The Tullahoma football administration has completed assembling its 2009 and 2010 football schedules, and fans who assumed that the recent TSSAA realignment would give the Cats a less-challenging 10-game slate will be sorely disappointed.

In fact, the 2009 schedule could be the most-difficult slate in recent history, beginning with the home opener on Week 0, Aug. 21, when Blackman helps the Tullahoma community open its brand new football stadium. Although the schedule is not as top-heavy as it has been, with powerhouses Maplewood and Hillsboro gone, the overall strength of the new schedule is impressive.

The new District 8-AAA alignment means Tullahoma will have the same district opponents in football as it has in basketball, baseball, softball, and volleyball. The big change for the next four years is that Coffee Co. will no longer be a district opponent.

Although the Wildcats will no longer have to make multiple trips to Nashville, the amount of travel for the coming seasons will still be significant, especially in 2009 when the THS faithful will make trips to Cookeville, Columbia, and Lawrenceburg; as well as Winchester and Manchester. 2010 won't be quite as bad, with two trips to Murfreesboro and manageable drives to Fayetteville, Shelbyville, and McMinnville.

2009 Schedule:
Week 0 - Aug. 21 - Blackman at THS
Week 1 - Aug. 28 - THS at Cookeville
Week 2 - Sept. 4 - THS at Columbia
Week 3 - Sept. 11 - THS at Coffee Co.
Week 4 - Sept. 18 - Lincoln Co. at THS
Week 5 - Sept. 25 - Warren Co. at THS
Week 6 - Oct. 2 - THS at Franklin Co.
Week 7 - Oct. 9 - Open
Week 8 - Oct. 16 - Shelbyville at THS
Week 9 - Oct. 23 - Siegel at THS
Week 10 - Oct. 30 - THS at Lawrence Co.

2010 Schedule:
Week 0 - THS at Blackman
Week 1 - Cookeville at THS
Week 2 - Columbia at THS
Week 3 - Coffee Co. at THS
Week 4 - THS at Lincoln Co.
Week 5 - THS at Warren Co.
Week 6 - Franklin Co. at THS
Week 7 - Open
Week 8 - THS at Shelbyville
Week 9 - THS at Siegel
Week 10 - Lawrence Co. at THS

Five of next year's opponents made the playoffs in 2008, although Cookeville, Lincoln Co., Warren Co., Franklin Co., and Siegel have all been elmininated headind into the third round of the postseason. Cookeville was the only team to advance into round two.

The combined records of next season's opponents was 44-59. However, it is critical to note that Blackman and Siegel both competed in Region 4-5A, which may the state's strongest 5A region as evidence by the fact there is still two teams, Smyrna and Oakland, in the playoffs from that region.

The same holds true for Columbia. The Lions are coming from Region 6-5A, which also still has two teams in the playoffs in Brentwood and Franklin. In summary, although the combined records of Blackman, Siegel, and Columbia are 13-17 for 2008, that may not be a true indication of the strength of the programs.

The Tullahoma Wildcats have used Wilkins Stadium since the school was built in 1957. The concrete structure has fallen into disrepair during the last decade, and the home stands were determined to be unusable by the city's structural engineer in April.

The Tullahoma Board of Mayor and Aldermen, in a split vote had approved funding the new stadium in its 2008-2009 fiscal year budget, along with a new auditorium for the high school and a new elementary school on East Lincoln Street.