#PRZTN Friday Night Recap - Week Three

Friday nights, under the gridiron lights here in Tennessee is becoming an attraction and last night across the state was another big night of football where several teams picked up season changing wins while others took losses and continue searching for answers.    We had some stellar matchups last night between some high profile teams, so here at Prep RedZone Tennessee, we recap a great Friday night of football with some of the biggest stories from across the Volunteer State.       Season Changing Win for MBA over McCallie   - All eyes were on the Big Red and Blue Tornado last night as the premier game in the state and it did not disappoint. This was a classic last night that was not settled till the final minutes where the road team out of Nashville took down the private school power in McCallie, 23-20 and established themselves as the team to beat out of the D2-Class AAA ranks.    Over the last several years, McCallie has been the class of their division, earning multiple state titles and this year the Blue Tornado was billed as the top team again but MBA definitely had something to say about that last night in Chattanooga.    The Big Red received a big game from their star quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='102308' first='Marcel' last='Reed'] and the points were needed but it was the MBA defense that I feel won this game as they kept the Blue Tornado offense in check most of the night and made the needed stops down the stretch to pull out the win. The Big Red front seven in particular was the difference on defense that won the battle in the trenches, keeping the Blue Tornado stud running back [player_tooltip player_id='185576' first='Ontario' last='Price'] at bay and forcing McCallie to create offense via other ways.    This was a statement win for MBA and a notice to the rest of the D2-Class AAA ranks that the Big Red is for real and very well might be the favorite now to earn its way to Chattanooga to compete for a state title. Their schedule is tough and big tests are on its way but MBA is ready for all comers and poised to keep the momentum going.       Rutherford Co. Showdown Goes to Blackman   It was a hostile environment last night at Riverdale High School but that didn't phase the Blaze as they walked into their rival's stadium and stunned the home crowd as Blackman defeated the Warriors, 34-27 and took one step closer towards competing with Oakland for the region title.    This was a must win game for Blackman as they have been building their program over the last couple years, growing it into a possible 6A power that can take the region reigns from Oakland and last night's victory was a definite step in the right direction.    The biggest matchup headed into last night's game was the Blackman passing attack against a talented Riverdale secondary and that's where the battle was all night long. Blaze quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='150308' first='Jack' last='Risner'] put it up in the air early, testing the Warriors defensive backs and he succeeded, finding Mississippi State commit [player_tooltip player_id='102184' first='Justin' last='Brown'] on multiple occasions. Everything was going to plan for the Blaze early on until the home Warriors woke up and started making a game of it.    Things got really close in the 4th quarter after a turnover from the Blaze offense where Riverdale was able to tie things up but the road team took the body blow and bounced right back. Blackman regained the lead late and didn't look back as they went on to the seven point victory and their first in-region win.    The Blackman offense had to go toe to toe with [player_tooltip player_id='119096' first='Braden' last='Graham'] and the Warriors offense but it was the defense that stood tall at key moments throughout the game that helped propel the Blaze towards this big road victory. This was a huge win as well for the Blackman program that has bonafide college dudes and the upside to dethrone the Patriots at the top of region this year.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/09/blackman2.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-435731"/><figcaption>Photo: Yahoo.com</figcaption></figure>       Watch Out For the 3-0 Smoky Bears   - Three weeks in and three victories, Sevier Co. is turning into a formidable team that grew their profile even further on Friday night as they defeated a good Knox. Central team, 21-14 and did so with a formula that can produce more victories throughout the season.    Through three games, the Smoky Bears defense has been the lifeblood of the team, led by stud senior linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='153513' first='Garrett' last='Hawkins'], who produced 22 total tackles in last week's win. It has been a collective team effort by everybody on the Sevier Co. defense but it has been senior leaders in Hawkins, [player_tooltip player_id='205693' first='Justin' last='Walker'], [player_tooltip player_id='284508' first='Connor' last='Mason'], Kellan Banks and others setting the standard.    Last night against the Bobcats was another great example of the Smoky Bears defense bending and not breaking, keeping Central out of the endzone and finding enough points to walk away as the victor. The biggest thing that stands out was the ability to slow down Bobcats star running back [player_tooltip player_id='277792' first='Frank' last='Johnson IV'], who has put up big numbers so far this season.    The nice thing about these guys is that offense has the upside to develop further and produce more points going forward. Sevier Co. has a strong piece to grow and build around in junior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='193742' first='Christian' last='Hoffman'] and a solid offensive line that is getting better each game. More work must be done but the Smoky Bears offense has the potential to become potent and keep up with their stellar defense.    Teams in the East Tennessee region and the 5A level need to start paying attention to Sevier Co. as they have proven thus far they are legit and have enough talent along with being well coached to compete against anybody that stands in their way.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/09/smoky-bears-1024x576.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-435739" width="990" height="557"/></figure>       Best Team in the West: Germantown?   - Did Week Three already provide the game last night with the best two teams in the greater Memphis area? That's a real possibility as Germantown and Whitehaven played a classic last night where the road Red Devils pulled out the 24-21 victory in dramatic fashion.    Down four points and just enough time for one last play, the Red Devils ran the ole hook and ladder and it worked to perfection as junior running back B.J Blake took the toss, darted to the goal line and was flipped in mid-air where he landed in the end zone to win the game. It was an outstanding finish that you could not script and a season defining win for the Red Devils.    For the losing Tigers, it was a hard loss to take but they shouldn't keep their head down because they are for real and a team that can learn from this loss and propel themselves to a big season that goes deep into the playoffs. Whitehaven has a strong defense and a dynamic rushing attack, so they shouldn't feel bad about last night's loss but proud and hungry to get back on the field.    Germantown on the other hand may be the best team in the West Tennessee region. They have all the pieces in place that screams championship potential. The Red Devils have a senior quarterback in [player_tooltip player_id='302318' first='Isaiah' last='Tate'] leading the way on offense and a bevy of talented tacklers on defense with a lot of them being junior or sophomores. Now Lausanne may have something to say about being the best of the West but the Red Devils are in that conversation and looking real good after last night's big region win at Whitehaven.       Better Stop Sleeping on White County!   - People better start paying attention to the White Co. Warriors as this team sits at 3-0 after a big region win last night over Station Camp, 54-27 and another checkmark on the list towards their goal of winning a region title. Many felt that this game between the Warriors and Bison was going to be close and it was early but eventually the road team broke through and took control.    The Warriors can be explosive on offense and it was demonstrated last night, especially behind the legs of senior athlete [player_tooltip player_id='102219' first='Malaki' last='Dowell'], who ran for over 300 yards against the Bison with six rushing touchdowns. Dowell is a big time talent but he needs an O-line to block for him and the Warriors front five are legit and are paving big holes for the offense so far this season.    White Co. has a long road to go before they can start thinking about anything playoff based as they have several tough matchups ahead, especially against region foes Green Hill and Mt. Juliet. If the Warriors can defeat those two, they would definitely have the upper hand at winning their region and putting themselves in home field advantage going into the playoffs.    This team also has a bonafide Mr. Football candidate in Dowell, so with him running the ball and the Warriors winning ball games, people will start paying attention to this Middle Tennessee program sooner than later.       Ect ……   - Friendship Christian took control of D2-Class A last night when they defeated defending state champ DCA, 43-8 and looked dominating throughout. After the home win Friday evening, I believe the Commanders are now the team to beat, especially with an offense starring Garrett Weekly, [player_tooltip player_id='185580' first='Reid' last='Powers'] and junior wideout [player_tooltip player_id='149160' first='Brock' last='Montgomery'].    - Battle of the undefeateds went to Milan last night as the Bulldogs went on the road and beat a good South Gibson team, 24-21. It was a battle for both but Milan proved to be the better team and it was a win that continues to solidify the Bulldogs as legitimate title contenders.    - FRA junior running back [player_tooltip player_id='150281' first='Ty' last='Clark III'] had a monster game last night in the Panthers road victory over Davidson Academy, 35-7 as he rushed 19 times for 284 yards and four touchdowns. This was the third game in a row where Clark III ran for 150 plus yards and has been a major factor in the team's 3-0 start. More games like this from Clark III will propel him to the top of the list for D2-Class AA Mr. Football.    - Our Prep RedZone Tennessee Game of the Week between Centennial and Independence was postponed last night due to lighting but will be continued today, so this section will be updated upon completion. The home Cougars were leading at halftime, 14-10 before things were halted for the evening.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/09/20220902_193611-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-435738"/></figure>