Wildcats Fall to Rebels in District 8-AAA Semi-final Contest
by Mike McGee [Photos] [Box Score]
Tryston Horton goes up against Franklin County's Josh Cannon during Saturday's District 8-AAA semi-final game in Shelbyville.

  SHELBYVILLE---The Tullahoma Wildcats came up short in their bid to appear in a second straight District 8-AAA championship game with a 54-43 loss to Franklin County in the tourney semi-finals Saturday night.
  The Wildcats went ice cold from the field in the fourth period Saturday night when they appeared to be leg weary after seven all-out quarters in two nights. Coach Jeff Taylor's club made its way to the semi-finals with a 62-56 upset of Columbia Friday night on the Lions' home turf.
  Facing a Franklin County team that had defeated them twice in the regular season, once in double-overtime and once in overtime, the Cats enjoyed a small lead most of the first half and trailed by only two late in the fourth when Rebel Josh Cannon nailed a three-pointer at the buzzer. Franklin County added a two-point basket to start the fourth, and Tullahoma suddenly found itself down by seven.
  More troubling was the fact that two straight nights of tournament effort against favored teams appeared to finally catch up to the Cats as shot after shot rattled off the front of the rim in the fourth peroid. Even Tryston Horton, who was coming off a brilliant, 31-point, 12 of 13 shooting performance at Columbia, couldn't find the range. Senior Jordan Haugen, who has been a consistent scoring threat for the Wildcats all season, also found his shooting legs gone, and the Cats wound up with just one free throw to show for their frouth quarter effort.
  Friday night's win at Columbia did qualify the Wildcats for their third straight regional tournament appearance. They face Lawrence County in the district consolation game Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Shelbyville. They will travel to either Siegel or White County in next week's region tourney, depending on the results of their own game as well as the Siegel-White County championshp game in District 7-AAA.