Ready for a ‘Wild’ one:Pioneers set to face Tullahoma

By ROB NUNLEY / Sports Editor for the Southern Standard

A pass slips through the grasp of Warren County’s Jon Creek (80) as Tyler Wolf defends during last Friday’s 45-14 loss to the Cookeville Cavaliers. (Dale Stubblefield photo)

The Pioneers will be looking to turn things around in Tullahoma tonight, when they face the Wildcats in a non-region football matchup.

Losers in their last three games, Warren County will be taking on a Wildcat squad which won its first three games of 2005 by a combined margin of just six points, then took one on the chin last Friday, falling to Maplewood 25-14.

“Tullahoma’s got a really good team this year,” WCHS head coach Chris Madewell said after his team’s loss to Cookeville last weekend. “They’ve got a really good quarterback, and they’ve beaten some good opponents. They’re definitely no slouch.

“We have to come out and fix some things during the week, and play hard to be successful against them (tonight).”

Junior quarterback Cass Barnes leads the Wildcat offense, which has averaged 18.7 points per game thus far this season. Barnes attempted 25 passes last week, connecting 11 times for 172 yards and a touchdown, and he ran the ball in himself for his team’s other score.

Dylan Cross and Chad Fuhrman have been Barnes’ top targets, with Cross hauling in 12 passes so far this season for 171 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Fuhrman had three catches for 71 yards last week, and averages 15 yards per catch.

On the ground, senior Edward Hammonds carries the bulk of the rushing load. the 5-foot-8, 160-pounder had 63 hard-fought yards on 11 touches in the loss to Maplewood, and has amassed 210 yards on 40 carries so far this year.

Defensively, the Wildcats have given up an average of 20 points per game, and allowed 25 to Maplewood last week, with all four touchdowns coming from Maplewood’s Terrence Holt, who finished with a whopping 382 yards.

Kickoff tonight in Tullahoma, where the Wildcats will be celebrating Homecoming, is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Region 3-5A Football Standings
Team Region Overall
Cookeville 2-0 4-1
Lincoln Co. 2-0 3-2
Franklin Co. 1-1 2-2
Cumberland Co. 1-1 1-3
Warren Co. 0-2 2-3
Coffee Co. 0-2 1-4
— Tonight’s Games —
Coffee County at Nashville Overton
Cookeville at Cleveland
Lincoln County at Oakland
Shelbyville at Franklin County
Warren County at Tullahoma
White County at Cumberland County

Tennessee Prep Football Polls
By The Associated Press
The Associated Press’ Top 10 teams in each class, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through September 19, total points based on 10 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 10th-place vote:
Class 5A Rec Pts Prv
1. Riverdale (13) 5-0 148 1
2. Oak Ridge (2) 4-0 137 2
3. Gallatin 4-0 99 5
4. Houston 4-0 92 6
5. Dobyns Bennett 4-1 65 7
6. Wilson Central 4-0 62 10
7. Ravenwood 3-1 43
8. Ooltewah 4-1 25 3
9. Brentwood 3-1 22 4
10. McGavock 4-0 21
Others receiving 12 or more points: 10, Cookeville 21. 12, William Blount 19. 13, Sevier Co. 18. 13, Germantown 18. 15, Millington Central 16.
Class 4A Rec Pts Prv
1. Maryville (15) 4-0 150 1
2. Knox. Central 4-0 131 2
3. Whites Creek 4-0 108 4
4. Melrose 4-1 97 3
5. M’town West 4-0 76 5
6. Portland 4-0 67 9
7. Maplewood 4-0 55 10
8. Hillsboro 3-1 31 8
8. Daniel Boone 4-0 31
10. White Co. 3-1 13
Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Memphis East 12.
Class 3A Rec Pts Prv
1. Covington (8) 4-0 127 1
2. Dyersburg (4) 5-0 114 2
3. Lexington 4-0 90 5
4. D. Lipscomb (1) 3-1 74 4
5. Polk Co. 4-0 58 7
6. Creek Wood 4-0 57 9
7. Carter 4-0 56 6
8. Notre Dame 4-0 39
9. Greenbrier 3-1 36 8
10. Fulton 1-3 24 10
Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Trezevant 19. 12, Crockett Co. 17. Knox. Catholic (4-0), Notre Dame (4-0).
Class 2A Rec Pts Prv
1. Alcoa (9) 4-1 114 1
2. Goodpasture Chr. (2) 3-1 106 3
3. Milan (1) 3-0 100 4
4. Donelson Christian 4-1 85 5
5. Oliver Springs 4-0 69 8
6. Huntingdon 3-1 57 6
7. Tyner Academy 3-1 54 9
8. Westview 4-1 46 2
9. Happy Valley (1) 3-1 22
10. Peabody 4-0 21
Others receiving 12 or more points: 10, North Greene 21. 12, Loudon 20.
Class A Record Pts Prv
1. Trousdale Co. (13) 5-0 138 1
2. South Pittsburg 4-0 113 2
3. Friendship Christian 4-0 111 3
4. Jo Byrns 4-0 72 6
5. Jackson Christian 4-1 63 5
6. Mt. Pleasant 4-1 53 8
7. Wayne Co. 3-1 44 4
8. Coalfield 4-1 35 7
9. Cloudland 4-1 29
10. Grace Baptist 4-1 26 10
Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Columbia Academy 22. 12, Hampton 20.
Division II Rec Pts Prv
1. Memphis U.Sch. (10) 5-0 133 1
2. McCallie (2) 3-1 107 6
3. Christian Brothers (2) 4-1 99 2
4. Webb Knoxville 5-0 86 4
5. Brentwood Academy 3-1 84 3
6. Evangelical Christian 4-1 66 7
7. Baylor 3-2 47 5
8. Montgomery Bell 3-2 44 9
9. Bishop Byrne 4-0 38 10
10. Pope John Paul II 3-2 28 8