Mac Booth, Caleb Mays, Cole Willingham, and Turner Collum represented the sub-junior group of the Cedar Hill Smokin’ Guns.

By Matt Wilson

For the FCT

It was clear this past weekend that Franklin County has several excellent marksmen coming up through the ranks.

The Cedar Hill Smokin’ Guns competed in the Academics Integrity Marksmanship (AIM) program’s state trap shoot on May 31 at the Dixie Trap and Skeet Club.

The group took home first place awards in both the junior and sub-junior divisions.

Wade Willingham, the group’s coach, said there were also several different individual awards that the team members won as well.

The Cedar Hill Smokin’ Guns is the competitive team that represents the Cedar Hill Trap Range located on Franklin 84 and operated by Willingham and James King.

Started in 2002, the Cedar Hill Trap Range began sending organized teams to competitions in 2003, and from that point on, the Smokin’ Guns have been racking up awards and representing what is being taught by Willingham and King out there on the range: gun safety.

“Trap shooting has been a sport in America for something like 115 years,” King said.

“There hasn’t been a single fatality involved with the sport either.”

The range is open to the public and safety is stressed at every turn.

“We have Amateur Trapshooting Association (ATA) trained coaches and we can teach anybody the sport of trap shooting,” Willingham said.