By Josh Peterson, editor 
 
 Coffee County Central High School and Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency officials are investigating to find out who killed a bobcat and hung the body from the goalposts of the Tullahoma High School practice football field Tuesday. 
 
 A photo began circulating rapidly on social media website Tuesday morning showing a dead bobcat suspended in the air above the Tullahoma practice football field. Tullahoma City Schools have since confirmed that a dead bobcat was found on campus. 
 
 Coffee County Central’s Red Raiders and the Tullahoma High School Wildcats are scheduled to play in the 89th annual Coffee Pot Rivalry football game at 7 p.m. Friday in Tullahoma. 
 
 “This isn’t what a rivalry is about and this is not what our school and our community are about,” said CHS principal Dr. Joey Vaughn Wednesday morning. “This isn’t rivalry. This is mean. This is wrong and hateful. This does not represent our student body as a whole. We have great kids at our school and Tullahoma has great kids at its school.” 
 
 The dead bobcat was found by students at THS Tuesday morning who reported it to their teacher, according to Tullahoma Director of Schools Dr. Dan Lawson. He stated in an email release that Tullahoma Police Department and Tullahoma Animal Control were notified and removed the deceased animal. 
 
 Vaughn said interviews were ongoing as of noon Thursday with no suspect in mind. He said the CHS administration is working closely with TWRA officials. 
 
 “We are working with TWRA and they are interviewing people and following up on leads and [school administration] is doing that as well,” said Vaughn. “We are being very diligent with this but at this point we still do not know who is to blame and what their affiliation might be. We don’t know if it was a student or an adult.” 
 
 Vaughn released a written statement Wednesday condemning the act and calling it “callous.” 
 
 “The rivalry between Coffee County Central High School and Tullahoma High School has a storied tradition with mutual respect from both sides,” Vaughn’s statement reads. “There have been various events throughout these years, but this week someone took a high school rivalry and took it too far. The actions of a few do not represent this community as a whole. At this time we do not know who committed this callous act or what their involvement with the rivalry is, but there is no place in our community or this world for these types of actions. The rivalry will continue on the football field this Friday night and we ask that our community remember that we have outstanding young people representing both great high schools. ” 
 
 Lawson also issued a statement through email, which reads: 
 
 “Local authorities and officials with Coffee County High School and Tullahoma High School are investigating this issue,” Lawson’s statement reads. “This despicable act does not represent the leadership, citizenry or the vast majority of students at Coffee County High School and Tullahoma High School. We are friends, neighbors, relatives and at time fierce competitors, but that fierce competition leaves no room for cruelty to animals. Nearly every student in Tullahoma and Manchester is disgusted that any innocent animal is used as an object lesson and all are hopeful that our competition is safe, fair and fun.” 
 
 According to the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency website, there is a season for hunting bobcats but that season does not open until Nov. 21. School officials haven’t been able to answer further questions as to how the bobcat was actually killed. 
 
 According to Doug Markham with TWRA, killing the animal out of season would be a misdemeanor. 
 
 “If we found out who it was and he or she killed it out of season they could be charged with hunting in closed season and they could face fines and court costs. They could lose their hunting license,” explained Markham. 
 
 “That is not a good way to treat a critter for a prank, that’s for sure,” added Markham. 
 
 Coffee County Director of Schools Dr. LaDonna McFall echoed Vaughn’s stance. 
 
 “Rivalries are good but this isn’t healthy,” said McFall. “We can behave better than this. We will behave better than this.” ||||| Dead bobcat found hanging on field goal post at Tullahoma HS Posted: Wednesday, October 29, 2014 1:57 PM EDT Updated: Wednesday, November 12, 2014 1:57 PM EST 
 
 School officials have confirmed a dead bobcat was found hanging from a goalpost on the football field at Tullahoma High School on Tuesday. 
 
 According to a statement from Tullahoma City Schools, students found the bobcat and reported it to their teacher. 
 
 The animal has since been removed by animal control officials. The incident was reported to police. 
 
 "This despicable act does not represent the leadership, citizenry or the vast majority of students at Coffee County High School and Tullahoma High School. We are friends, neighbors, relatives and at time fierce competitors, but that fierce competition leaves no room for cruelty to animals," read a statement from Tullahoma school officials. "Nearly every student in Tullahoma and Manchester is disgusted that any innocent animal is used as an object lesson and all are hopeful that our competition is safe, fair and fun." 
 
 "At no time is hate acceptable, and that's what this is," said Dr. Joey Vaughn, principal at Coffee County High School. 
 
 Coffee County High School and Tullahoma High School are scheduled to play each other in football on Friday night in a rivalry game known as the "Coffee Pot." 
 
 "Whoever this is, they have embarrassed this community," Vaughn said. 
 
 The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is handling the case. 
 
 Copyright 2014 WSMV (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.
– There is a long history of rivalry between Coffee County Central and Tullahoma High School in central Tennessee—pranks in years past have included a toilet placed in the middle of a football field—but authorities say things have gone way too far. A dead bobcat was found hanged from a goal post at a Tullahoma football field Tuesday morning, just days before the school's Wildcats were to play in their 89th annual "Coffee Pot" game against Coffee County's Red Raiders, the Manchester Times reports. Tullahoma school officials say police are investigating the "despicable act," which they say doesn't represent the "leadership, citizenry, or the vast majority of students" at both high schools, WSMV reports. "We are friends, neighbors, relatives, and at [times] fierce competitors, but that fierce competition leaves no room for cruelty to animals," say officials at Tullahoma, where the game will go ahead tonight. It's not clear how the animal was killed, but the state's bobcat-hunting season doesn't start until late November, and a Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency spokesman tells the Times that killing the animal out of season could result in fines and the loss of the culprit's hunting license. "That is not a good way to treat a critter for a prank, that's for sure," he says. (A dark football story is developing in New Jersey, too.)