by Chelsea Ladd
The Paducah Sun
October 5, 2021
Used with permission.
The Paducah Tilghman football program has a long list of noteworthy accomplishments throughout its history. From the superior reign of Coach Allan Cox, to producing NFL performers, the Blue Tornado continues to dazzle spectators and the region under those Friday Night Lights.
And on Friday, the historic Blue Tornado added another outstanding feat to their list — win no. 800 against Trigg County.
“It was a win we needed, having lost the last three and one to COVID protocol. It’s been a tough few weeks for us, so we needed to win,” head coach Sean Thompson told The Sun. “Honestly, that 800th win had slipped from our minds, we were aware of it going into the Graves County game, and it almost felt like it was a bad luck thing.”
Despite going strong against McCracken County on Aug. 21, the Blue Tornado fell against Graves County, Mayfield, and Henderson County before toppling Trigg County on Oct. 1 in a 49-18 victory.
“We knew to go out there and take care of business and to reach such a big milestone as far as Paducah Tilghman’s tradition was exciting and fun to be a part of,” Thompson said. “The kids were excited about it, you know, it’s a big deal for the football program.”
Getting on the board on their first drive, Paducah Tilghman quickly set the tone of the night for the Wildcats when Malachi Rider’s fast footwork eased him to a 40-yard touchdown to kick things off.
Quickly after Rider’s dazzling performance, Jack James connected with Cam Marshall for a 12-yard touchdown, taking a 14-0 lead at the six-minute mark in the first quarter.
LeBran McMullen led his Blue Tornado in scoring with 12 points under his belt. Freshman quarterback James shined as well with 211 yards passing on the night.
“We don’t look at it as though we have two wins and four losses. For us, it’s about growth,” Thompson said. “We’ve been in a position to be competitive in every one of our games. It wasn’t like we laid down for anybody. We’ve competed every week even though it’s been tough.”
The 35-yard touchdown from James to McMullen took the Blue Tornado into the second quarter with a 21-6 lead over Trigg County. Paducah Tilghman led 42-6 as James sought out Brian Thomas for a 35-yard touchdown before halftime.
“It’s still been a rewarding season as far as the growth in our players because we’re young and will have the same team for a few years here,” he said. “For the most part, some pieces will graduate here and there, but we’ll be together for a long time.”
Tilghman’s DiAvian Bradley jumped in on the fun, carrying it 51 yards to make his Blue Tornado have a 49-6 lead at the 7:41 mark in the third quarter, sealing Trigg County’s fate.