by WDXE Sportscaster Tim Shay

LORETTO, Tenn. ? For the fourth consecutive year, the Lawrence County Wildcats (1-0) have won the Van Johnson Cup. The Cup, which honors a former Loretto High School football player, is contested each season between the Wildcats and the Loretto Mustangs as a part of the TSSAA ?Week Zero? lineup. This season, Lawrence County outlasted the Mustangs (0-1) 33-14.

Lawrence County opened the scoring in the first quarter, when Cody Walters capped a 58 yard Wildcat drive with a 17-yard touchdown scamper to give the Wildcats a 6-0 lead. After the Lawrence County defense forced a Loretto punt, junior quarterback Garrick Barnett led his team on an 82 yard touchdown drive.
On the drive, he completed all three passes he attempted, including a 39 yard TD strike to senior receiver John Dansby on the first play of the second quarter that ran the ?Cats lead to 12-0. The Mustangs, however, came right back, engineering a long drive of their own, and cutting the deficit to 12-6 on a Heath Daniels touchdown run.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Mustangs took advantage of a Lawrence County miscue, when the kick hit a Wildcat and the Mustangs recovered. But the Mustangs joy was short-lived, as Loretto quarterback Luke Buttrum was intercepted by Lawrence County sophomore safety Blake Rogers, who returned the pick for a touchdown to extend Lawrence County?s lead to 20-6 at the half.
In the second half, senior tailback Matt Hartsfield added two touchdown runs, including a game-breaking 50-yard run in the third quarter. Lorretto tried to get back, scoring a touchdown with seven minutes remaining in the game, but that was as close as they would get, and when the final gun sounded, Lawrence County emerged victorious 33-14.

Next week, the Wildcats look to win their fourth consecutive Cow Bell game, when the Giles County Bobcats (1-0) come to Hendrix-Staggs Stadium.