COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Following the same nerve-wracking script that helped them reach a state championship game for the first time in program history, the Whitwell Tigers rallied for a fourth-quarter score, then held off a desperation drive by Cornersville in a dramatic 7-6 victory in the TSSAA Class 1A BlueCross Bowl on Saturday afternoon at Tennessee Tech University.
“This is just huge, not only for our team but our school and community,” said second-year coach Randall Boldin, whose Tigers finished 15-0. “I don’t get nervous on the sideline during games, but I was a little worried when they drove on us late. But our guys did what they had all game and found a way to get the stop we needed.
“I’m so happy for this group of kids.”
Having struggled for much of the day against the conditions – rain and a blustering wind that affected every pass – and a Bulldogs defense that had shut out nine of its 13 previous opponents, Whitwell put together a gutsy 11-play drive late in the third quarter. When that possession began, the Tigers had managed just 36 yards of offense in the game, but they covered 71 more yards before Hudson Petty’s fourth-down pass to Thundur Roberts came up just inches short of the goal line.
But Whitwell’s defense set up another scoring opportunity, allowing just 1 yard on the ensuing possession for Cornersville (14-1) before a short punt gave the Tigers the ball back on the Bulldogs’ 22. When Whitwell was again faced with a fourth down, needing 4 yards to keep the drive alive, Petty connected with Tanner Stewart, who fought through a defender and dived into the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown with 7:31 remaining.