WHITWELL, Tenn. - As debuts go, this one couldn't have gone much better. With his team hosting the annual Sequatchie Valley jamboree, new Whitwell coach R.C. Helton unveiled an impressive brand of physical football in front of a packed stadium.

The Tigers wore down Sequatchie County , claiming a 16-0 win by getting a 35-yard touchdown run from Cody Ingrasio and a 26-yard score from Tyler Tate. Whitwell rolled up 138 rushing yards in one quarter, while holding the Indians to just one first down.

"Mindset is everything," Helton said afterward. "I saw an elevated sense of self for the kids after we played.

"What we were able to do tonight is a positive in relation to what we're working toward."

Helton is looking to rebuild a Tigers program that hasn't made it to the playoffs since 2005.

"It's a process, but the kids have worked extremely hard and bought into what we're trying to do," Helton added. "That hard work is going to pay off for them. We will win some games this year, and that brand of football tonight is how we'll play all year."

In other quarters, Bledsoe County beat South Pittsburg 14-0, Grundy County beat Lookout Valley twice, 7-0 and 21-0, Marion County defeated Chattanooga Christian 14-0, Sequatchie County downed Bledsoe 10-6, Marion beat South Pittsburg 7-0 and Whitwell and CCS played to a 0-0 tie.

Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.