This week’s games continued to show that there is more parity in the Frank R. Mullins Youth Football League than we have seen in a long time. The large crowd on hand this past Saturday witnessed two more good hard-fought football games. The first game of the day had the Woodard Diamond Showroom Bulldogs hosting the Short Stop Market Yellow Jackets and the second game of the day pitted the Mike Thompson Ford Falcons against The Bank of Tullahoma Tigers.

On the first play from scrimmage, the Jacket’s Trey Burks scampered in from 55 yards out Burks also added the conversion. The Jackets lead 7 – 0. The Bulldogs had trouble handling the football during the first quarter as they coughed the ball up twice. Nick Gagnier and A. J. Sharp each collected a fumble recovery. The first quarter ended with the Yellow Jackets up 7 – 0.

In the second quarter, the Bulldogs got on the board as quarterback, Sammy Tomes, takes it in from 5 yards out on a keeper and the conversion failed. The Jackets lead 7 – 6. The Bulldogs came right back with an on-side kick that was successful and had their drive stopped as the Jacket’s Jacob Shelton stilled a Bulldog hand-off and lumbered 8 yards before being brought down by the Bulldog offense. The Jackets did not take advantage of the take away and gave the ball back to the Bulldogs on downs. The Bulldog quarterback, Sammy Tomes, then connected with Justin Brandon on a pass covering 20 yards for a Bulldog touchdown on the last play of the first half and the conversion failed. The Bulldogs lead 12 – 7 at the half.

In the third quarter, the Bulldogs added to their lead as Tomes sprinted in from 7 yards out and Josh Majors added the conversion. The Bulldogs led 19 –7 after three quarters.

In the fourth quarter, the Jackets tried to make a game of it as quarterback Zack Lampkin hit Austin Creasman on a pass covering 30 yards and a Jacket touchdown and the conversion failed. The Bulldog lead 19 – 13. The Bulldogs mounted a drive deep into Jacket territory only to have it stopped at around the 4-yard line. The Bulldog defense then flexed its muscle and trapped the Jacket runner in the end zone for a safety. The Bulldogs win 21 – 13.

Warner Tomes, Bulldog head coach, applauded the efforts of Josh Majors, Colin Bower, and Ales Butaud on offense and Jacob Lowrance, Nick Thompson, Josh Brandon, and Tanner Hill on defense. Head Jacket coach, Jason Dendy, had praises for the efforts of Zach Lampkin, Trey Burks, and Austin Creasman on offense and Jacob Shelton and Aaron Banks on defense.

The second game of the day got off to a slow start as the defenses struggled but kept the offenses out of the end zone. Business picked up in the second quarter as both teams started clicking on all cylinders and began moving the ball. The Tigers scored first as Montrell Berry scampered for a 15-yard score and the he also added the conversion. The Tigers lead 7 – 0. The Falcons answered as Aaron Curtis scooted around the right end and 60 yards later had the first Falcon score and the conversion failed. The Tigers lead 7 – 6. The Tigers came back with another score as Zach Norris scored from 4 yards out and the conversion failed. Berry snagged a Falcon pass late in the quarter to stop another Falcon drive. The Tigers lead 13 – 6 at the half.

The Falcons come back in the third quarter and accomplish something that has not been done in this league in at least 6 years. After Aaron Curtis breaks into the clear off right tackle and scampers in from 10 yards out the Falcons lined up to kick the conversion. The snap was a beauty by Jared Nelson to the sure-handed Justin Brown, the placement was perfect and the kick by Marquel Hickerson was “GOOD” giving the Falcons a 2 point conversion (in the Mullins League the running or passing conversion is worth 1 point and the kicking conversion is worth 2 points) and a 14 – 13 lead.

The two teams exchanged fumbles during the fourth quarter but neither team took advantage of the other’s miscues. The Falcons win 14 – 13.

Travis Sheffield, head coach of the Falcons, praised the efforts of Justus Sheffield and Austin Shahan on offense and Marquel Hickerson and Sam Epley on defense. Tigers head coach, Mike Frederick, praised the efforts of Zach Norris and Charlie Scott on offense and Bruce McGee and Caleb Zidan on defense.

The two games in the Instructional Division had the Tullahoma Pediatrics Center Cardinals hosting the Tullahoma Sleep Disorder Center Cowboys in the first game and the Sonic Drive In Bucs hosting the American City Bank Titans.

The Cardinal’s head coach, Brian Myers applauded the work of Paxton Howard and Adam Banks on offense and Quincy Whitworth and R. J. Moore on defense. Mario Braston, head coach of the Cowboys, praised the hard work of Kenny Belton and Dayton Snipes on offense and Devonte Morris (3 fumble recoveries) and D’Andre Braston on defense.

Joe Grizzell, head coach of the Bucs, praised the hard work of Riley Darden and Andy Shahan on offense and Kris Potts, Riley Darden, and Steven Pursley on defense. Titan head coach, Mark Rambo, praised the work of James Daugherty and Anthony Iorio on offense and Cole Potter and Conner Austell on defense.

Current standing in the Upper Division:
Woodard Diamond Showroom Bulldogs 3 0
Mike Thompson Ford Falcons 2 1
The Bank of Tullahoma Tigers 1 2
Short Stop Market Yellow Jackets 0 3

Schedule for 30 September 2006:
Upper Division
9:00 Falcons vs. Bulldogs
10:30 Yellow Jackets vs. Tigers

Instructional Division
9:00 Bucs vs. Cowboys
10:30 Cardinals vs. Titans