Senior Cass Barnes threw for 225 yards and hit 19 of 26 passes in the first half of Friday night's game at Whites Creek. [File Photo]

  The Whites Creek Cobras used turned two huge defensive plays in the second half to pull off a 36-21 win over the Tullahoma Wildcats Friday night at Whites Creek.
  The loss deals a crushing blow to the Wildcats’ playoff hopes, though they are still mathematically alive. They must defeat Stratford during homecoming next Friday night at Wilkins Stadium and Hickman County the following week at home to have any chance. Stratford will carry a 4-1 region record into the contest while the Wildcats are 2-3, in fifth place and currently on the outside looking in at the four-team playoff format. With Friday night’s win, Whites Creek improved to 3-2 in the region.
  The Cobras put the clamps on Tullahoma’s offense in the second half Friday night, but the biggest damage came on back-to-back Tullahoma possessions in the third quarter when Whites Creek intercepted passes inside the 40-yard line and returned both for touchdowns.
  That was all the scoring either team did in the second half. The Wildcats (5-3 overall) had put together a superb drive late in the second quarter to take a 21-20 lead into the half-time break, but they were never able to generate a strong scoring threat in the second half.
  That was not the case in the first half when the Cats moved the ball to the tune of 238 yards and scored three touchdowns. Senior quarterback Cass Barnes started the game on fire, nailing his first nine passes on the way to a 19 for 26 performance that accounted for some 225 yards. Barnes hit Bobby Dowdell for a 31-yard scoring strike with 10 seconds left in the half, and ran one in from seven yards away. Dowdell scored Tullahoma’s other touchdown on a two-yard run. Craig Roper hit all three of his extra-point kicks.
  The Cats opened the game with a 65-yard scoring drive with Chad Fuhrman, Dylan Cross and Cameron Greenway catching passes along the way before Dowdell capped it off with his two-yard run.