2008 MTCS Cougar Football Season Review
: : Jeremy Smith : :

The 2008 Cougar season began with a lot of excitement. The hire of long-time Smyrna head coach Philip Shadowens really sparked the Cougar faithful, especially considering that he was coming off back-to-back state championships.

The season started off at home versus Perry County, and it couldn’t have started worse as Perry County return man Dray Mercer brought the opening kickoff back for a touchdown. The Cougars rebounded to win the game 27-14 and began the season 1-0, to the raucous cheers of the packed Throneberry Stadium.

In Week 2 the Cougars traveled to Eagleville on a rainy, messy day. They got some great defensive play from All-State linebacker Devin Brunsvold and cornerback Jordan Watson. Running back Dillon Wade also ran for over 150 yards for the second straight week as the Cougars won 13-7 and stretched their season mark to 2-0. With the win, they matched their total of victories for all of 2007. Hello, Shadowens era.

Week 3 found the Cougars back at home and welcoming the Nashville Christian Eagles. The home team was hungry for that 3rd victory and they didn’t disappoint. Senior Chip Dunn capped off the scoring with a 70 yard catch and run for his first touchdown of the year. MTCS prevailed 28-14 and set the stage for a monster game the next week.

The Week 4 matchup at Jo Byrns Academy was a game with undertones that Cougar fans were unfamiliar with: a battle of unbeatens, a chance to move to 4-0, and a chance to knock off the best team in the district, and the number 3 team in all of Class 1-A. But it was not to be. If any cliché could describe the September fight, it would be “Missed Opportunities.” The Cougars converted on just 1 trip to the red zone, although a 2-point conversion capped off the trip late in the 4th quarter. Dillon Wade never really got going, but the defense and quarterback Scot Bartilson made many great plays to keep it close. Ultimately the Cougars fell to the Red Devils 16-8.

Week 5 brought another large crowd to Throneberry Stadium as another Region 5 heavyweight came to visit. Tied at 14 going into the second half, the Cougars took the lead and headed to the 4th quarter up 21-14. But a Chris Beasley punt that was returned for a touchdown, combined with a very controversial pass interference call on Eric Compton swung the momentum into Cascade’s corner, and the Champions exploded for 21 points in the 4th quarter. The Cougars fell by the final score of 35-21.

With a losing streak of 2 games, the Cougars headed into a tough 3-game road trip. Week 6 opponent McEwen appeared to have the Cougars’ number early, and dominated the entire game with a fierce ground attack led by senior Ethan Tummins. As time expired, fans of the orange and black got to see a glimpse of the future as junior quarterback Gabe Welker came into the game and racked up a 60-plus yard run on a QB keeper. The final score was 33-0. As a final blow in a troubling time for the Cougars, Welker suffered a season-ending ACL tear during practices the following week.

Continuing their road trip in Week 7 with a record of 3-3, the Cougars rolled into Clarksville Academy looking to rebound. And rebound, they did. The first Cougar drive was all Dillon Wade, as the senior racked up 98 total yards and a touchdown, getting the ball on every single play. Scot Bartilson also tossed two touchdowns to fellow senior Kyle Pitts in the second half. Junior Chris Brandon started the game as a replacement for Gabe Welker and proved himself more than worthy, stepping in front of a lazy Clarksville pass in the second quarter and returning it 15 yards for a touchdown. As it turned out, the Cougars needed every point as the game turned into a shootout. A shootout the Cougars won 28-21.

Back to their winning ways, the team traveled in Week 8 to Unionville to take on one of the two teams they beat in ’07, the Community Vikings. But the Vikings had no plans of letting the Cougars off easy. Using a bit of trickery and catching cornerback R.J. Miller on an off night, Community kept it close the entire contest. But Scot Bartilson, in a career night, took to the air and threw a season-high 4 touchdown passes. Sophomore kicker Trevor Brusvold couldn’t have picked a better night to make his first field goal of the season as the Cougars pulled out win number 5 with the score 31-27.

For Week 9, the familiar sights and sounds of home welcomed the Cougars back after a long, but successful road campaign. Taking advantage of the excitement of the home crowd, the Cougars fought the Patriots of White House-Heritage to a 13-13 tie with less than 2 minutes to go. In a scenario more like the climax of a novel than a football game, Scot Bartilson brought the team to the line at the Patriot 32, facing 4th and 28. With a desperation heave to the endzone, Bartilson put the game and the season in the capable hands of Eric Compton, who delivered in dramatic style. Pulling in the pass just inside the goal line, the Cougars took a 20-13 lead. An R.J. Miller interception on the next Patriot drive sealed the game and a 6-3 record heading into the biggest game in MTCS football history.

Week 10 was the ultimate expression of “win or go home” and Coach Shadowens was looking to take the Cougars where no Cougar had gone before. The visiting Forrest Rockets and the Cougars brought in identical records with the fourth and final playoff spot on the line. In a familiar situation, the score was tied late at 14-all. Scot Bartilson would not be denied as he kept it himself and plunged in from a yard out to make it 21-14. That would be the final as MTCS claimed its first ever playoff spot and ended the regular season at 7-3.

The final game of 2008 found the Cougars playing at Wayne County in the playoffs. Offensive miscues and bad field conditions left MTCS on the wrong side of a 42-20 score, and the season came to an end. The transfer of Gabe Welker and the departure of Philip Shadowens paved the way for new Head Coach David Peden. The future looks bright for MTCS as they look to get back to the TSSAA playoffs.