HUNTER COOKSTON
Writer
The Whitwell Tigers were coming off a near upset against the TSSAA Class 2A defending state champions. Even though the Tigers lost, the performance showed they could compete with anyone. Riding that momentum into the new week, Whitwell looked poised for its first win — but it was the Grundy County Yellowjackets who came away with a 36–6 victory.
The game started well for the Tigers, as Grundy County fumbled on the first play from scrimmage. However, Whitwell couldn’t capitalize, going three-and-out and punting the ball back. Most of the first quarter remained quiet until Grundy broke off a 36-yard touchdown run. The Yellowjackets converted the two-point attempt to go up 8–0.
Midway through the second quarter, Grundy added six more points with a three-yard rushing touchdown. Then, with just over 90 seconds left in the half, they struck again — this time on a 32-yard pass from the quarterback to his wide receiver, who executed a double move for the score.
After halftime, Whitwell received the ball but couldn’t get anything going offensively. They did manage to chew some time off the clock, and the defense came up with a solid goal-line stand. Unfortunately, on the very next play, the Yellowjackets came away with a pick-six. The two-point conversion was good, extending the lead.
The Tigers finally got on the board in the fourth quarter when senior Adam McDougal punched it into the end zone on 4th-and-3. The conversion attempt failed. With less than four minutes remaining, Grundy ran a reverse play that resulted in their final touchdown of the night.
There were few positives to take away from a game in which Whitwell never found its rhythm. The offense struggled heavily, finishing with just 97 total yards. The Tigers ended the night with negative rushing yards, something no team wants to see. Meanwhile, the defense once again had trouble stopping the run, allowing Grundy County to rush for 215 yards.
Whitwell will look to bounce back at home this Friday against district opponent Lookout Valley. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
Photos by Kristie Eggert