Junior Bobby Dowdell ran for more than 90 yards and two touchdowns in the first half as the Tullahoma Wildcats built up a 28-7 advantage on theway to a win at Lawrence County. [File Photo]

  The Tullahoma Wildcats improved their Region 5-4A record to 2-2 and moved to 5-2 overall with a 42-28 win on the road at Lawrence County Friday night.
  After the first quarter ended 7-7, the Cats put 21 points on the board in the second period and never looked back. It was 42-14 early in the fourth quarter before Lawrence County added a couple of late scores against Tullahoma reserves.
  The Wildcats racked up almost 350 yards and 19 first downs in the first half, and the only times they didn’t score they were stopped at the one-yard line in the first quarter and attempted a 25-yard field goal at the end of the half.
  They had first-half scoring drives of 68, 30, 59 and 56 yards. The yardage was balanced between running and passing. Cass Barnes was 10 of 16 throwing the ball for 161 yards and two touchdowns, and Chris Bishop, who entered the game for the final drive of the half, was 1 of 1 for seven yards for a total of 168 passing yards in the first two quarters. Bobby Dowdell, Barnes and Bishop combined for 187 yards on the ground.
  Dowdell had TD runs of five and 28 yards in the half, and Barnes hit Cameron Greenway on a 21-yard scoring strike and hooked up with Chad Fuhrman for a 56-yard score.
  Lawrence County cut the Wildcats’ lead to 28-14 with a solid drive to start the second half, but Tullahoma salted the game away on a 12-yard touchdown from Barnes to Chance Askins early in the fourth quarter, and a one-yard Bishop run moments later.   Bishop set up that score with a 59-yard interception return to the one-yard line.
The challenge gets a lot tougher for coach John Olive and his Wildcats next week when they travel to Whites Creek for a crucial regional showdown.