State of Tennessee High School Football

Tullahoma entered Friday night’s 4A semifinal matchup with Haywood looking to advance to the program’s first state championship game in its history. The Wildcats were successful in that mission, beating Haywood 44-19 after a dominant second half performance. A back and forth first half between the two teams seemed to have this game shaped up to be one of the better games of the night, but a dominant 24-0 second half for Tullahoma sealed the victory for the Wildcats. Haywood took their first drive of the game into the endzone with ease, capped off by a 12-yard touchdown reception by Arkansas commit Jaylen Lewis. Tullahoma seemed to have a response for every play that Haywood made in the first half, as they drove the ball down for a touchdown on the ensuing drive. The second quarter shootout commenced, as Haywood kicked a field goal and followed that with Lewis’ second touchdown of the night from 53 yards out to extend Haywood’s lead to 16-7. From that point on, the Wildcats dominated in every aspect of the game. “We really had to start utilizing our passing game because we’re against people who are just as big and as physical as we are.” Tullahoma head coach John Olive said. “Once we got the jitters out of us, we really started to move the ball well.” Two huge plays in the pass game to end the first half gave Tullahoma a one-point lead going into halftime, along with all the momentum. The first a 80-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Scott to Krys Uselton, followed by a 63-yard touchdown pass from Scott to Jacob Dixon. The Tullahoma defense forced a stop to begin the second half and the Scott-to-Dixon connection was working at full speed, as Dixon found the endzone for the second time from 20 yards out. On the very first play for Haywood on the ensuing offensive possession, the Tullahoma defense laid a huge hit on Haywood quarterback Cordero Walker, forcing a fumble that the Wildcats scooped up and took into the endzone. With all the momentum, Tullahoma rolled through the rest of the second half to victory. Scott and Dixon were the stars for Tullahoma all night, as Scott finished 13 for 23 with 269 yards and a touchdown passing, while Dixon finished with 4 catches for 103 yards and 2 touchdowns receiving. “Jacob’s a ballplayer, if I was going into a fight I’d take him with me.” Olive said. “He’s just a gutty performer. I love those types of players.” A large part of Tullahoma’s success is their senior class. Through the 2015 and 2016 seasons, Tullahoma did not win a single game. The Wildcats’ senior class came in and changed the culture, proving to be one of the most successful classes in program history. “They are a very talented class.” Olive said. “We have 22 seniors and all 22 seniors make a contribution every week. They are great leaders and they don’t care who gets the credit. They celebrate for each other.” Tullahoma will take on two-time defending 4A state champion Elizabethton on Saturday, December 2nd in Chattanooga, in the program’s first title game appearance.

One of the best high school games ever was played in Rudderville Friday night. Page hosted Henry County for the Class 5A State Semi Finals, a game that proved to be an instant classic. A 35 point fourth quarter, and a touchdown pass from Jake McNamara to Max Collins gave Page the edge in the end—sending them to their first state championship in school history. After a scoreless first quarter, the second quarter was very back and forth. McNamara connected with Boyce Smith for the game’s first score, giving Page a 7-0 lead. Henry County responded quickly; quarterback Ryan Damron tied the game from two yards out. McNamara connected with Smith again for a 31 yard touchdown to put Page on top but Damron answered again, scoring on a 12 yard run. Aiden Frey broke the 14-14 tie with a 33 yard field goal, sending Henry county in with a three point lead seconds before halftime. Henry County came out very aggressive in the third quarter. Cole Townsend and Damron both scored on 50+ yard runs to give Henry County a 31-14 lead. Page’s only score in the third quarter would come when McNamara and Smith connected for a third time. Facing a 10 point deficit heading into the fourth quarter, McNamara knew the offense needed to respond every time Henry County scored if they wanted a chance to win. “We just had to keep balling, that was our mentality,” he said. Townsend opened the fourth quarter with a touchdown from seven yards out, extending the Henry County lead to 38-21. McNamara led Page back down the field and connected with Michael Mayer to inch Page closer. Townsend immediately responded with a 57 yard run for Henry County. Page answered again when McNamara connected with Collins for a 23 yard touchdown, then they were faced with a decision. Page chose to attempt an onside kick with five minutes left, and it was successful. Now in plus territory, Page was back on offense. McNamara wasted no time and found Michael Mayer in the endzone bringing Page within three points. Townsend answered the call yet again for Henry County, this time breaking off a 70 yard run for a touchdown. Overall, he had 28 carries for 351 yards and four touchdowns. Page responded, with Ethan Cunnigham capping off the drive with a one yard rushing touchdown. Henry County took over on offense with two and a half minutes left, looking to score, but then disaster struck. A Townsend fumble gave Page the ball back with great field position. “I knew the defense was going to get our one stop, and they did at the right time,” McNamara said. With seven seconds left McNamara found Collins in the back left corner of the end zone, giving Page the 56-52 victory. Overall, McNamara was 26-48 for 442 yards and seven touchdowns through the air, and he added 17 carries for 99 yards on the ground. McNamara doesn’t believe that the winning fortune for Page is a surprise. “We were 5-5 last year and we built the mentality in the offseason that we were gonna be something special, and I believe that this team is something special,” he said. Now sitting at 13-1, Page will face Powell on Dec. 3 in Chattanooga with the 5A state title on the line. “Everyone has doubted us all year and they’re going to keep doubting us,” McNamara said. “We’ll be the underdog next week and that’s what we like, we’ve liked it all year.”

We are now in the semifinals for all public school classifications, and there are only twelve games in the entire state this week. Oakland will travel to Maryville in our Game of the Week in one of the state’s best rivalries over the last decade. Our guest picker this week is former Oakland and current UNLV offensive lineman Graham Keating. Keating went 53-3 in his high school career with the Patriots, along with two state titles. Let’s get into our staff’s standings and predictions for all twelve of this week’s games. 1. Carter Mansfield 129-73 2. Hunter DeNote 127-75 3. Isaac Leedham 124-78 4. Cooper Haines 120-72 5. Guest Picker 115-77 T-6. Landen Secrest 114-78 T-6. Braedon Henson 114-78 8. Jake Wallman 112-90 9. Kelsey Crabtree 109-93 Game of the Week Oakland (13-0) at Maryville (13-0) Mansfield: Oakland DeNote: Oakland Leedham: Oakland Haines: Oakland Keating: Oakland Secrest: Oakland Henson: Maryville Wallman: Oakland Crabtree: Maryville Other Games Summit (13-0) at Hendersonville (10-3) Mansfield: Summit DeNote: Summit Leedham: Summit Haines: Summit Keating: Summit Secrest: Summit Henson: Hendersonville Wallman: Summit Crabtree: Summit South Pittsburg (10-2) at Cloudland (12-1) Mansfield: South Pittsburg DeNote: South Pittsburg Leedham: South Pittsburg Haines: South Pittsburg Keating: South Pittsburg Secrest: Cloudland Henson: Cloudland Wallman: South Pittsburg Crabtree: Cloudland Upperman (12-1) at Elizabethton (11-1) Mansfield: Elizabethton DeNote: Elizabethton Leedham: Elizabethton Haines: Elizabethton Keating: Elizabethton Secrest: Elizabethton Henson: Elizabethton Wallman: Elizabethton Crabtree: Upperman Trousdale County (11-1) at Hampton (9-2) Mansfield: Trousdale County DeNote: Trousdale County Leedham: Trousdale County Haines: Trousdale County Keating: Trousdale County Secrest: Trousdale County Henson: Trousdale County Wallman: Trousdale County Crabtree: Hampton Giles County (12-0) at Alcoa (12-1) Mansfield: Alcoa DeNote: Alcoa Leedham: Alcoa Haines: Alcoa Keating: Alcoa Secrest: Giles County Henson: Alcoa Wallman: Alcoa Crabtree: Alcoa Powell (11-2) at Knoxville West (11-2) Mansfield: Powell DeNote: Powell Leedham: Powell Haines: Knoxville West Keating: Powell Secrest: Knoxville West Henson: Knoxville West Wallman: Powell Crabtree: Knoxville West Dyersburg (12-0) at East Nashville (9-4) Mansfield: East Nashville DeNote: East Nashville Leedham: Dyersburg Haines: East Nashville Keating: East Nashville Secrest: East Nashville Henson: East Nashville Wallman: East Nashville Crabtree: East Nashville Haywood (13-0) at Tullahoma (13-0) Mansfield: Tullahoma DeNote: Tullahoma Leedham: Tullahoma Haines: Haywood Keating: Tullahoma Secrest: Tullahoma Henson: Tullahoma Wallman: Tullahoma Crabtree: Haywood Westview (12-1) at Riverside (12-1) Mansfield: Westview DeNote: Riverside Leedham: Westview Haines: Westview Keating: Westview Secrest: Westview Henson: Riverside Wallman: Westview Crabtree: Riverside Peabody (11-1) at McKenzie (13-0) Mansfield: McKenzie DeNote: Peabody Leedham: Peabody Haines: Peabody Keating: Peabody Secrest: Peabody Henson: Peabody Wallman: Peabody Crabtree: Peabody Henry County (8-5) at Page (12-1) Mansfield: Page DeNote: Henry County Leedham: Page Haines: Page Keating: Henry County Secrest: Page Henson: Henry County Wallman: Henry County Crabtree: Page

When the Hampton Bulldogs made the trip to Rockwood last week in the second round of the TSSAA 2-A state playoffs, fans went wild as the team became the seventh in Hampton history to advance to the quarterfinal round. And on Friday, the Bulldogs took the field with the same hunger they have shown all postseason. And because of that hunger, Hampton came, they saw, and they conquered the Oneida Indians to make it into the final four teams in the state of Tennessee for Class 2-A. Hampton received the ball to start the game, but it was nothing doing, as the Bulldogs were forced to punt. But the same was said for the Indians who gave the ball back to the Bulldogs on their inaugural drive. The Bulldogs second drive of the contest was where things got interesting as Hampton took control of the pigskin after a mishap on the Indian punt, taking possession at their opponents 32-yard line. It was a methodical drive, with the visitors pounding the rock until quarterback Conor Jones found the promised land from one yard out for the first score of the game. Hampton would go for two, and they would convert with Jones finding Ryan Crumley for the conversion making it an 8-0 ball game late in the first. The Bulldogs took over on their next possession after forcing another Oneida punt. And this drive would start late in the first period and conclude with nine minutes remaining in the second stanza with another Jones rushing score from one yard away. The two-point conversion was no good as Hampton took a 14-0 lead over the Indians On their next drive, the Bulldogs showed just how impressive their offense is driving 99 yards down the field after being pinned deep by an excellent punt. A drive that would take six minutes off the clock concluded with a bit of trickeration as Levi Lunsford took the toss at the Oneida ten-yard line where he would pitch the pigskin to Dylan Trivett. Trivett found Jones who was wide open at the goal line scoring his third touchdown of the contest. Morgan Lyons tacked on two more as the Bulldogs increased their advantage to 22-0 with under a minute to go in the first half, a score that the visitors would take into the locker room at the break. To start the second half, it would be Oneida striking first as Caden Rector found McLorne Love from nine yards out to shorten the deficit to 22-7 late in the third period. But the Bulldogs would strike right back on their next possession with Lyons fighting past the line of scrimmage and diving across the goal line from nine yards out. Jones would call his own number on the conversion, giving Hampton a 30-7 lead with nine and a half minutes to go in the ball game. On the Indians next possessions, Hampton's Jones would do all but seal the deal with an interception taken back to the 32-yard line, setting the Bulldogs up for a shot to advance to the state semifinals. With little left to do for the Bulldogs, Hampton headed home happy as they advanced with a 30-7 victory over Oneida to become one of the final four teams in Class 2A. In the win for the Bulldogs, Jones scored three touchdowns and finished with 54 rushing yards as well as 30 passing yards. Lyons ended the night with 89 yards on the ground and one score, while Lunsford amassed 128 rushing yards. The Hampton offense finished with 381 total yards on the night. For the Indians, Rector finished with 150 yards while the entirety of the Oneida offense totaled 200 yards on the night. Hampton head coach Michael Lunsford is headed to his first ever state semifinal appearance as head coach of the Bulldogs and he spoke on what this win means for him and his team. "I couldn't be more proud of these boys, they have worked so hard. It isn't pretty, we aren't a finesse team, but these guys come to work each day and are a tough bunch. These guys have grit, and not everyone can come out and do what we do, but these boys can." The Bulldogs will continue their run for a state title next Friday against the Trousdale County Yellow Jackets at JC Campbell Stadium in Hampton with a 7 p.m. kickoff.

The undefeated Greeneville Greene Devils were feeling confident enough during pre-game warm-ups that they were chirping toward the Elizabethton Cyclone student body. By the time the final horn sounded, one could have heard a pin drop from across the way as the Cyclones celebrated an exhilarating 13-7 victory at midfield that ended the perfect season for the Greene Devils and propelled the Cyclones to next week's TSSAA Class 4-A State Semifinal contest at Citizens Bank Stadium against Upperman, a 42-28 winner over Red Bank. The game was a classic showdown between two teams that have combined to win the last four state championships in Class 4-A with the winner at this particular junction of the playoffs going on to win the state championship. The Greene Devils won the gold ball in 2017 and 2018 while the Cyclones have prevailed in the 2019 and 2020 seasons. The Greene Devils took the first meeting between the teams in 2021 with a 42-12 whipping of the Cyclones during the second game of the regular season at Citizens Bank Stadium. There was a whole different plan for this evening however. The Greene Devils scored the first points of the game after a tightly played 0-0 first quarter as Adjatay Dabbs cradled a 31-yard scoring pass from Brady Quillen with 10:26 left in the first half. Cooper Graham booted the point-after attempt and the scoreboard read 7-0 Greeneville. The Cyclones didn't let the score rattle them and took the kick and methodically marched down the field eating up the clock and the yards as well before Cade Russell blasted into the end zone with 3:42 showing before intermission. Sean Smithdeal split the uprights and the game was knotted at 7-7. The half came with the 7-7 score with Greeneville slated to receive the second half kickoff. Coming out of the locker room, both teams played the third quarter just like the first with slobber knocker defense and neither offense able to punch the ball across the goal line. The Cyclones had possession of the football to open the fourth quarter of regulation after picking up critical third downs along the way at the closing of the third quarter and turned the drive into six points when quarterback Bryson Rollins threw a Patrick Mahommes - style pass to Jake Roberts who made a fantastic one-handed snare and carried the ball to pay dirt from 21-yards out. Smithdeal pulled the point-after just wide left of the uprights and the score was now in the Cyclones favor 13-7. Greeneville appeared to be marching toward tying or taking the lead but the Cyclone defense rose once more to stop the Greene Devils on fourth down with a little over six minutes on the clock. From that point, the Cyclones went on a drive of the season as Rollins continued to punch away with four, five, and six yard carries which the Greeneville defense didn't have an answer for. Forced to use their two remaining timeouts to stop the clock, the play of the game came on a fourth and two when a Rollins hard-count forced the front line of the Greene Devils to jump offsides to give the Cyclones a first down with all remaining to do was to take a knee on a couple of plays to run out the clock and send Cyclone Nation, players, coaches, and cheerleaders into a frenzied celebration. For the game, the Cyclones recorded 18 first downs to 10 for Greeneville. Rollins was 11-of-15 passing with 100 yards and the score while carrying the ball 39 times for 185 yards. The Cyclones finished the game with 299 total yards to 230 for the Greene Devils. Greeneville speedster Mason Gudger was held in check for the most part toting the football 17 times for 82 yards. Quillen finished the game 12-of-19 through the air for 135 yards. Roberts was on the receiving end of eight passes for 77 yards and the score. Defensively, Cyclone senior defensive lineman Trenton Taylor recorded a sack of Quillen. Gudger recovered his own fumble for Greeneville. Elizabethton will host Upperman next week in the 4A semifinals.

There’s a trio that resides in Spring Hill that no one has been able to stop this season. Summit’s Wade twins and Brady Pierce have been causing problems for opposing teams all year–and that continued on Friday night. “I feel like one of us always has to step up, if not all three of us,” Pierce said. “Tonight all three of us stepped up.” Summit hosted Ravenwood in a class 6A quarterfinal matchup, handling business easily in a 48-28 victory. Pierce, who plays a bit of everything on the field, scored all three of Summit’s touchdowns in the first half. Quarterback Destin Wade connected with Pierce on passes of 30, nine and 54 yards for scores. Ravenwood quarterback Chris Parson threw for two touchdowns, one to Blake Irvin, and another to Lee Molette. Entering halftime, Ravenwood trailed Summit 20-14. Ravenwood came out aggressive in the third quarter. They received the ball first and it took less than a minute for them to score. Parson broke off a 65 yard touchdown run, giving Ravenwood the lead for the first time in the game. After that, Summit began to roll. Wade and Pierce both scored rushing touchdowns in the third. Wade had a 46 yard run and Pierce took a jet sweep left and into the endzone. Parson came up with another long run that set up another Ravenwod score, but Destin Wade responded immediately when Summit took back over on offense. Dominic Hollis would come up with a late score to give the Spartans 48 points. Ravenwood would not score for the rest of the game. Pierce ended the game off with an interception to go along with his four touchdowns on the night. Overall, he collected six receptions for 108 yards and three receiving scores and he added seven carries for 31 yards and one score on the ground. Destin Wade completed 10 of 17 passes for 147 yards and three passing touchdowns but his biggest impact was on the ground. He carried the ball 19 times for 213 yards and two touchdowns. Along with those two stellar offense performances, Summit got a great all around game from Keaten Wade. On defense he forced two fumbles, had two tackles for loss, and one and a half sacks. On offense, he carried the ball 12 times for 92 yards and two scores that did not count due to penalties. He also added three receptions for 28 yards. Keaten Wade may have been the defensive superstar but he still thought his teammates played lights out, holding Ravenwood to 28 points, the same amount they scored when the two teams met in week seven. “I’m just proud of how our defense played tonight,” he said. “I’m glad I was able to make some plays down the stretch.” With the loss, Ravenwood’s (10-3) season has concluded. Summit (13-0) will travel to Hendersonville next week to play in its third consecutive state semifinals game, but this will be the first time while playing in class 6A. “It feels great to play with this team for so long,” Pierce said. “Going to the state semis three times in a row, it’s just an indescribable feeling.” Summit has now won 24 games in a row dating back to last season, and now stands one victory away from its third state championship appearance.

Green Hill came into their quarterfinal matchup with Page as one of the state’s best stories, but any hope of advancing was spoiled Friday night, as the Patriots took home a 31-14 victory. Page has been known for their dynamic offense all season, but their defense really stepped up in the win. “I wasn’t surprised that they played well, but I was surprised that they played this well.” Page head coach Charles Rathbone said. “We have some things we need to clean up, but we made a lot of big plays tonight.” Page kicked off the scoring with a one yard touchdown run by Ethan Cunningham as the first quarter concluded. Midway through the second quarter the Page defense made the first of their big plays, forcing a Green Hill intentional grounding penalty in the endzone for a safety, extending the Page lead to 9-0 going into halftime. Both teams were sluggish offensively in the first half and needed to make some adjustments going into the second half. “We just told the team we needed to relax and finish drives.” Rathbone said. “I felt like both teams came out tight and nervous in the first half, but I thought we loosened up on both sides of the ball in the second half.” It looked like Green Hill was going to gain all the momentum to start the second half as they recovered a Page fumble at the start of the second half. Two plays later, Brax Lamberth punched in a short touchdown run to cut the Page lead to 9-7. Page had an answer for every big play Green Hill made throughout the game, as Cason Walker took the ensuing kickoff back for a touchdown to suck the energy out of the Green Hill sideline. Green Hill immediately responded with a touchdown drive of their own, capped off with a 15-yard touchdown run by Cade Mahoney. A touchdown late in the third quarter by running back Ethan Cunningham, followed by 43-yard touchdown pass from Mr. Football semifinalist Jake McNamara to Boyce Smith proved to give the Patriots an insurmountable lead at 31-14. McNamara and Cunningham were the offensive stars of the night for Page. Cunningham ran for 95 yards, on 14 carries, with 2 touchdowns, while McNamara went 16 for 25, with 257 yards, and a touchdown passing. Page will host Henry County next week in the 5A semifinals.

We are now in week three of the playoffs and we have a loaded slate of games. A pair of one loss teams make up our game of the week this week as Page (11-1) travels to Green Hill (11-1). Our guest picker is former Page quarterback and current Northern State tight end Jacob Van Landingham. Van Landingham threw for over 2,000 yards in his career at Page, before starting his college career at Virginia Tech. He spent two seasons with the Hokies before transferring to Northern State. Let’s get into our staff’s standings and picks. T-1. Carter Mansfield 118-69 T-1. Hunter DeNote 118-69 3. Isaac Leedham 115-72 4. Cooper Haines 109-78 5. Guest Picker 107-80 6. Landen Secrest 105-82 7. Braedon Henson 104-83 8. Kelsey Crabtree 103-84 9. Jake Wallman 102-85 Game Of The Week Page (11-1) at Green Hill (11-1) Mansfield: Page DeNote: Green Hill Leedham: Page Haines: Page Van Landingham: Page Secrest: Green Hill Henson: Page Crabtree: Page Wallman: Green Hill Other Games Beech (9-3) at Hendersonville (9-3) Mansfield: Hendersonville DeNote: Beech Leedham: Beech Haines: Hendersonville Van Landingham: Beech Secrest: Hendersonville Henson: Beech Crabtree: Beech Wallman: Hendersonville Ravenwood (10-2) at Summit (12-0) Mansfield: Summit DeNote: Summit Leedham: Summit Haines: Summit Van Landingham: Ravenwood Secrest: Summit Henson: Summit Crabtree: Ravenwood Wallman: Summit Knoxville Central (8-3) at Knoxville West (10-2) Mansfield: Knoxville West DeNote: Knoxville West Leedham: Knoxville West Haines: Knoxville West Van Landingham: Knoxville Central Secrest: Knoxville West Henson: Knoxville Central Crabtree: Knoxville West Wallman: Knoxville West DCA (10-1) at USJ (9-2) Mansfield: USJ DeNote: DCA Leedham: DCA Haines: USJ Van Landingham: USJ Secrest: DCA Henson: DCA Crabtree: DCA Wallman: DCA Elizabethton (10-1) at Greeneville (12-0) Mansfield: Greeneville DeNote: Greeneville Leedham: Greeneville Haines: Greeneville Van Landingham: Greeneville Secrest: Greeneville Henson: Greeneville Crabtree: Greeneville Wallman: Elizabethton Pearl-Cohn (11-1) at Tullahoma (12-0) Mansfield: Pearl-Cohn DeNote: Pearl-Cohn Leedham: Pearl-Cohn Haines: Pearl-Cohn Van Landingham: Pearl-Cohn Secrest: Pearl-Cohn Henson: Tullahoma Crabtree: Pearl-Cohn Wallman: Pearl-Cohn Giles County (11-0) at Loudon (11-1) Mansfield: Giles County DeNote: Loudon Leedham: Loudon Haines: Giles County Van Landingham: Giles County Secrest: Giles County Henson: Loudon Crabtree: Giles County Wallman: Giles County Covington (9-2) at Dyersburg (11-0) Mansfield: Covington DeNote: Dyersburg Leedham: Dyersburg Haines: Covington Van Landingham: Dyersburg Secrest: Dyersburg Henson: Dyersburg Crabtree: Covington Wallman: Covington Trousdale County (10-1) at Watertown (9-3) Mansfield: Trousdale County DeNote: Trousdale County Leedham: Watertown Haines: Trousdale County Van Landingham: Trousdale County Secrest: Watertown Henson: Trousdale County Crabtree: Trousdale County Wallman: Trousdale County MAHS (11-1) at Westview (11-1) Mansfield: Westview DeNote: MAHS Leedham: Westview Haines: Westview Van Landingham: Westview Secrest: Westview Henson: MAHS Crabtree: MAHS Wallman: Westview Gordonsville (11-1) at South Pittsburg (9-2) Mansfield: South Pittsburg DeNote: South Pittsburg Leedham: South Pittsburg Haines: South Pittsburg Van Landingham: Gordonsville Secrest: Gordonsville Henson: South Pittsburg Crabtree: South Pittsburg Wallman: South Pittsburg McKenzie (12-0) at Fayetteville (11-1) Mansfield: McKenzie DeNote: McKenzie Leedham: Fayetteville Haines: McKenzie Van Landingham: McKenzie Secrest: Fayetteville Henson: Fayetteville Crabtree: Fayetteville Wallman: Fayetteville Christian Brothers (8-4) at MBA (8-3) Mansfield: MBA DeNote: MBA Leedham: MBA Haines: MBA Van Landingham: MBA Secrest: MBA Henson: MBA Crabtree: Christian Brothers Wallman: Christian Brothers CPA (10-2) at Lausanne (8-1) Mansfield: CPA DeNote: CPA Leedham: CPA Haines: CPA Van Landingham: CPA Secrest: CPA Henson: CPA Crabtree: CPA Wallman: CPA

On Friday night, Brentwood Academy hosted JP2 in the second round of the DII-AAA Playoffs. Historically, Brentwood Academy has had huge success in the series between the two schools. That narrative changed in the second half of Friday’s matchup. JP2 came out firing and started their comeback attempt—which proved to be successful. With less than five seconds left, a 24 yard field goal by Andrew Southard gave JP2 the edge, 24-21. Southard scored all of JP2’s points in the first half, connecting on two field goals. Brentwood Academy quarterback Landon Wells ran for a score, and connected with Gram Smithson for a touchdown through the air. Brentwood Academy led at the half, 14-6. On JP2’s first offensive play of the second half, Kenny Minchey connected with Colin Cook for a 75 yard touchdown, tying the game. After a 3 and out by Brentwood Academy, JP2 took over on offense, but an interception gave Brentwood Academy the ball back. Quickly, Brentwood Academy responded and took the lead after Wells found Smithson in the end zone again. To open the fourth quarter, JP2 drove down the field with ease. Elijah Robb ran in from 18 yards out to tie the game at 21. After nearly 10 minutes without a score, all signs were pointing towards overtime. Brentwood Academy had possession with under a minute left, looking to score. JP2 changed the trajectory of the game when it collected an interception with 18 seconds left. After the turnover, Southard began to think about a potential game winning field goal. “Once we got the pick, I was laser focused and locked in,” he said.

Round Two of the Tennessee high school football playoffs are here, and there are several powerhouse matchups to look out for. Our game of the week is a matchup between two 2A powerhouses in Trousdale County (9-1) at Meigs County (10-0). Our guest picker this week is former Meigs County quarterback and current Tennessee Tech defensive back Aaron Swafford. Swafford was a three-time Mr. Football finalist, winning the award in 2018, along with being a four time all-state selection. He took the Tigers to the state title game in 2019, as well. Let’s get into our standings and picks for this week’s top games. 1. Carter Mansfield 108-64 2. Hunter DeNote 107-65 3. Isaac Leedham 106-66 4. Cooper Haines 102-70 5. Guest Picker 98-74 T-6. Landen Secrest 97-75 T-6. Jake Wallman 97-75 8. Braedon Henson 95-77 9. Kelsey Crabtree 93-79 10. Jackson Utley 90-82 Game of the Week Trousdale County (9-1) at Meigs County (10-0) Mansfield: Meigs County DeNote: Meigs County Leedham: Meigs County Haines: Meigs County Swafford: Meigs County Secrest: Meigs County Wallman: Meigs County Henson: Meigs County Crabtree: Meigs County Utley: Meigs County Other Games Elizabethton (9-1) at Anderson County (6-5) Mansfield: Elizabethton DeNote: Elizabethton Leedham: Elizabethton Haines: Elizabethton Swafford: Elizabethton Secrest: Elizabethton Wallman: Elizabethton Henson: Elizabethton Crabtree: Elizabethton Utley: Anderson County Riverdale (10-1) at Lebanon (10-1) Mansfield: Riverdale DeNote: Riverdale Leedham: Riverdale Haines: Riverdale Swafford: Lebanon Secrest: Riverdale Wallman: Riverdale Henson: Riverdale Crabtree: Lebanon Utley: Lebanon Pearl-Cohn (10-1) at Hardin County (10-0) Mansfield: Hardin County DeNote: Pearl-Cohn Leedham: Hardin County Haines: Hardin County Swafford: Pearl-Cohn Secrest: Pearl-Cohn Wallman: Hardin County Henson: Pearl-Cohn Crabtree: Pearl-Cohn Utley: Pearl-Cohn Clay County (10-1) at South Pittsburg (8-2) Mansfield: South Pittsburg DeNote: South Pittsburg Leedham: South Pittsburg Haines: South Pittsburg Swafford: South Pittsburg Secrest: Clay County Wallman: South Pittsburg Henson: South Pittsburg Crabtree: South Pittsburg Utley: Clay County Karns (7-4) at Rhea County (9-2) Mansfield: Rhea County DeNote: Rhea County Leedham: Rhea County Haines: Rhea County Swafford: Rhea County Secrest: Rhea County Wallman: Rhea County Henson: Rhea County Crabtree: Rhea County Utley: Rhea County Marion County (9-1) at Watertown (8-3) Mansfield: Marion County DeNote: Watertown Leedham: Watertown Haines: Marion County Swafford: Watertown Secrest: Marion County Wallman: Marion County Henson: Watertown Crabtree: Marion County Utley: Watertown Waverly (9-1) at East Nashville (7-4) Mansfield: East Nashville DeNote: Waverly Leedham: Waverly Haines: Waverly Swafford: East Nashville Secrest: Waverly Wallman: Waverly Henson: East Nashville Crabtree: Waverly Utley: East Nashville Memphis Central (9-2) at Springfield (9-2) Mansfield: Springfield DeNote: Springfield Leedham: Memphis Central Haines: Memphis Central Swafford: Springfield Secrest: Springfield Wallman: Memphis Central Henson: Memphis Central Crabtree: Springfield Utley: Memphis Central Ravenwood (9-2) at Collierville (11-0) Mansfield: Ravenwood DeNote: Ravenwood Leedham: Collierville Haines: Ravenwood Swafford: Collierville Secrest: Ravenwood Wallman: Collierville Henson: Ravenwood Crabtree: Ravenwood Utley: Collierville Huntingdon (9-2) at MAHS (10-1) Mansfield: MAHS DeNote: MAHS Leedham: MAHS Haines: Huntingdon Swafford: Huntingdon Secrest: MAHS Wallman: Huntingdon Henson: MAHS Crabtree: MAHS Utley: MAHS Baylor (7-4) at MBA (7-3) Mansfield: MBA DeNote: MBA Leedham: MBA Haines: MBA Swafford: MBA Secrest: MBA Wallman: Baylor Henson: Baylor Crabtree: MBA Utley: MBA JP2 (7-4) at Brentwood Academy (7-3) Mansfield: Brentwood Academy DeNote: Brentwood Academy Leedham: JP2 Haines: Brentwood Academy Swafford: Brentwood Academy Secrest: Brentwood Academy Wallman: Brentwood Academy Henson: Brentwood Academy Crabtree: Brentwood Academy Utley: Brentwood Academy King’s Academy (8-3) at USJ (8-2) Mansfield: USJ DeNote: USJ Leedham: USJ Haines: USJ Swafford: USJ Secrest: USJ Wallman: USJ Henson: TKA Crabtree:TKA Utley: USJ Henry County (6-5) at Munford (9-2) Mansfield: Henry County DeNote: Henry County Leedham: Henry County Haines: Henry County Swafford: Munford Secrest: Munford Wallman: Henry County Henson: Henry County Crabtree: Henry County Utley: Henry County

To kick off week one of the 4A playoffs, a showdown between the fourth seed of the competitive region five, Marshall County, and region six champions, Hardin County, was one of the more highly anticipated games in the state. Hardin County received the opening kickoff, and though HCHS gained momentum, a Marshall County defender snagged an interception over star Kaydin Pope, giving the visiting Tigers some energy. Marshall County’s resulting drive stalled out when HCHS’s special teams shined; Christian White blocked the punt for Hardin County, with Tylin Irvin hopping on the loose ball. HCHS took advantage of a starting field position at the 6-yard line. Jacob Harrison punched in the score for HCHS to give the Tigers a lead of 7-0. HCHS’s defense continued firing and got the Tigers the ball back with time to score before halftime. HCHS had penalties to contend with, but took the gamble from 12-yards out; Carter Smith hit junior Brayden Wilkes in the back corner of the endzone with four minutes left in the first half. HCHS held a 14-point lead, giving Marshall four minutes to cut the lead before half. Marshall County drew up a trick play, completing a pass down the field, though Kaydin Pope prevented a score, pushing the receiver out of bounds. The HCHS defense rebounded and held Marshall County to a 4th & 5 at the HCHS 21-yard line. The fourth-down conversion snap sailed above Quarterback Trey Warner, giving HCHS possession with less than two minutes left in the second quarter. The hosting Tigers took advantage of the last-minute drive; sophomore quarterback Carter Smith hit Seth Garner for a 76-yard score, giving HCHS momentum, and a 21-0 lead going into the half. Marshall County received the opening kickoff, though found no success. Marshall County drove to the HCHS four-yard line, though a high snap led to another HCHS turnover. HCHS took possession into the fourth quarter, punching in another Jacob Harrison touchdown, giving HCHS a lead and win of 28-0. HCHS's defense looked great throughout the evening grabbing sacks and keeping pressure on the quarterback all night. Next week Hardin County has a matchup against fellow state title contender Pearl Cohn. The Tigers host the dominant Pearl Cohn team, who rolled over Lexington in a 56-16 rout in their first round matchup.

On Friday night, Ravenwood and Whitehaven faced off in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs. The two teams entered the fourth quarter tied 14-14 but with a little over six minutes left, Ravenwood quarterback Chris Parson connected with Lee Molette for a touchdown on a pass that was the highlight of the game. That moment proved to be the difference, and the Raptors went on to win 21-14. Parson provided the game’s first score when he scrambled into the end zone from eight yards out early in the first quarter. Early in the second quarter, connected with Blake Irvin for a 21 yard touchdown. Ravenwood entered halftime leading 14-6 thanks to an impressive defensive performance, which included an Andrew Dudas interception. After Whitehaven managed to tie the game late in the third quarter, the stakes became a lot higher. Both teams knew someone would need to make a play to separate themselves. Parson and Molette connected to make that play midway through the fourth. Parson took the snap, scrambled to the left and saw multiple defenders in his face. He heaved a pass to the left side of the end zone and it landed in Molette’s hands. All three Ravenwood touchdowns had Parson’s name attached to them, but he believes his defense played a key part in the victory. “Kudos to the defense, they stepped up big time,” the Florida State commit said. “ Our offense was sloppy at times and we didn’t play our best football but we persevered.” Parson also didn’t discount the effort from his opponent. “Kudos to Whitehaven, they played a very tough game,” he said. Whitehaven’s first score came from Mikkal Stewart on a kickoff return early in the first. Jaquez Bradley provided the Tigers with their second score when he caught the game-tying pass early in the second half. With the loss, Whitehaven’s (7-4) season has concluded. Ravenwood (9-2) will travel to face undefeated Collierville next week in the second round of the playoffs. Parson believes that Ravenwood must focus and execute in order to advance deeper in the playoffs. “We’ve just got to lock in, we have to have a good week of practice, and we’ve got to come out here and execute,” he said. “ We got the opportunity tonight and we won, and now we get to play again. We’ve got to fix our mistakes and come back ready to play next week.”

A season full of firsts came to close for the Rockvale Rockets Friday night as they fell to the Shelbyville Central Golden Eagles 23-21 in the first round of the TSSAA State Playoffs. A game that was looking to be put out of reach turned into one of the better games on the long list of first round tilts. Things picked up in the second quarter as Shelbyville Central found the end zone first, on a nine-yard pass from senior quarterback Kade Cunningham to running back and fellow senior LaQuan Young, his first of three touchdowns. The ensuing two-point play made it 8-0 with 8:39 till halftime. Shelbyville Central scored two plays later as the Golden Eagles recovered a surprise pooch kick at the Rockvale 30 yard-line. Young needed one play to go 30 yards, and Shelbyville doubled their lead to 16-0. It felt all night as if Rockvale was one play away from the tide turning. After Young put the Golden Eagles up 23-0 halfway through the 3rd quarter, the Rockets needed answers. They found them on a seven play, 70-yard drive ending in a double pass from senior Jordan Claybrook to junior Anthony Thiphavong, cutting it to 23-8 with two and a half to play. The fourth quarter saw the Rockvale defense force two big turnovers. An interception in the end zone was answered on an 80-yard bomb from senior Logan Nowacki to Thiphavong. Shelbyville Central fumbled deep in Rocket territory, giving Rockvale life with just over a minute to play. Nowacki led his team 80 yards finding junior LaMarcus Nelson for a 15-yard touchdown with six seconds remaining, but confusion and a controversial penalty on the following two-point play and the ball just off a Rockvale receiver’s hands closed the book on 2021. Shelbyville Central Head Coach Josh Puckett was not afraid to give Cunningham, his senior leader, the last drive as he touched the ball every play. “Man, I have 100% faith in Kade,” Puckett said after the emotional win. “It’s been a frustrating season for us. Cade got banged up earlier in the year and he’s not been 100% for us all year. He’s out here tonight playing on a sprained foot, he’s a warrior.” Rockvale Head Coach Rick Rice took blame for the confusion on the two-point play that would’ve tied the game. “It was called deception. I guess we really didn’t understand the rule. Me being in this as long as I have, I should’ve known that.” Rockvale’s season ends at 7-4, 3-2 in Region 6-6A. Shelbyville Central moves to 5-6 and will go to #1 Oakland next week on November 11th.

On Friday night, the Red Devils of Knoxville Halls made a trip eastbound on Interstate-81 to take on the Trailblazers of Daniel Boone High School. Despite the near-freezing temperatures, both programs put on a fight for the ages to begin the 5A postseason. The first half was the epitome of a defensive matchup. Two strong defensive fronts would cause two punts in the first two drives. Halls’ next drive would show promise, but a Caden Cummings red zone pass would be deflected by Rylan Trout, who would actually end up coming down with the ball for a highlight reel interception. Cummings wouldn’t worry, however, leading the Red Devils down the field for a 20 yard field goal, and following a set of fruitless offensive drives by Daniel Boone, a 33-yard kick to send the Red Devils into the half up 6-0. The second half of the contest would be extremely reminiscent of the first offensively, with a set of punts for both Halls and Daniel Boone. However a deep, deflected pass by Daniel Boone Quarterback Luke Jenkins would connect with Wideout Landon Kirkpatrick in the end zone. Ben Shrewsbury’s PAT would be good, making it a 7-6 ballgame, and marking the Trailblazer’s first lead with 11:52 remaining in the final quarter. Halls would have no trouble answering, however, with a bubble screen score to Nolan Faust. The two-point conversion try was no good, making it a 12-7 game. The Trailblazers ensuing drive would look promising initially with a Luke Jenkins first down scramble, but a tackle for loss and set of sacks would force the Daniel Booneinto a 4th and 25 situation. While most coaches would elect to punt, down fewer than 7 with several minutes left, veteran Head Coach Jeremy Jenkins decided to test his Quarterback’s arm. That test would prove to be successful with a field-flipping deep pass to wideout Jackson Utsman. The Blazers would break into the red zone, where on second and goal, Landon Kirkpatrick would break free once more for the game winning touchdown pass. The two-point conversion was no good, making it a 13-12 game with sixteen seconds on the clock. To add insult to injury, Brayden Blankenship would seal the game shut with a pick six, capping off a 19-12 victory for Daniel Boone in the bitter cold. The Daniel Boone student section would rush the field, celebrating the team’s first playoff victory since 2019. Boone will now host Knoxville Central on November 12th. The Trailblazers will likely be the underdogs in that contest, as Central has won 7 of their last 8. Nonetheless, Daniel Boone will hope to take this momentum into that game, and make a dark horse run in the 5A playoffs.

Contenders: USJ, DCA, Nashville Christian Dark Horses: MTCS, King’s Academy, Friendship Christian, Jackson Christian Top 3 First Round Matchups: Tipton-Rosemark at Friendship Christian, Franklin Grace at King’s Academy, Trinity Christian at Columbia Academy

Contenders: Lipscomb Academy, CPA, Lausanne Dark Hoses: Knoxville Webb, BGA, Davidson Academy, ECS, Silverdale Baptist, CAK Top 3 First Round Matchups: Davidson Academy at ECS, Northpoint Christian vs Silverdale Baptist (at Lipscomb Academy), Chattanooga Christian at BGA Bracket Prediction

Contenders: McCallie, Brentwood Academy, Briarcrest, MBA, Ensworth Dark Horses: MUS, JP2, Knoxville Catholic, Baylor, Father Ryan, Christian Brothers Top 3 First Round Matchups: Christian Brothers at Knoxville Catholic, Baylor at Ensworth, Father Ryan at MUS Bracket Prediction

The playoffs are finally here in Tennessee, and there are plenty of great first round matchups on the slate this week. Our game of the week this week is Whitehaven at Ravenwood. Our guest picker is former Ravenwood and current Louisiana-Monroe quarterback Brian Garcia. Let’s get into our staff’s standings for this season and the picks. 1. Carter Mansfield 101-56 2. Isaac Leedham 99-58 3. Hunter DeNote 96-61 4. Cooper Haines 93-64 5. Landen Secrest 91-66 T-6. Jake Wallman 90-67 T-6. Guest Picker 90-67 8. Braedon Henson 87-70 9. Kelsey Crabtree 83-74 10. Jackson Utley 81-76 Game of the Week Whitehaven (7-3) at Ravenwood (8-2) Mansfield: Ravenwood Leedham: Ravenwood DeNote: Ravenwood Haines: Ravenwood Secrest: Ravenwood Wallman: Whitehaven Garcia: Ravenwood Henson: Ravenwood Crabtree: Ravenwood Utley: Ravenwood Other Games Fairview (6-4) at Smith County (5-5) Mansfield: Fairview Leedham: Fairview DeNote: Smith County Haines: Smith County Secrest: Fairview Wallman: Fairview Garcia: Fairview Henson: Fairview Crabtree: Smith County Utley: Fairview Cascade (8-2) at Lewis County (7-3) Mansfield: Cascade Leedham: Lewis County DeNote: Lewis County Haines: Lewis County Secrest: Cascade Wallman: Lewis County Garcia: Cascade Henson: Lewis County Crabtree: Lewis County Utley: Lewis County Carter (6-4) at Elizabethton (8-1) Mansfield: Elizabethton Leedham: Elizabethton DeNote: Elizabethton Haines: Elizabethton Secrest: Elizabethton Wallman: Elizabethton Garcia: Elizabethton Henson: Elizabethton Crabtree: Elizabethton Utley: Elizabethton DeKalb County (6-4) at East Hamilton (7-2) Mansfield: East Hamilton Leedham: East Hamilton DeNote: DeKalb County Haines: East Hamilton Secrest: East Hamilton Wallman: East Hamilton Garcia: East Hamilton Henson: DeKalb County Crabtree: DeKalb County Utley: East Hamilton Marshall County (7-3) at Hardin County (10-0) Mansfield: Hardin County Leedham: Hardin County DeNote: Hardin County Haines: Hardin County Secrest: Marshall County Wallman: Hardin County Garcia: Marshall County Henson: Hardin County Crabtree: Hardin County Utley: Hardin County Walker Valley (5-5) at Karns (6-4) Mansfield: Karns Leedham: Karns DeNote: Walker Valley Haines: Karns Secrest: Karns Wallman: Karns Garcia: Karns Henson: Walker Valley Crabtree: Karns Utley: Walker Valley Rockvale (7-3) at Shelbyville (4-6) Mansfield: Shelbyville Leedham: Rockvale DeNote: Rockvale Haines: Rockvale Secrest: Rockvale Wallman: Rockvale Garcia: Rockvale Henson: Shelbyville Crabtree: Shelbyville Utley: Shelbyville Nolensville (4-6) at Station Camp (8-2) Mansfield: Nolensville Leedham: Station Camp DeNote: Nolensville Haines: Station Camp Secrest: Station Camp Wallman: Station Camp Garcia: Nolensville Henson: Station Camp Crabtree: Station Camp Utley: Station Camp Cleveland (6-4) at West Ridge (8-2) Mansfield: Cleveland Leedham: Cleveland DeNote: West Ridge Haines: West Ridge Secrest: West Ridge Wallman: West Ridge Garcia: West Ridge Henson: Cleveland Crabtree: Cleveland Utley: West Ridge Brentwood (6-4) at Germantown (8-2) Mansfield: Germantown Leedham: Brentwood DeNote: Germantown Haines: Germantown Secrest: Germantown Wallman: Germantown Garcia: Germantown Henson: Brentwood Crabtree: Brentwood Utley: Brentwood Independence (4-6) at Collierville (10-0) Mansfield: Collierville Leedham: Collierville DeNote: Independence Haines: Collierville Secrest: Collierville Wallman: Collierville Garcia: Independence Henson: Independence Crabtree: Collierville Utley: Independence Davidson Academy (6-4) at ECS (6-3) Mansfield: ECS Leedham: ECS DeNote: Davidson Academy Haines: ECS Secrest: Davidson Academy Wallman: Davidson Academy Garcia: Davidson Academy Henson: ECS Crabtree: ECS Utley: ECS Father Ryan (6-4) at MUS (6-4) Mansfield: MUS Leedham: MUS DeNote: Father Ryan Haines: MUS Secrest: MUS Wallman: MUS Garcia: Father Ryan Henson: Father Ryan Crabtree: MUS Utley: Father Ryan Baylor (6-4) at Ensworth (7-3) Mansfield: Ensworth Leedham: Ensworth DeNote: Baylor Haines: Baylor Secrest: Ensworth Wallman: Ensworth Garcia: Baylor Henson: Ensworth Crabtree: Ensworth Utley: Baylor

Contenders: Peabody, South Pittsburg, Fayetteville, Coalfield, McKenzie, Gordonsville Dark Horses: Middle College, Cloudland, Clay County, Lake County, Cornersville Top 5 First Round Matchups: Greenback at Cloudland, Midway at Unaka, Eagleville at Dresden, McEwen at Cornersville, West Carroll at Booker T. Washington Bracket Breakdown For this part, we will be breaking down the bracket into fourths. The winner of each quadrant makes it to the semifinals of the playoffs. Quadrant 1 Quadrant 1 has several high quality programs that could make a run if they get hot. Coalfield is the favorite to make it out of Quadrant 1 based on how dominant they were in region play, but teams like Cloudland, Unaka, Midway, and Oakdale could all pose a threat as well. Expect plenty of competitive early round matchups here. Quadrant 2 Quadrant 2 is extremely top heavy, as there are three teams that have a chance to make a run at Chattanooga in Gordonsville, South Pittsburg, and Clay County. It is hard to see anyone else in this quadrant competing with those three programs. South Pittsburg-Clay County would be one of the best second round matchups in the entire state. If South Pittsburg and Gordonsville met in a quarterfinal rematch from last year, the Pirates would host this year’s matchup. Quadrant 3 Quadrant 3 is easily the deepest of any in 1A. There are two big-time state title contenders in Fayetteville and McKenzie, while also featuring several other solid programs that could pull an upset such as McEwen, Dresden, Eagleville, and Cornersville. Whoever makes it out of Quadrant 3 will be as battle tested as anyone in class 1A. Quadrant 4 Quadrant 4 has an easy favorite in Peabody. Peabody had won three consecutive state titles in 2A before moving down to 1A before this season. The Golden Tide are the favorite to take home another title this season, but teams like Lake County and Middle College will be Peabody’s biggest roadblocks in contending for another state title. Bracket Projection

Contenders: Meigs County, Westview, MAHS, Marion County Dark Horses: Riverside, South Greene, Trousdale County, Watertown, Fairley, Huntingdon, Hampton, Tyner Academy Top 5 First Round Matchups: Monterey at Hampton, East Hickman at Summertown, Tyner Academy at Trousdale County, Cascade at Lewis County, Mitchell at Huntingdon Bracket Breakdown For this part, we will be breaking down the bracket into fourths. The winner of each quadrant makes it to the semifinals of the playoffs. Quadrant 1 Quadrant 1 has several solid teams that could make it to the semifinals. While there does not seem to be a true state title contender from this group, South Greene, Hampton, Monterey, Oneida, and Rockwood are all teams that could make a run from Quadrant 1. South Greene is probably the best team from this group, though. Quadrant 2 Whichever team makes it out of Quadrant 2 is going to the state title game, in my opinion. The thing about that is that there are at least four teams that could make it out in Trousdale County, Watertown, Meigs County, and Marion County. Meigs County is the favorite here simply because they have been to the state title game the past two seasons, but you really can’t count out any team from this quadrant. Quadrant 3 There are several very good teams that make up Quadrant 3. Riverside is the favorite to make the semifinals out of this quadrant, but teams like Forrest, Summertown, Cascade, and Lewis County could give the Panthers a run for their money as well. Quadrant 4 There are two heavyweights that make up Quadrant 4 in MAHS and Westview. They would be set to match up in the quarterfinals, but not without several teams that could give them a run for their money in the early rounds. Huntingdon, Mitchell, Fairley, and Freedom Prep have all had very good seasons and could pose a challenge to both MAHS and Westview. 2A in Memphis has been extremely solid this year, so expect this to be one of the more exciting sections of the bracket. Bracket Prediction