SPORTS

H.S. FOOTBALL: Haywood schedules Week 8 game at Oakland

Brandon Shields
bjshields@jacksonsun.com

After Houston pulled out of a game with Haywood High’s football team over the summer, the Tomcats lost their Week 1 game and were looking at playing a nine-game season.

That won’t be the case now as the Tomcats set up a game with Oakland in Murfreesboro for Week 8, according to a report by the Daily News Journal newspaper in Murfreesboro.

Oakland had a late cancellation by Pulaski Academy from Arkansas, according to the DNJ, which gave them openings in Weeks 4 and 8.

Haywood had open weeks in the opening weekend of the season and Week 8.

The teams settled on Week 8. Both teams enter the season with new head coaches as Steve Hookfin moved to Haywood from Liberty. Kevin Creasy takes over at Oakland after coaching at Trousdale County. Creasy confirmed the matchup to the DNJ.

The chain of events ensures the Tomcats won’t have a bye week once they start playing games on Aug. 28 with a home game against long-time rival Jackson Central-Merry.

This is the second straight year Haywood has had to make late moves to fill its season. Fayette-Ware pulled out in the spring of 2014, and then-head coach Ernie Jackson filled the void with a trip to Muscle Shoals, Ala.

Hookfin was not immediately available for comment.