The Tullahoma Wildcats topped Shelbyville in the Battle of 41-a Thursday night at Wilkins Stadium which not only kicked off the 2022 season but marked the debuts of Tullahoma’s Coy Sisk and Shelbyville’s Judd Dryden as the head coaches of their respective programs.
Tullahoma got on the board late in the first with a 30-yard field goal to make it 3-0 Cats with 3:19 left in the opening quarter. Tullahoma tacked on another Chadwick kick with 9:27 left in the 2nd, this time from 43 yards out to make it 6-0 Tullahoma. Then right before the halftime break Nathan Delaughter scored the Cats only Touchdown of the night on a 10-yard scamper with 27 seconds left in the 2nd quarter. A successful Chadwhick PAT made it 13-0 Tullahoma at the break.
Shelbyville took the ball first in the third quarter and capped off their opening drive with a two-yard Rocky Chandler TD to trim the Tullahoma lead to 6 at 13-7 with 4:58 left in the frame.
Tullahoma pushed the lead back to two scores with Chadwick’s third field goal of the night, a 40 yarder to make it 16-7 Cats with 9:36 left to play.
Over those final nine minutes both teams had promising drives but neither could add points to the board and the Tullahoma defense held on 4 and 7 just shy of mid field with 90 seconds left in the game and then kneeled out the clock to hang on for the 16-7 win the first as a head coach for Coy Sisk.
The 1-0 Wildcats host Coffee County in the 97th edition of the Coffee Pot which has once again been selected to be a part of the Great American Rivalry Series next Friday August 26th at 7 pm. Coverage on 93.9 The Duck built by Twin Cedars Construction starts at 6:30.
Meanwhile the Golden Eagles, who fell to 0-1 on the young season host Marshall County in the home opener next Friday at 7:00. Golden Eagle County 105.1 and 95.9 will have all the action, built by Cooper Steel, starting with the Doak Howell Funeral Home pregame show at 6:30.
