Week 1 Scoreboard
Columbia 10 Dickson Co. 7
Lawrence Co. 42 Giles Co. 24
Tullahoma 40 Cookeville 20
Blackman 55 Lincoln Co. 14
Shelbyville 41 Warren Co. 13
Franklin Co. Open

Week 0 Scoreboard
Columbia 21 Lawrence Co. 11
Franklin Co. 52 White Co. 14
Shelbyville 49 Coffee Co. 13
Blackman 49 Tullahoma 27
Lincoln Co. Open

Can Columbia Repeat in 2010?

With the start of the 2010 football season at hand, the question being asked the most by fans of District 8-AAA is can Columbia repeat the phenomenal success it enjoyed in 2009.

History says no, as few teams that make it to the state title game for the first time repeat that feat the following season. Despite the Lions' 47-33 loss to Beech in the Class 5A BlueCross Bowl, the success both Columbia and Lawrence County enjoyed in the playoffs speaks very well of the district and its comparative strength with the rest of the state.

But a new season brings new challenges, and although District 8-AAA may not be as strong at the top as it was in 2009, the expectation here is that the district will be stronger from top to bottom. With the new playoff format it is likely that four of the six teams in the district could advance to the playoffs.

Columbia - Considering their remarkable run last year and the talent that returns for this season, Vance Belew's Columbia Lions are the overwhelming favorite to repeat as district champions in 2010. They return the league's best player in Tra'Darious Goff, a 5-10, 230 pound combination of power and speed that is a sure-fire all-state selection and Division I college prospect.

The Lions also return three starting linemen, led by All-District selection Shaquille Mason. Junior Eric Belew is another top prospect. He was outstanding on both sides of the ball as a sophomore and should be even more involved in the offense this year, not to mention special teams as the punter and punt returner. Quarterback is the one question mark at Columbia, but with all the talent available it is reasonabla to expect the Lions to once again be a top contender and playoff participant when the calendar turns to November.

Tullahoma - Coaches picked the Wildcats to finish second in the district according to Murphy Fair's Tennessee High School Football Magazine. Missing out on the playoffs for only the third time in John Olive's 17 years guiding the Tullahoma program, it's a safe bet that there will be renewed enthusiasm and purpose surrounding the THS effort in 2010.

With eight offensive starters returning the expectation is that the Wildcats will score more points than they did last year. On the flip side few starters return on defense, although a lot of players played snaps in 2009 so the cupboard is hardly bare.

Four of five offensive lineman return that started in 2009, led by preseason All-State selection Brandon Miller. Quarterback Jared Davis is back for his junior year after starting multiple games as a sophomore, while a number of transfers have injected much-needed speed into the Wildcats' arsenal. Don't be surprised if, for the fourth consecutive year, the Tullahoma-Lawrence Co. game the last week of the regular season is a game that decides playoff status for both teams.

Lincoln Co. - Coaches pick the Falcons to finish third in the district. Lincoln Co. is a traditional power that seldom has multiple mediocre seasons in a row, and it's a safe bet that they won't give up over 40 points in five of their first six games as they did in 2009. Coach Louis Thompson welcomes back the most starters in his 23 years in Fayetteville, and many believe this is his final season as head coach, so expect much improvement from Lincoln Co.

The Falcons return most of their offensive line along with the district's most experienced quarterback in senior Evan Pittenger, who threw for over 1,200 yards in 2009. With road games at Blackman and Lawrence Co. first on the schedule, the strength of this year's Lincoln Co. team should be known by September.

Lawrence Co. - Although district coaches pick the Wildcats to finish fourth, the guess here is when that regular season finale against Tullahoma rolls around that Lawrence Co. will be in the playoff hunt, perhaps as a wild-card. Although only three starters return on offense there is a lot of experience on both sides of the line of scrimmage.

Head Coach David Marston has brought steady improvement to Lawrence Co. every year, and it is reasonable to assume that although they may not reach the historical heights they reached in 2009, the Wildcats will remain a quality squad. With Trent Garland back as perhaps the district's best pure athlete, the Wildcats are a threat to score on every play. Expect Garland to be a huge difference maker on both sides of the ball.

With its season opener at Columbia and the finale at Tullahoma, the Wildcats will have to be road warriors if they want to win the district this year. Don't count Lawrence Co. out, because after years of being close they finally broke down the barrier in 2009 and now they know how to win big games. That goes a long way in high school football.

Shelbyville - Head Coach Jason Hardy has steadily rebuilt the Golden Eagles program, resulting in his first playoff appearance in 2009. With six starters back on both sides of the ball there is reason to believe Shelbyville will be even better in 2010. Their problem is that most every other team in the district will be improved as well.

Shelbyville's fortunes start with senior QB Tre Stewart, a great athlete who has started since his sophomore year. Stewart may not play only behind center, as Hardy likes to give him chances in the open field as well. Bobby Wilson is another All-District player who will stand out for the Golden Eagles, especially on defense.

The Golden Eagles get both Tullahoma and Columbia at home, and with the significant selection of speedy, athletic players on the roster there is no reason to not expect Shelbyville to be highly competitive and to challenge for a playoff berth.

Franklin Co. - The Rebels are the big unknown in the district this year as Jim Carr takes over as the new head coach in Winchester. With the graduation of Terrance Martin, one of the best running backs the area has seen in recent years, the Rebels are basically starting over.

Despite the selection of Franklin Co. by the leagues' coaches to finish in the cellar, don't think teams won't be challenged when they face the Rebels. It may take Carr a couple of years to rebuild, but take note that Franklin Co. will improve each week in 2010 and will be a force to be dealt with as the season winds down.