The Tullahoma Wildcats shut out Coffee County 16-0 to claim the Coffee Pot Friday night at Carden Jarrell Field in Manchester.
The heat wave sweeping across the south forced a delay of the kickoff for an hour to 8:00 pm.
It was a complete team effort at the Wildcats made big plays in all three phases of the game to secure the victory in the 98th edition of the rivalry.
Coffee County won the toss and chose to receive the opening kick. However it was the defense that took center stage early as each team punted on their first two possessions.
Special teams got the Cats on the board late in the first as Khani Johnson set Tullahoma on their own 45 with a strong punt return. The Wildcats drive stalled on third and one but Grant Chadwick drilled a 53 yard field goal to put Tullhoma on the board with 1:20 to play in the opening period.
After getting another stop on defense Chadwhick extended the Cats lead to 6-0 with 9:19 to play as he nailed his second field goal of the night this time from 47 yards out.
The defenese and special teams combined to put the Tullahoma offense on the doorstep of the endzone on the next possession. Pinned deep in their own territory after another touchback from Chadwhick the Wildcat defense dropped Coffee County’s Cole Pittenger for a loss inside the 15 and then Johnson returned the ensuing punt inside the Red Raider 10 yard line. That set up the game’s lone touchdown as Mason Bratcher hit Ethan Hargrove on a fade in the right corner of the endzone. The PAT from Chadwhick made it 13-0 with 6:10 left in the second. That lead held until the half.
Chadwick capped the scoring with a 42 yard field goal with 7:29 left in the third to push the Tullahoma lead to 16-0. The Red Raiders threatened several times over the final quater and a half but the Cats defense managed timely stops along with a couple key turnovers to secure the shutout and victory.
The win improves Tullahoma to 1-1 on the young season. The Wildcats travel to Rockvale next Friday night at 7:00. Pregame coverage begins at 6:30 on 93.9 The Duck.
Coffee County fell to 1-1. They visits Shelbyville next Friday. Pregame 6:30 Kickoff 7:00 on The Rooster 101.5 and WHMT 105.1 and 95.9.
Photo courtesy Zach Birdsong Tullahoma City Schools
