Anderson County made their first state title game appearance Saturday morning, and the Mavericks rose to the occasion, winning a 34-30 thriller over Pearl-Cohn to cap off an undefeated season and bring the school and community their first state championship. “I grew up playing here so I know how much this means to this school and the community.” Anderson County Head Coach Davey Gillum said. “When you are a part of a rural school and community, you are playing for more than just yourselves, you’re playing for the whole community.” Pearl-Cohn sprinted out to a 14-0 lead after a first play passing touchdown and a fumble on the ensuing kickoff that the Firebirds capitalized on. The game had a chance to get ugly for Anderson County early, but the Mavericks responded with their backs against the wall. “We really preach family and staying together even through tough times.” Gillum said. “There was really no question for us that we were still in it because of the character that we know our guys have.” The first half was fueled by offense and a field goal just before halftime for Pearl-Cohn gave the Firebirds a 24-20 lead going into the break. Both defenses settled in more in the second half, especially Anderson County, as they held Pearl-Cohn to six points in the half. The four-headed monster of Walker Martinez, Bryson Vowell, Nick Moog, and game MVP Gavin Noe were nearly unstoppable for Anderson County. Noe led the Mavericks in rushing, with 138 yards and a touchdown. Anderson County ran the table this year, finishing up a stellar season in which they beat powerhouses Greeneville, Powell, and Elizabethton twice to finish the season undefeated and bring home the first state title in program history.

In Friday night’s 5A BlueCross bowl, both teams were looking to take the next step and win a state title after years of coming close and falling short. Knox West was the team to get back to the top of the mountain, and they did so in dominant fashion, with a 47-13 win over Page for their second state title in school history and first since 2014. “These guys have battled all year and we’ve had some heartbreaking losses over the years.” Knox West Head Coach Lamar Brown said. “In the offseason we knew we needed to do some things differently and we came up with some goals and these guys have really responded to them all season long.” After a scoreless first quarter, both offenses exploded in the second quarter. A touchdown just before half for West gave the Rebels a 26-13 lead going into halftime. From that point on, West kept their foot on the gas and did not look back with both a second half shutout and an impressive offensive performance. The Rebels held Page to -6 rushing yards in the game. “At this point in the season, you’re not changing much on defense, and if you are, you’re in trouble.” Brown said. “We just did what we have all season on defense and executed when we needed it the most.” Carson Jessie was named MVP of the game, and rightfully so, as he went 18 for 24 with 286 yards and 4 touchdowns passing. His play is really what guided Knox West to an explosive and dominant second half. This is West’s second state title in school history and first since 2014 when they knocked off Hillsboro. The Rebels cap off an undefeated season in which they ran through a gauntlet of teams, including being the first team since the 90s to beat both Maryville and Alcoa in the same season.

What many thought would be the most lopsided game of the weekend, turned out to be more interesting than anything, for most of three quarters. After last year's heartbreaking loss in the State Championship game at the hands of South Pittsburgh, this season for McKenzie was one of revenge. They got just that. The Rebels defeated Clay County 34-14 en route to their first ever State Title in school history. Coach Comer, McKenzie’s head coach, stated “After last year this win means everything, especially for those kids. What they went through last year coming up a game short, and to come back and finish it, I’m so proud of them.” Comer has coached for 18 seasons with the Rebels and he finally notches a State Championship into his belt. Star wide receiver Zavier Webber had a key role to play through the air catching only three passes for 101 yards and 2 touchdowns. Just like his head coach this win stood out above all the rest. Webber claims “this isn’t it, the coaching staff is good and the younger players are good, so success is going to come.” Jackson Cassidy, the MVP of the game, went 7-14 through the air for 168 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also added 9 carries for 45 yards to the stat sheet. Cassidy arguably was more impactful on the defensive side with 9 total tackles. It was not all that easy for McKenzie tonight, after scoring 14 unanswered points on back to back possessions, Clay County marched the ball 75 yards for a touchdown and added a two point conversion to make the score 14-8. With 2:28 seconds left in the half McKenzie added another score and kept adding on throughout the second half. McKenzie finishes off their undefeated season with some gold hardware, hopefully making the long trip back a little more enjoyable.

When Baylor and MBA met in the regular season, MBA came out on top in a thriller filled with tons of offense. Thursday night’s DII-AAA BlueCross Bowl rematch between the teams played out in a similar way, only it was Baylor winning this time, giving the program their first state championship since 1973 and second in school history in their first year under Head Coach Erik Kimrey. “Our guys have been awesome all year, they’ve bought into a change.” Kimrey said. “They go all in on the things we ask them and they got better every week and believed something great was going to happen.” MBA was the favorite in this game, and played like it for most of the first half. The Big Red jumped out to an early 14-0 lead, but Baylor responded with a touchdown pass from Whit Muschamp to Louis Vincent that looked like it was punched out from behind through the back of the endzone, which would have been a touchback and MBA would have gotten the ball back. MBA scored on the ensuing drive to extend their lead to 21-7 and had Baylor’s backs against the wall. “Just to be down against a team like that and not panic was huge.” Kimrey said. “It just shows the character of our guys and what we’ve tried to instill in them.” MBA took a 28-24 lead into halftime, but the momentum really started to shift towards Baylor in the second half, as both defenses really started to settle in. A 46-yard touchdown pass from Muschamp to Amari Jefferson gave Baylor their first lead of the game and all of the momentum. With the game being in Chattanooga, the home crowd for Baylor really started to get into the game, giving the Red Raiders even more momentum and energy as the game went along. “I’m so proud to be a part of this community and this school.” Kimrey said. “This school is committed to excellence across the board and it reflects on our football program.” Senior running back Caleb Hampton was a workhorse for Baylor, leading him to earn MVP honors for the game. He had 24 carries for 181 yards and two touchdowns on the game, but none was bigger than the 45-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 38-28 for the Red Raiders. This touchdown proved to be the dagger for Baylor. “A senior couldn’t ask for anything better than winning a state championship in their last game.” Hampton said. “I just trusted my linemen on that last touchdown run, we just kept telling each other to have trust and something great would happen.” Baylor wins their first state championship in 49 years in the first year under Kimrey. This team will be dangerous next year as well in their title defense, as they will return a number of their key players.

What many people considered to be the most intriguing game of the week, ended up being just that. Friendship Christian and Nashville Christian went down to the wire, with both teams leaving everything they had on the field. Many people outside of the Friendship Christian program did not see many expectations for this team, and what expectations were shown got shattered tonight in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Friendship Christian scratched, fought, and clawed their way into the winner circle with a 34-27 victory over Nashville Christian. This season even surpassed Coach McNeal’s expectations stating, “The season just kept unfolding and kept getting better and better, it really passed my expectations being an undefeated season.” Later giving all the praise to the players and his assistant coaches stating, “This coaching staff is great, well knowledgeable, and simply do an unbelievable job.” The Commanders were led by their star quarterback, and MVP of the game Garrett Weekly. The Stanford commit was 13-16 for 166 yards and 3 touchdowns through the air, adding 113 yards on the ground. Though Weekly won MVP honors, star wideout Brock Montgomery caught 7 passes for 111 yards and 3 touchdowns. Montgomery opened the game hot, catching all of his 3 touchdown passes in the first half. Nashville Christian would not go away lightly, with 1:52 seconds on the clock the Eagles were marching down deep into FCS territory. A goal line stand and an interception by Tyler Smiley sealed the deal as the clock ran out. Friendship Christian will gear up for another great run in DII-A in 2023.

Many people outside of the Lipscomb Academy football program were worried that the news of Head Coach Trent Dilfer taking the same position at UAB would be a distraction in the Mustangs’ pursuit of a second consecutive state championship, but those fears were quickly alleviated. Lipscomb Academy was dominant early and never let up in a 42-0 win over CPA. “What I have been preaching to this community for four years is control what you can control.” Dilfer said. “Our practice yesterday was one of the finest moments of my life. To watch a group of people who were hurting when they heard the news work through for two and a half hours of practice and by the end of practice be hugging and crying, has really been one of the themes we have been preaching here.” Lipscomb Academy was led by the efforts of Senior Vanderbilt commitment Maureice (Junior) Sherrill, who had 201 total yards and 4 total touchdowns in the win. “People always want to ask me what offense we run, and it’s called get the dude the ball.” Dilfer said. “Junior is a dude, we have other really good players, but we knew in the biggest game we had to get him the ball.” While Sherrill’s efforts earned him MVP honors, the Lipscomb Academy defense could have made a case for the honor as well. The Mustangs held CPA to 80 yards of total offense in the shutout. Tennessee commitment and the number-one ranked Junior in the state, Kaleb Beasley, had an interception that he returned to the two-yard line, along with a 52-yard punt return on the day. Lipscomb Academy will begin a search for their next coach in the coming weeks, for what should be one of the state’s most attractive job openings. The Mustangs will also be making the transition to DII-AAA next season in a region with powerhouses such as McCallie, MBA, Baylor,

The 2022 BlueCross Bowl matchups are set and there are plenty of exciting matchups to close out the season. There are 6 undefeated teams left (Lipscomb Academy, Friendship Christian, MBA, McKenzie, Knox West, Anderson County), along with two rematches from last year (Alcoa/East Nashville and CPA/Lipscomb Academy). Let’s get into our staff’s picks and standings. Standings 1. Isaac Leedham 109-48 2. Cooper Haines 108-49 3. Carter Mansfield 107-50 4. Hunter DeNote 103-54 5. Isaac Lutrell 98-59 6. Kelsey Crabtree 98-59 7. Braedon Henson 90-67 DII-AA CPA (8-5) vs Lipscomb Academy (12-0) Thursday, Dec. 1, 11 A.M. ET Leedham: Lipscomb Academy Haines: Lipscomb Academy Mansfield: Lipscomb Academy DeNote: Lipscomb Academy Lutrell: Lipscomb Academy Crabtree: Henson: CPA DII-A Friendship Christian (12-0) vs Nashville Christian (10-2) Thursday, Dec. 1, 3 P.M. ET Leedham: Friendship Christian Haines: Friendship Christian Mansfield: Nashville Christian DeNote: Nashville Christian Lutrell: Nashville Christian Crabtree: Henson: Nashville Christian DII-AAA Baylor (10-2) vs MBA (12-0) Thursday, Dec. 1, 7 P.M. ET Leedham: MBA Haines: MBA Mansfield: Baylor DeNote: MBA Lutrell: Baylor Crabtree: Henson: MBA 3A Alcoa (13-1) vs East Nashville (12-2) Friday, Dec. 2, 11 A.M. ET Leedham: Alcoa Haines: Alcoa Mansfield: Alcoa DeNote: Alcoa Lutrell: Alcoa Crabtree: Henson: Alcoa 1A Clay County (13-1) vs McKenzie (14-0) Friday, Dec. 2, 3 P.M. ET Leedham: McKenzie Haines: McKenzie Mansfield: McKenzie DeNote: McKenzie Lutrell: McKenzie Crabtree: Henson: McKenzie 5A Knox West (14-0) vs Page (12-2) Friday, Dec. 2, 7 P.M. ET Leedham: Knox West Haines: Knox West Mansfield: Knox West DeNote: Knox West Lutrell: Knox West Crabtree: Henson: Knox West 4A Anderson County (14-0) vs Pearl-Cohn (12-2) Saturday, Dec. 3, 11 A.M. ET Leedham: Pearl-Cohn Haines: Pearl-Cohn Mansfield: Anderson County DeNote: Pearl-Cohn Lutrell: Anderson County Crabtree: Henson: Anderson County 2A Tyner Academy (13-1) vs Riverside (12-2) Saturday, Dec. 3, 3 P.M. ET Leedham: Tyner Academy Haines: Tyner Academy Mansfield: Tyner Academy DeNote: Tyner Academy Lutrell: Tyner Academy Crabtree: Henson: Riverside 6A Oakland (13-1) vs Beech (13-1) Saturday, Dec. 3, 7 P.M. ET Leedham: Oakland Haines: Oakland Mansfield: Oakland DeNote: Oakland Lutrell: Oakland Crabtree: Henson: Oakland Thanks to Our Sponsors!

It’s semifinal week in Tennessee and we have a loaded slate of games. Maryville and Oakland meet in the semifinals for the eighth consecutive season and we also have an undefeated matchup as McKenzie will travel to Memphis to take on MASE in the 1A semifinals. Let’s get into our staff’s picks and standings. Standings T-1. Cooper Haines 98-47 T-1. Isaac Leedham 98-47 T-1. Carter Mansfield 98-47 4. Hunter DeNote 95-50 5. Isaac Lutrell 90-55 6. Kelsey Crabtree 89-56 7. Braedon Henson 83-62 Game of the Week Maryville (10-3) at Oakland (12-1) Haines: Oakland Leedham: Oakland Mansfield: Oakland DeNote: Oakland Lutrell: Oakland Crabtree: Oakland Henson: Maryville Other Games Knox West (13-0) at Powell (11-2) Haines: Knox West Leedham: Knox West Mansfield: Knox West DeNote: Knox West Lutrell: Powell Crabtree: Knox West Henson: Knox West Anderson County (13-0) at Red Bank (11-2) Haines: Anderson County Leedham: Anderson County Mansfield: Anderson County DeNote: Anderson County Lutrell: Anderson County Crabtree: Anderson County Henson: Anderson County York Institute (9-4) at Tyner Academy (12-1) Haines: Tyner Academy Leedham: Tyner Academy Mansfield: Tyner Academy DeNote: Tyner Academy Lutrell: Tyner Academy Crabtree: Tyner Academy Henson: York Institute Coalfield (12-1) at Clay County (12-1) Haines: Clay County Leedham: Clay County Mansfield: Clay County DeNote: Coalfield Lutrell: Clay County Crabtree: Coalfield Henson: Coalfield Alcoa (12-1) at Giles County (10-3) Haines: Alcoa Leedham: Alcoa Mansfield: Alcoa DeNote: Alcoa Lutrell: Alcoa Crabtree: Alcoa Henson: Alcoa East Nashville (11-2) at Covington (11-2) Haines: East Nashville Leedham: East Nashville Mansfield: East Nashville DeNote: East Nashville Lutrell: East Nashville Crabtree: East Nashville Henson: East Nashville Pearl-Cohn (11-2) at Haywood (13-0) Haines: Haywood Leedham: Pearl-Cohn Mansfield: Haywood DeNote: Haywood Lutrell: Haywood Crabtree: Pearl-Cohn Henson: Pearl-Cohn Page (11-2) at Henry County (11-2) Haines: Page Leedham: Page Mansfield: Henry County DeNote: Page Lutrell: Page Crabtree: Page Henson: Henry County Riverside (11-2) at Huntingdon (11-2) Haines: Riverside Leedham: Riverside Mansfield: Huntingdon DeNote: Huntingdon Lutrell: Huntingdon Crabtree: Henson: Huntingdon Beech (12-1) at Bartlett (11-2) Haines: Bartlett Leedham: Bartlett Mansfield: Beech DeNote: Bartlett Lutrell: Bartlett Crabtree: Bartlett Henson: Beech McKenzie (13-0) at MASE (13-0) Haines: McKenzie Leedham: McKenzie Mansfield: McKenzie DeNote: McKenzie Lutrell: McKenzie Crabtree: MASE Henson: McKenzie Thanks to Our Sponsors!

We are currently in the third round of the TSSAA Playoffs, which is the quarterfinal stage for Division One and the semifinal stage for Division Two. There are two quarterfinal games between undefeated teams that were the consensus top-two teams in their classifications coming into the playoffs, Fayetteville at McKenzie in Class 1A and Greeneville at Anderson County in 4A. Let’s get into our staff’s standings and picks.

The Gordonsville team has had the South Pittsburg monkey on its back for what feels like forever. The Tigers have watched their season come to end at the hands of South Pittsburg for each of the last four seasons coming into Friday night, but that streak was finally ended, as Gordonsville traveled home with a 14-7 victory over the defending 1A state champions. “Being able to come down here and win, it’s huge for our program.” Gordonsville Head Coach Stephen Jackson said. There were fireworks from the beginning, as Gordonsville freshman J Foster returned the opening kickoff back for a touchdown, leaving the South Pittsburg sideline stunned, and giving the Tigers all of the momentum early. This led to a quick defensive stop for Gordonsville, before they drove the ball down and scored again on a 16-yard touchdown run by Bryson Greer to take a 14-0 lead. Greer was the workhorse for the Gordonsville offense, rushing for 88 yards on 15 carries with the touchdown, before exiting in the third quarter due to injury. South Pittsburg responded on a deep pass from Kam Wellington to RaCash Kelly in the second quarter to cut the lead to 14-7, and it was a defensive slugfest from there. Both teams traded huge blows and defense stands all night long. Gordonsville asserted their will in the running game, even with Greer out, as quarterback Matthew Albritton also rushed for 80 of the Tiger’s 202 rushing yards on the night. This allowed the Tigers to have no problem running the clock out and winning their first playoff game against South Pittsburg since 2012 and their first playoff win on the road against the Pirates since 2006. Gordonsville will get a rematch with region foe, Clay County, who beat the Tigers 27-20 in the last game of the regular season for a region title

Round 2 of the TSSAA playoffs is upon us, and there is a full slate of matchups between top teams this week. Let’s get into our standings and picls. Standings 1. Carter Mansfield 86-39 T-2. Hunter DeNote 82-43 T-2. Cooper Haines 82-43 T-2. Isaac Leedham 82-43 5. Kelsey Crabtree 79-46 6. Isaac Lutrell 74-51 7. Braedon Henson 71-54 Game of the Week Pope John Paul II (8-3) at Brentwood Academy (8-2) Mansfield: Brentwood Academy DeNote: Brentwood Academy Haines: Brentwood Academy Leedham: Brentwood Academy Crabtree: Brentwood Academy Lutrell: Pope John Paul II Henson: Pope John Paul II Other Games Gordonsville (8-3) at South Pittsburg (9-2) Mansfield: South Pittsburg DeNote: South Pittsburg Haines: Gordonsville Leedham: South Pittsburg Crabtree: South Pittsburg Lutrell: South Pittsburg Henson: Gordonsville East Nashville (9-2) at Waverly (9-1) Mansfield: East Nashville DeNote: East Nashville Haines: East Nashville Leedham: East Nashville Crabtree: Waverly Lutrell: East Nashville Henson: East Nashville Elizabethton (6-4) at Anderson County (11-0) Mansfield: Anderson County DeNote: Anderson County Haines: Anderson County Leedham: Anderson County Crabtree: Anderson County Lutrell: Anderson County Henson: Anderson County Page (9-2) at Mt. Juliet (9-2) Mansfield: Mt. Juliet DeNote: Page Haines: Page Leedham: Page Crabtree: Mt. Juliet Lutrell: Page Henson: Mt. Juliet White County (9-2) at Nolensville (11-0) Mansfield: Nolensville DeNote: Nolensville Haines: Nolensville Leedham: Nolensville Crabtree: White County Lutrell: Nolensville Henson: Nolensville Germantown (9-2) at Houston (9-2) Mansfield: Houston DeNote: Houston Haines: Houston Leedham: Germantown Crabtree: Germantown Lutrell: Germantown Henson: Germantown Brentwood (8-3) at Bartlett (9-2) Mansfield: Bartlett DeNote: Bartlett Haines: Bartlett Leedham: Bartlett Crabtree: Bartlett Lutrell: Bartlett Henson: Brentwood CPA (6-5) at Lausanne (8-1) Mansfield: CPA DeNote: Lausanne Haines: CPA Leedham: Lausanne Crabtree: CPA Lutrell: CPA Henson: CPA McCallie (9-2) at Ensworth (7-3) Mansfield: McCallie DeNote: Ensworth Haines: McCallie Leedham: McCallie Crabtree: Ensworth Lutrell: McCallie Henson: Ensworth

The Lexington Tigers started the season 1-3, though a 6-game winning streak to finish the regular season locked up a Region 6-4A title, along with home playoff advantage. This set up Lexington to host the 4th seed from Region 5, the Greenbrier Bobcats. The Bobcats brought a talented team to Lexington, including Tennessee commitment Nathan Robinson, along with a 5-3 record in district play. The first half was the Isaiah McClaine show. Lexington's feature back rushed for 3 touchdowns in the first half, providing a 19-0 lead early in the second quarter. The Bobcats found a drive, and capitalized with 1:40 left in the half; Greenbrier found the endzone by way of a 5-yard Braxton Laney scramble, though a blocked point after attempt meant the Bobcats trailed by 13, for a score of 19-6 at the half. McClaine found the endzone for the fourth time on Lexington's opening drive of the second half, making the lead 26-6. The Tigers added to their lead late with a 26-yard touchdown pass, hauled in by junior wideout Sitka Huffman. The Tigers held a firm 33-6 lead, though junior Romillo Smith found the endzone on a 5-yard rushing touchdown early in the 4th, making the lead 40-6 along with a running clock, and a first-round victory for the District 6-4A champions. Lexington plays host to the 10-1 Marshall County Tigers, who took a 21-14 lead into halftime against Chester County. The Eagles opened the second half with a field goal, though Marshall County scored 28-unanswered, securing a 49-17 first-round win, and a second-round road trip to Lexington. Thanks to our sponsors!

The TSSAA playoffs are finally here, and there are plenty of great matchups in the first round to kick us off for the postseason. Our guest picker this week is former all-state Bartlett Linebacker, Bryan Whitehead II. He recorded 19 TFLs, and 11.5 sacks in 9 games this season for Pearl River Junior College. Let’s get into our staff’s standings and picks. Standings 1. Carter Mansfield 77-33 2. Hunter DeNote 72-38 3. Cooper Haines 71-39 4. Isaac Leedham 70-40 5. Kelsey Crabtree 68-42 6. Guest Picker 64-46 7. Isaac Lutrell 63-47 8. Braedon Henson 61-49 Game of the Week Centennial (8-2) at Bartlett (8-2) Mansfield: Bartlett DeNote: Bartlett Haines: Bartlett Leedham: Bartlett Crabtree: Bartlett Whitehead: Bartlett Lutrell: Bartlett Henson: Bartlett Other Games Briarcrest (5-5) at Pope John Paul II (7-3) Mansfield: JP2 DeNote: Briarcrest Haines: JP2 Leedham: JP2 Crabtree: JP2 Whitehead: JP2 Lutrell: JP2 Henson: JP2 Bradley Central (7-3) at Science Hill (6-4) Mansfield: Bradley Central DeNote: Bradley Central Haines: Bradley Central Leedham: Bradley Central Crabtree: Science Hill Whitehead: Bradley Central Lutrell: Bradley Central Henson: Science Hill Bearden (6-4) at Dobyns-Bennett (8-2) Mansfield: Dobyns-Bennett DeNote: Bearden Haines: Dobyns-Bennett Leedham: Dobyns-Bennett Crabtree: Dobyns-Bennett Whitehead: Dobyns-Bennett Lutrell: Bearden Henson: Dobyns-Bennett Stewarts Creek (5-5) at Coffee County (8-2) Mansfield: Coffee County DeNote: Stewarts Creek Haines: Coffee County Leedham: Coffee County Crabtree: Coffee County Whitehead: Coffee County Lutrell: Coffee County Henson: Coffee County Riverdale (6-4) at Lebanon (8-2) Mansfield: Riverdale DeNote: Lebanon Haines: Lebanon Leedham: Lebanon Crabtree: Lebanon Whitehead: Lebanon Lutrell: Riverdale Henson: Lebanon Germantown (8-2) at Ravenwood (6-4) Mansfield: Ravenwood DeNote: Ravenwood Haines: Germantown Leedham: Germantown Crabtree: Ravenwood Whitehead: Ravenwood Lutrell: Ravenwood Henson: Germantown Independence (5-5) at Houston (8-2) Mansfield: Houston DeNote: Houston Haines: Houston Leedham: Houston Crabtree: Houston Whitehead: Houston Lutrell: Houston Henson: Independence Collierville (8-2) at Brentwood (7-3) Mansfield: Collierville DeNote: Brentwood Haines: Collierville Leedham: Collierville Crabtree: Brentwood Whitehead: Collierville Lutrell: Brentwood Henson: Brentwood Green Hill (6-4) at Page (8-2) Mansfield: Page DeNote: Page Haines: Page Leedham: Page Crabtree: Page Whitehead: Page Lutrell: Page Henson: Page Franklin County (7-3) at White County (8-2) Mansfield: White County DeNote: White County Haines: Franklin County Leedham: White County Crabtree: White County Whitehead: Franklin County Lutrell: Franklin County Henson: Franklin County Knox Carter (6-4) at Elizabethton (5-4) Mansfield: Elizabethton DeNote: Elizabethton Haines: Elizabethton Leedham: Elizabethton Crabtree: Carter Whitehead: Carter Lutrell: Elizabethton Henson: Elizabethton DeKalb County (6-4) at East Hamilton (7-3) Mansfield: DeKalb County DeNote: East Hamilton Haines: East Hamilton Leedham: East Hamilton Crabtree: East Hamilton Whitehead: East Hamilton Lutrell: East Hamilton Henson: DeKalb County Unicoi County (8-2) at Gatlinburg-Pittman (9-1) Mansfield: Gatlinburg-Pittman DeNote: Gatlinburg-Pittman Haines: Gatlinburg-Pittman Leedham: Gatlinburg-Pittman Crabtree: Gatlinburg-Pittman Whitehead: Gatlinburg-Pittman Lutrell: Gatlinburg-Pittman Henson: Gatlinburg-Pittman Union City (8-2) at Freedom Prep (8-2) Mansfield: Union City DeNote: Freedom Prep Haines: Union City Leedham: Union City Crabtree: Freedom Prep Whitehead: Union City Lutrell: Union City Henson: Freedom Prep

Here are 100 players to watch going into this year’s TSSAA playoffs. We have divided it out by class and only one player per team is listed.

Smith County Head Coach Matt Dyer was pure emotion after the Owls took down last year’s 3A state runner up for the Region 5-3A title, in a game that many people expected East Nashville to dominate in. “These guys silenced all the doubters tonight, no one gave them a chance in this game.” Dyer said. “We took it to them for four quarters, that’s what we asked our guys to do and they answered the bell.” This game was a slugfest from the beginning, as the game remained scoreless until the final minute of the first half when Zaccheus Beard punched in a quarterback sneak from the 1-yard line to give East Nashville an early 6-0. This set up the play of the night for Smith County and what would become one of the themes for the Owls on the night: response to adversity. Freshman quarterback Kaden Powell made a perfect throw in between two East Nashville defenders from 35 yards out on fourth down to Johnny Lyda, which gave the Owls a 7-6 lead going into halftime, along with all the momentum. Powell showed poise throughout the game for a freshman quarterback on a huge stage for high school football. He finished with 136 total yards and a touchdown on the night. Smith County was quickly faced with adversity again, as Tre’Quan Waters busted off a 72-yard touchdown run that gave East Nashville the lead right back to open the second half. Waters was a thorn in the side of the Owls all night, as he finished with 120 yards rushing. “They are battlers and they don’t quit.” Dyer said. “They don’t play with each other, they play for each other.” Smith County quickly responded with another fourth down touchdown, as Bryce Currie took it in from 14 yards out for what seemed to be the game-tying touchdown. An East Nashville offside penalty motivated the Owls to go for two and Powell found the endzone on a quarterback sneak to give Smith County a 15-14 lead that would stick throughout the fourth quarter. Both of these teams will be major contenders in 3A and this is easily a rematch we could see if the quarterfinals in a few weeks. Smith County improves to 9-1 on the season, and since they are region champions, will host Sycamore (4-6) in the first round of the playoffs. East Nashville will have the second-ranked spot in the region, and will host White House (6-4) in the first round of the playoffs next week.

We are in the last week of the regular season here in Week 11, and every game on our list this week will determine a region title. Our guest picker is from East Nashville and current Naval Academy linebacker Tyler Fletcher. 1. Carter Mansfield 71-29 2. Hunter DeNote 65-35 T-3. Cooper Haines 64-36 T-3. Isaac Leedham 64-36 5. Kelsey Crabtree 61-39 6. Guest Picker 60-40 7. Isaac Lutrell 58-42 8. Braedon Henson 54-46 Game of the Week 3A #2 East Nashville (8-1) at 3A #5 Smith County (8-1) Mansfield: East Nashville DeNote: Haines: East Nashville Leedham: East Nashville Crabtree: East Nashville Fletcher: East Nashville Lutrell: East Nashville Henson: Smith County Other Games DII-A #3 MTCS (8-1) at DII-A #1 Friendship Christian (9-0) Mansfield: Friendship Christian DeNote: Haines: Friendship Christian Leedham: Friendship Christian Crabtree: Friendship Christian Fletcher: MTCS Lutrell: Friendship Christian Henson: Friendship Christian 1A #5 Gordonsville (7-2) at 1A #8 Clay County (8-1) Mansfield: Clay County DeNote: Haines: Gordonsville Leedham: Gordonsville Crabtree: Clay County Fletcher: Clay County Lutrell: Clay County Henson: Gordonsville 5A #8 Mt. Juliet (7-2) at 5A #13 Green Hill (6-3) Mansfield: Mt. Juliet DeNote: Haines: Mt. Juliet Leedham: Mt. Juliet Crabtree: Mt. Juliet Fletcher: Green Hill Lutrell: Mt. Juliet Henson: Mt. Juliet 2A #3 Riverside (8-1) at 2A #4 Lewis County (8-1) Mansfield: Riverside DeNote: Haines: Riverside Leedham: Riverside Crabtree: Riverside Fletcher: Lewis County Lutrell: Riverside Henson: Lewis County 3A #6 Fairview (7-2) at 3A #4 Waverly (7-1) Mansfield: Fairview DeNote: Haines: Waverly Leedham: Waverly Crabtree: Waverly Fletcher: Fairview Lutrell: Fairview Henson: Fairview DII-AA #4 Chattanooga Christian (8-1) at DII-AA #2 Knoxville Webb (8-0) Mansfield: Chattanooga Christian DeNote: Haines: Knox Webb Leedham: Chattanooga Christian Crabtree: Knox Webb Fletcher: Knox Webb Lutrell: Chattanooga Christian Henson: Chattanooga Christian DII-A #6 Donelson Christian (6-3) at DII-A #5 Nashville Christian (7-2) Mansfield: Nashville Christian DeNote: Haines: Nashville Christian Leedham: Nashville Christian Crabtree: Nashville Christian Fletcher: DCA Lutrell: DCA Henson: Nashville Christian 3A #10 West Greene (8-1) at 3A #9 Chuckey-Doak (8-1) Mansfield: Chuckey-Doak DeNote: Haines: Chuckey-Doak Leedham: Chuckey-Doak Crabtree: Chuckey-Doak Fletcher: West Greene Lutrell: Chuckey-Doak Henson: Chuckey-Doak DII-AAA #7 MUS (7-2) at DII-AAA #4 Brentwood Academy (7-2) Mansfield: Brentwood Academy DeNote: Haines: Brentwood Academy Leedham: Brentwood Academy Crabtree: MUS Fletcher: Brentwood Academy Lutrell: Brentwood Academy Henson: Brentwood Academy

Here are our website’s final rankings of the season going into Week 11. Each team's previous ranking is listed in parentheses, followed by the team’s result from last week.

Week 10 is probably the most loaded week of the season so far, including a #1 versus #2 matchup in DII-AAA (Baylor at MBA) and a matchup of #1 teams, as Tyner Academy (2A) will travel to Alcoa (3A). Our guest picker this week is current Vanderbilt and former MBA all-state offensive lineman Grayson Morgan. Let’s get into our staff’s standings and picks. 1. Carter Mansfield 62-28 2. Hunter DeNote 58-32 3. Cooper Haines 56-34 T-4. Kelsey Crabtree 55-35 T-4. Isaac Leedham 55-35 6. Isaac Lutrell 52-38 7. Guest Picker 51-39 8. Braedon Henson 48-42 Game of the Week DII-AAA #2 Baylor (7-1) at DII-AAA #1 MBA (8-0) Mansfield: MBA DeNote: Baylor Haines: MBA Crabtree: Baylor Leedham: MBA Lutrell: MBA Morgan: MBA Henson: MBA Other Games 2A #2 Fairley (8-0) at 2A #10 Freedom Prep (7-1) (Thu.) Mansfield: Fairley DeNote: Fairley Haines: Fairley Crabtree: Freedom Prep Leedham: Fairley Lutrell: Freedom Prep Morgan: Fairley Henson: Fairley DII-AAA #4 Brentwood Academy (6-2) at DII-AAA #5 Ensworth (6-2) (Thu.) Mansfield: Brentwood Academy DeNote: Ensworth Haines: Brentwood Academy Crabtree: Brentwood Academy Leedham: Brentwood Academy Lutrell: Ensworth Morgan: Brentwood Academy Henson: Brentwood Academy 2A #1 Tyner Academy (8-0) at 3A #1 Alcoa (7-1) Mansfield: Alcoa DeNote: Alcoa Haines: Alcoa Crabtree: Alcoa Leedham: Alcoa Lutrell: Alcoa Morgan: Alcoa Henson: Alcoa 6A #10 Maryville (6-2) at 5A #1 Knox West (8-0) Mansfield: Knox West DeNote: Knox West Haines: Knox West Crabtree: Knox West Leedham: Knox West Lutrell: Maryville Morgan: Knox West Henson: Maryville 4A #13 Red Bank (7-1) at 4A #14 East Hamilton (5-3) Mansfield: East Hamilton DeNote: Red Bank Haines: Red Bank Crabtree: Red Bank Leedham: Red Bank Lutrell: East Hamilton Morgan: Red Bank Henson: East Hamilton 6A #8 Collierville (7-1) at 6A #5 Bartlett (6-2) Mansfield: Bartlett DeNote: Bartlett Haines: Bartlett Crabtree: Bartlett Leedham: Bartlett Lutrell: Bartlett Morgan: Bartlett Henson: Collierville 5A #6 Powell (6-2) at DII-AAA #10 Knoxville Catholic (3-4) Mansfield: Knoxville Catholic DeNote: Powell Haines: Knoxville Catholic Crabtree: Powell Leedham: Powell Lutrell: Knoxville Catholic Morgan: Powell Henson: Knoxville Catholic 6A #15 Brentwood (6-2) at 6A #2 Beech (7-1) Mansfield: Beech DeNote: Beech Haines: Beech Crabtree: Brentwood Leedham: Beech Lutrell: Beech Morgan: Beech Henson: Beech DII-AA #1 Lipscomb Academy (8-0) at DII-AA #6 CPA (4-4) Mansfield: Lipscomb Academy DeNote: Lipscomb Academy Haines: Lipscomb Academy Crabtree: Lipscomb Academy Leedham: Lipscomb Academy Lutrell: Lipscomb Academy Morgan: Lipscomb Academy Henson: CPA

Here are our website's rankings for each classification going into Week 10. Each teams previous ranking is listed in parentheses, followed by their result from last week.

Week 9 features several different region championships on the line, in what will be one of the most crucial weeks of the season for playoff seeding. Our guest picker this week is former MUS and current LSU Quarterback George Hamsley. After leading the Owls to the state championship game as a junior, Hamsley threw for 2,138 yards and 19 touchdowns as a Senior at MUS. Let’s get into our staff’s standings for the season and the picks for this week. Standings 1. Carter Mansfield 52-28 2. Hunter DeNote 50-30 3. Kelsey Crabtree 49-31 4. Isaac Leedham 48-32 5. Cooper Haines 47-33 6. Isaac Lutrell 46-34 7. Guest Picker 45-35 8. Braedon Henson 39-41 Game of the Week DII-AAA #7 MUS (5-2) at DII-AAA #8 Christian Brothers (4-3) Mansfield: MUS DeNote: Christian Brothers Crabtree: MUS Leedham: Christian Brothers Haines: MUS Lutrell: Christian Brothers Hamsley: MUS Henson: MUS Other Games 3A #11 Sequatchie County (5-2) at 3A #6 Giles County (5-2) Mansfield: Giles County DeNote: Giles County Crabtree: Giles County Leedham: Giles County Haines: Giles County Lutrell: Giles County Hamsley: Sequatchie County Henson: Giles County 6A #9 Farragut (5-2) at 6A #13 Bradley Central (6-1) Mansfield: Farragut DeNote: Bradley Central Crabtree: Bradley Central Leedham: Bradley Central Haines: Farragut Lutrell: Bradley Central Hamsley: Bradley Central Henson: Farragut DII-A #1 Friendship Christian (7-0) at 4A #9 East Hamilton (5-2) Mansfield: Friendship Christian DeNote: Friendship Christian Crabtree: Friendship Christian Leedham: Friendship Christian Haines: Friendship Christian Lutrell: Friendship Christian Hamsley: Friendship Christian Henson: Friendship Christian 2A #13 Meigs County (6-2) at 2A #1 Tyner Academy (7-0) Mansfield: Tyner Academy DeNote: Tyner Academy Crabtree: Meigs County Leedham: Tyner Academy Haines: Tyner Academy Lutrell: Tyner Academy Hamsley: Tyner Academy Henson: Meigs County 2A #8 East Robertson (6-1) at 2A #11 Westmoreland (5-2) Mansfield: East Robertson DeNote: East Robertson Crabtree: East Robertson Leedham: Westmoreland Haines: East Robertson Lutrell: Westmoreland Hamsley: East Robertson Henson: East Robertson 4A #6 DeKalb County (6-1) at 4A #7 Upperman (5-2) Mansfield: Upperman DeNote: Upperman Crabtree: DeKalb County Leedham: Upperman Haines: Upperman Lutrell: Upperman Hamsley: DeKalb County Henson: Upperman 4A #5 Red Bank (7-0) at 1A #2 Fayetteville (7-0) Mansfield: Fayetteville DeNote: Fayetteville Crabtree: Red Bank Leedham: Fayetteville Haines: Red Bank Lutrell: Red Bank Hamsley: Red Bank Henson: Fayetteville 6A #1 Oakland (6-1) at Riverdale (4-3) Mansfield: Oakland DeNote: Oakland Crabtree: Oakland Leedham: Oakland Haines: Oakland Lutrell: Oakland Hamsley Oakland Henson: Oakland DII-AAA #10 Knoxville Catholic (3-3) at DII-AAA #6 (5-2) Pope John Paul II Mansfield: JP2 DeNote: JP2 Crabtree: JP2 Leedham: JP2 Haines: JP2 Lutrell: JP2 Hamsley: JP2 Henson: JP2