ScottShasteen

The Top Prospects List includes players submitted by their head coaches. All players submitted are listed regardless of what class they are in.

The Tullahoma Wildcats will open spring football practice on Wednesday, May 2 and conclude with the annual 'Red & White' Game on Friday, May 18 at Wilkins Stadium. If weather or another school athletic event interferes with Friday then the game will be held Monday, May 21.

The Tullahoma Wildcats will open spring football practice on Wednesday, May 2 and conclude with the annual 'Red & White' Game on Friday, May 18 at Wilkins Stadium. If weather or another school athletic event interferes with Friday then the game will be held Monday, May 21. Tullahoma has won 17 games the past two years, winning District 8-AAA two years ago and finishing second last season. However, there are very few starters remaining that were on the 2010 team that advanced to the Class 5A quarterfinals. On the other hand, the Wildcats freshman team was very successful last season. There are three returning offensive line starters and an outstanding tailback comes back. On defense there are a half-dozen returnees who played significant minutes, primarily on the defensive line. THS has had a tremendous run of talent the last couple of years, adding a district basketball championship and run to the substate, two baseball trips to the substate, region champion track and field teams, state tournament wrestlers, and more to the football success. It will be interesting to see if Tullahoma can sustain that success during the 2012-13 athletic season.

I have no comment on any of the football teams, but I am enjoying the excellent banter between you two. Now this is what makes message boards fun!

I agree. Harrison seems very excited to be back home and this could be the beginning of a good, long run at Kingston if he can excite the community.

I'll be the first here to offer legitimate alternatives. One would be to turn down the TV and turn on the live audio feed on the internet. I think Dick Palmer, Chris Harris, Dan Hughes, Roger Ealy, Duane Hickey and the rest do a good job. They know which team is playing and they don't try to be something they're not, they paint the picture. The biggest problem with the TV guys is they don't know much about high school football as far as what has transpired all season, history, top players, etc. They do it once a year and that's it. The only reason they are there is because of their name, but does anybody watch the game because of the broadcasters??? I think not. Another alternative the TSSAA could do is to allow the top high school broadcasters from across the state to do the games. Guys who do games every week at the high school level. Guys who have experience at the high school level. Have nominations from fans and let them vote in the top four crews and give them two games each. Do something different.

The consistency that John Olive's Tullahoma football teams have displayed during his 19 years at the helm is amazing, with 16 of those seasons ending in a trip to the playoffs. Ask a fan of any school in southern middle Tennessee if they would take that and you know what the answer will be - a resounding yes. Despite playing in different regions and districts and classifications, from linking up against David Lipscomb, Goodpasture, and Smyrna every week to Maplewood and Overton and Hillsboro, to Columbia, John Olive's team have always been in the hunt. 10 of the 11 teams the Wildcats faced this year were from schools that had significantly larger populations than Tullahoma High School has. I don't mean just a few more, I'm talking hundreds more. Tullahoma is headed towards a Class 4A population soon, although I expect the 'Cats to play up to 5A anyway. During the six years that Region 5-4A was comprised of metro schools, by far the dominant team was Hillsboro. The Burros lost only one region game during that span - to Tullahoma, and it came the year after Hillsboro won the state title. The Wildcats also beat Columbia last year on its way to the state title. John Olive has no choice in what region or district the Wildcats play in, and he has no choice in scheduling Coffee County and Warren County. You should not take for granted the fact that Tullahoma is almost always smaller than its opponent, and often not as fast as its opponent, yet it is usually in better shape and tougher than its opponent. Do you think that happens by chance? Funny how it almost never happens in the towns and schools surrounding Tullahoma, despite coaching change after coaching change. Take out the six turnovers against Centennial and I'm guessing the play calling looks pretty good.

If I may offer a little insight regarding Shelbyville, having seen them play for the past 28 years. Head coach Jason Hardy has built this program up from a winless team five years ago to a team that gave Columbia and Tullahoma all they could handle this year, losing by one AT Columbia. The Golden Eagles have a true superstar in Marquis Morton. He'll play running back, receiver, quarterback, safety, punter, punt returner and kickoff returner. I think he also cheers and leads the band but maybe that's just rumor. Shelbyville's defense swarms to the ball but they don't have overwhelming size. The Golden Eagles are not a team you want to get into a shootout with because they can flat out score some points. Their kicking game is solid and they have an outstanding secondary but not a great run defense.

One should not look too far ahead in these matters. Powell has a history of not being an especially strong playoff team (see last year). With Ooltewah and Tullahoma in this quadrant it is the deepest of the four Class 5A quadrants. It is way too early to start 'waiting' for a Columbia vs. Powell quarterfinal.

Known Aaron for a long time and his parents Richard and Sheila have done an outstanding job raising him. Unfortunately I wouldn't be surprised if he looks towards Alabama, considering Dad is a huge fan and Dont'a Hightower has done so well. Marshall County has a bonified weapon in Aaron.

Actually those words aren't the Guru's, but rather mine. Murphy is much too humble to say that about himself.

You guys are really funny and I enjoy coming here and getting some laughs. Murphy Fair's 2011 magazine is the best yet.

As is the case every preseason, it takes Murphy a few days to make his way to both sides of the state. He personally delivers magazines to dozens of booster clubs and retail outlets. All the stores listed on the web site will get books. Keep checking and enjoy it when you get it.

Yes the game is in Columbia. For the second time in three years the Tullahoma Wildcats will play their first four games on the road: at McGavock, Cookeville, Columbia, and Coffee County.

Rumor has it that Tullahoma and Columbia will once again play under the Thursday Night Lights on midstate TV. Last year the Wildcats beat the Lions 21-20 in OT. Of course Columbia got revenge in the third round of the playoffs on its way to the Class 5A title. The two teams appear to once again be favored to battle it out for the District 8-AAA title, and the Sept. 1 match-up could decide it.

The Tullahoma Wildcats, coming off one of the most-successful seasons in school history, begin spring practice this week. The spring drills will end when the annual Red & White game is held at Wilkins Stadium on Friday, May 20. The Wildcats lost 3/5 of their offensive line and half their defensive starters, but Tullahoma returns arguably the best quarterback in school history, a half-dozen receivers, its top two running backs, and perhaps as much team speed as the school has ever had. The schedule is challenging, highlighted by defending Class 5A state champion Columbia. The only 2011 opponent for the 'Cats that didn't make the playoffs last year is Warren County. The combined records from last year is 65-49, and three Tullahoma opponents in 2011 won district titles in 2010 - McGavock, Tyner, and Coffee County. As was the case two years ago, the Wildcats will play their first four games on the road, opening at McGavock in Week 0. So how do think Tullahoma will do in 2011?

Columbia lost their outstanding linebacker/running back Tra'Darius Goff, along with a pair of great linemen in Kenneth Hughes and Shaquille Mason. However, the Lions return a lot of talent led by Chris Harris, Chris Martin, and their quarterback Markham. District 8-AAA and 9-AAA have been supreme the first two seasons of the new Class 5A and don't be surprised if that holds true again. Tullahoma will be very good with a senior, three-year starting QB and a lot of speed and talent at the skill positions. Beech, Gallatin, and Hendersonville will all be good, Henry County and North Side will compete. Mitchell dropping down to 4A leaves a little gap in Memphis but Ridgeway will be very good again. Anderson County is a team to watch along with Knoxville West in the East.

Jared Davis of Tullahoma is an outstanding D1 prospect. Jared stands 6'3" 190. He threw for over 2,000 yards in 2010 with 23 TD and only six picks in an offense that is very balanced between running and passing. He also ran for 300 yards. He is one of the top students as THS as well. He started on the football, basketball, and baseball teams as a sophomore. Oh yeah, and he really wants to win every single time out.

Defending District 8-AAA champion Tullahoma has completed its 2011 schedule. The Wildcats swap non-district opponents Blackman and siegel for McGavock and Tyner, and will play six road games and four home games. Tullahoma will face three defending district champions and nine playoff teams from 2010. Aug. 19 - at McGavock Aug. 26 - at Cookeville Sept. 2 - at Columbia Sept. 9 - at Coffee County Sept. 16 - vs. Lincoln County Sept. 23 - vs. Tyner Sept. 30 - at Franklin County Oct. 7 - Open Oct. 14 - vs. Shelbyville Oct. 21 - vs. Warren County Oct. 28 - at Lawrence County

Shelbyville's offense in recent years has certainly not been the reason they have not had great success on the football field. They have put up some serious points but their defense has given up a ton. Good luck to Coach Davis at Coffee County. We look forward to welcoming him to High School Sports Plus this August and wish him all the best with the Red Raiders.

Having watched Coffee County football for about 40 years, I think Mac might just be the perfect fit in Manchester. We all have baggage and we all deserve a second chance. Mac would insist on doing it his way and his teams flat out win. If the powers that be didn't want to do it his way they would run him off. CC had a coach a few years ago who insisted on doing it his way and was sometimes a little rough around the edges and he had success. He is still having success. I truly hope whoever CC hires has success because it makes football in general a lot more fun for everybody in this area. It hasn't happened very consistently lately. Good luck to the Red Raiders in their hire.

Murphy didn't write the article, as the article clearly states. Mayfield is specifically looking for a game week 1, and for a team being willing to travel both years of the contract.

The concept of district winners and runners-up being seeded first seems more fair to me than last year's method. The overriding reason is that teams have no choice in who they play in their district or how many teams are in their district. What they do have a choice in is who they schedule outside their district. It seems the decision had to be made whether to reward teams for success in games they had to play as opposed to rewarding success in games they chose to play. Seems like the right choice to me. Now the problem goes back to a potential team with a losing record or poor record hosting a powerful team from a powerful district in early rounds. This happens because some of the districts are just too small. Nothing would be lost by scaling down the districts from 16 to maybe 10-12. It appears that would help insure the better teams get to the top of districts, and it would help teams in scheduling because they would have seven or eight district games and only have to get a couple of non-district games. That would enable them to keep a rival or two that is not in their district. An example is District 8-AAA and 6-AAA. If you combined them, creating an 11-team district, then you could split it into two divisions, one with the 5A teams (Shelbyville, Columbia, Lawrence Co., Tullahoma, White Co., and Cumberland Co.) and the other with 6A teams (Lincoln Co., Franklin Co., Coffee Co., Warren Co., and Cookeville). Each team would play all the teams from its division and rotate the teams from the other division. I know the point is legitimate that Columbia and Lawrence Co. is a long way from Crossville and Sparta, but as we are learning no system is perfect. If we take the travel issue off the table, and align districts the best we can through geography and classification; well to me that just seems to be a better system. Take the top two teams from each division automatically into the playoffs and fill the other slots with wild cards. Nothing would change as far as number of classifications, playoff games, etc. This would make teams play more teams from the same classification, which seems to be a real sticking point, and rightfully so, with a lot of folks. It is easy to get caught up in complaining about the current system, because there are certainly things to complain about it. I'm just trying to throw out perhaps a way to make the current system more fair and more fun.

Just curious on how many of those games are home and how many are away? My source says a number of teams are searching for home games because they already have five road games. Tullahoma is one team in the same position as South Pittsburg, with only eight games currently locked up. Tullahoma needs two home games to have that five-five split. Not sure about which weeks the Wildcats are needing, but they are usually open on Week 7 because school is out on break.

As of today Tullahoma is still searching for two home non-district games for 2011. The Wildcats continue series with Coffee County, Warren County, and Cookeville.