by
Scott Shasteen
on Friday, September 7, 2007
The
Tullahoma Wildcats forced the visiting Whites Creek Cobras
into eight turnovers, including six interceptions, and
pounded their way to a 28-0 win in the respective region
opener for both teams at Wilkins Stadium Friday night.
The
win puts Tullahoma (1-0, 2-1) in position to play what
could be one of the more interesting Coffee Pot contests
in recent memory when the Wildcats travel to Coffee Co.
next
week. The Red Raiders (1-0, 2-1) surprised some with their
19-17 win over perennial Region 3-5A champion Cookeville.
Whites
Creek is still searching for answers after a dismal start
that has seen them outscored 98-7 in three losses. They
try to find them next week by traveling to Pearl-Cohn. Chris
Bishop had a hand in all four touchdowns, throwing
for two and running for two. The entire defense was tremendous,
swarming to the ball and taking advantage of every mistake
by Whites Creek quarterbacks Javier Booker and Cedric
Price-Lovings.
Whites
Creek had only 105 yards total offense and ran only 40
plays, compared to 67 by the Cats. Both Bobby
Dowdell and Bishopgained
over 100 yards on the ground.
The
parade of turnovers began on the first series of the game
as Ryan Bean stepped
in front of a Booker pass on third-and-11. The Cats couldn't
take advantage early against the huge Cobras defensive
line, but Bean's 51-yard punt pinned the visitors back
at their four yard line.
After
another exchange of punts the Wildcats begun a seven-play
drive that culminated in a pretty 17-yard touchdown pass
from Bishop to
junior Mark Brown,
who fought his way through the final five yards to end
zone. Craig Roper's
PAT put the home team on top 7-0 with 3:36 remaining in
the first half.
After
Tullahoma's stingy defense forced another Whites Creek
punt,
the Cats embarked on perhaps their most-impressive drive
of the season so far.
Beginning
at their 14 with a minute left in the first quarter, Tullahoma
moved 86 yards in 16 plays, using 5:50 off the clock,
with the touchdown coming on a three-yard run by Bishop,
who had 100 yards on 21 carries and has now accounted
for nine touchdowns on the season.
Leading
14-0 the Cats defense delivered on the next series as
Dowdell went
high into the air to pick off a Lovings pass at the Wildcat
12. Tullahoma turned the ball back over to the Cobras,
but then got it right back as Derek
Welker intercepted Lovings and raced 40 yards down
the left sideline.
Tullahoma
couldn't convert the last interception of the half into
points though, and went into the lockerroom only leading
14-0 despite dominating.
After
being stopped on its first drive of the second half, Tullahoma
captured another turnover as junior defensive end Phillip
Campbell pounced on a Ronnie Thomas fumble as the
Whites Creek 20. Again the Wildcats wasted another scoring
chance by turning the ball right back over to the visitors.
Another
punt exchange was followed by a Tryston
Horton interception of Lovings at the Cobras 39. The
Cats needed only four plays before Bishop rambled in from
the 12, carrying a number of white jerseyed visitors on
his back the final five yards. Roper's
PAT gave Tullahoma a 21-0 lead with 1:35 left in the third
quarter.
After
Whites Creek drove to midfield, Tullahoma once again forced
an errant Lovings pass and Matt
Hagan picked it off at the Wildcat 28. Tullahoma marched
72 yards in 10 plays, using five minutes off the fourth
quarter clock and scoring on a pretty eight-yard pass
from Bishop
to Welker.
The Wildcat lead was 28-0 with seven minutes left, but
the turnover feast was not yet complete. J.D.
Crabtree, playing his first game after breaking his
collarbone in the spring, picked off Lovings at the Tullahoma
35 and returned it all the
way to the Cobras 28. The Wildcats then inserted the second-team
offense into the contest, and the scoring was complete.
The
Wildcats gain their first-ever win over the Cobras, who
are extremely young and obviously made way too many mistakes
to have a chance to win. Meanwhile Tullahoma cannot afford
to linger on the win, as Coffee Co.'s explosive offense
and improving defense will present a significant challenge
next week at Carden-Jarrell Field in Manchester.
