The Lipscomb Football Chronicles
Compiled by Coach Scott Tillman
Begin of the new decade has been very successful for the Mustangs. In the
2000’s the Mustangs have won 58 games, while only losing 11 games. During this
time Lipscomb brought home their second state title in 2002 and were runners up
the next year 2003.
2000 the Mustangs had a record of 9-4 and advance to the 2 rounds of the
playoffs. A very competitive team lost four games by a combined total five
points. Highlights for the season were Justin Chunn’s bulling over Meigs Co.,
and Andrew King’s playing with a broken hand and busted chin against Upperman.
The 2001 season brought about a 10-2 record. The Mustangs had a hard fought
game with Tyner in round 2. Ethan Flatt and David Dorris continued their
careers at the University of Mississippi. Highlights for the season were Philip
Bates hard running in the pouring rain at BGA, and Ethan and David hooking up
for a come back rally verse Marshall Co.
The Mustangs brought home their second state championship in the 2002 season.
After an 8-2 regular season, the Mustangs buckled up through the playoffs. They
gave up a total of 8 points through five playoff games, and scored 133 total
points. The first round was a hard fought victory over Marion Co. 21-6. Marion
Co. with a 6-0 lead in the 1st quarter was stopped on the goal line
before the Mustang came roaring back. The second round saw a familiar foe in
the Tyner Rams. The Mustang won in a mud bowl 25-0. They traveled to
Goodpasture for a quarterfinals match up where they avenged an earlier loses
with a 29-0 victory. The Mustangs then outmatched a number one ranked
Sweetwater 30-2. In the finals, Lipscomb beat a very athletic Mitchell team
28-0. There were many great players on the 2002 team. Anthon Santiago (LB,FB),
Cutler Robertson (TB), Burton Elrod (QB), Elliott Wood (WB), Reed Stinson (SE)
along with linemen Trey Coke, Richard Whitfield, Justin Seamon, Travis Adams,
Brandon Tidwell, and Jonas Fridichsen led a very talented offensive. The
defense anchored by Anton at middle LB became a donate group with Madison Taylor
and Seth Martin at outside LBs, David Abbas, David Walker, Richard Whitfield,
Adam Valentine on the front four, and Gavin French, Ryan
Blankenship, Clay Lehning, and Chris Binkley in a talented secondary.
The Mustangs continued their winning ways in 2003 with a perfect regular season
and another trip to the state championship game. It was only the second time in
school history the Mustang went 10-0 in the regular season. The winning streak
was extended to 20 games before coming to an end against Huntington. The
Mustangs finished with a 14-1 record. Highlights were a last second field goal
by Cutler Robertson to beat Goodpasture 38-35, a 55-6 victory in the semifinals
against Alcoa, and a 29-0 win over Tyner. Madison Taylor lead the defense with
110 solo tackles. Cutler Robertson lead the offense with over 1000 yards
rushing and 25 TDs, and was named as a Mr. Football finalist.
2004 was a fantastic year in which the Mustangs exceeded many expectations.
After losing the first game of the year to the 3A state finalist, the Mustangs
won 12 straight games. Burton Elrod fighting injuries the entire year, played
with a broken rib against Alcoa in the semifinals. Highlights for the season
were beating Goodpasture twice in one season. Austin Rogers was named as a Mr.
Football finalist, and continued his career at the University at Tennessee.
Burton Elrod was honored as one of the areas best players as a finalist for the
Nick Coutras Award. He continued his career at Samford University.
In 2005, The Mustangs entered into a new era of football as with the TSSAA
Classification process and the 1.8 multiplier effect, Lipscomb moved into the
ranks of AAA. A new region schedule which included the likes of Page,
Cheatham County, Giles County, Creek Wood, Spring Hill, and Montgomery Central.
The season opened with a loss to Greenbrier and the Mustangs would not lose
again during the regular season. The Playoffs also brought new teams into
the Reese Smith Athletic Complex such as Lexington, the largest crowd ever to
watch a game at Maplehurst. In their first season in AAA, The Mustangs
found their way to the Championship Game but fell short to Champion Livingston
Academy. The Team was lead by senior linebacker, Braden Binkley, who went
on to play at Harding University.
2006 marked the opening game as the Mustangs would face Goodpasture in week zero
at the Clinic Bowl played at Vanderbilt Stadium. The Mustangs came up
short in that game but continued its unbeaten region streak. The Mustangs
had not lost a region game since early in the 2002 season. This team was
senior laden with a number of players were starting varsity experience once
again in the starting lineup. They included: Matt Elrod at HB,
Jonathan Lucas at OT, Jay Dorris at OG, Rick Forehand at OG, Dale Binkley at
MLB, Ben Lehning at OLB, Donnie Hudson at DE. The Highlight game of the
year was a Playoff comeback victory over Giles County in the quarterfinals.
The Mustangs once again found themselves playing in the AAA Championship game
but ended the year with a loss in that game to Knoxville Fulton.
2007 Marked the third year that the Mustangs would compete in Class 3A.
Gone were the standouts of the past, Elrod, Binkley, Lehning, Hudson, Stevens
and Wood, Scott and Prady along with offensive contributions from Lucas, Hunt,
Brewer, Seamon and Forehand. As in the past, we appear to just reload.
Figure in Tenpenny, Saggio, Webb, Hunt, Cannon, Holt, Moneypenny, Rogers,
Harper, Hudson, Davis, and Quinn and others would who lead this version of
Mustang Football to another State Championship, our first in 3A after finishing
as runnersup in 2005 and 2006. Our unbeaten streak in the region would
continue as well, a streak which began early in the 2002 season. Jeremy
Holt would be a Mr. Football Finalist and a number of other players also
received post season honors. This season, the Mustangs defeated the same
opponent from the 2006 championship, Knoxville Fulton.
Coach Scott Tillman has been a part of the Mustang Coaching staff since the
1994 and currently serves as the defense line coach and defensive coordinator of
the Junior Varsity Football Program.