-fought, highly-contested contest against one of their most-heated rivals.