#TNHSFB: Week Two Recap/Top Stories
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Out of state wins, surprising upsets & dominating victories makeup the action from Week Two where some teams moved to 2-0 while others, including some state powers, fell to 0-2. East Tennessee Farragut Moves to 2-0 – One of the…
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Continue ReadingOut of state wins, surprising upsets & dominating victories makeup the action from Week Two where some teams moved to 2-0 while others, including some state powers, fell to 0-2.
East Tennessee
Farragut Moves to 2-0
– One of the top games from the East Tennessee region lived up to the hype as Farragut took their record to 2-0 after a 28-21 hard fought, close victory over Powell. Both of these teams are postseason caliber, so it was interesting to see which team would come out on top and what do you know, for the 2nd time in a row, the Admirals went to star receiver Landis Davila Landis Davila 6'3" | 195 lbs | WR Farragut | 2024 State TN in the closing minutes to seal the deal.
Farragut quarterback Cam Duncan found Davila from 32 yards out and the current Va Tech baseball commit hauled in the game winning touchdown. It was another strong win for the Admirals, showing the East TN region and the state they are legit and a team to watch for the rest of the way.
We will see how good Farragut is as this coming Friday, they take on the defending Class 5A state champs in Knox. West, who has also started the season at 2-0, coming off an impressive beat down of a talented Clinton team. This should be an exciting game to follow for Week Three.
Maryville Smashes Central
– One of the top East TN games for Week Two definitely did not live up to the billing as the Rebels completely demolished Knox. Central, 52-6 in a game that many felt could be much closer than the final score. From the opening whistle till the final second on the clock, Maryville dominated the Bobcats, especially in the line of scrimmage where the Rebels O-line opened holes all night for Price Davis Price Davis 6'0" | 195 lbs | RB Maryville | 2025 State TN and their rushing attack.
Knox. Central came into this contest with an impressive opening win and one of the best backs in the East TN region but that did not phase the Rebels as they came out on a mission and they accomplished it.
What this victory shows is that Maryville is just fine and still a strong contender for the 6A state title. The Rebels do have a tough schedule ahead, especially this Friday with possibly their biggest game of the year on the road at Bradley Central. If Maryville can get past the Bears, a region title is in play as well as a possible #1 seed in the playoffs.
Alcoa Sneaks by Bearden
– Being battle tested throughout the season I feel is key towards winning championships and the Tornadoes received just that last Friday when they defeated Bearden in the final minutes, 17-13 to improve to 2-0 on the season. It was a low scoring, physical contest that went till then end with the Bulldogs taking another close loss to a high level team (Lost to Knox. West in Week One) but Bearden should be well tested by the time we get to postseason play.
For the Tornadoes, their offense was held in check most of the night by the Bulldogs defense. Their secondary in particular did a good job of locking down the Alcoa receivers and keeping Cody Pagach Cody Pagach 6'3" | 190 lbs | QB Alcoa | 2024 State TN from going off. He did have a long pass to Brandon Winton, Jr Brandon Winton, Jr 6'1" | 185 lbs | WR Alcoa | 2024 State TN that was successful but overall, Bearden’s defense did a good job of keeping them in the game. The Bulldogs just didn’t have enough in the end to get past Alcoa, who I think will be a better team in the long run because of this game.
Stiff competition doesn’t slow down for Alcoa as this Friday they host a strong Totten Hill team out of New York that will provide a different challenge for the Tornadoes. For Bearden, the Bulldogs host an 0-2 Anderson Co. squad that won the 4A title last year and even though they have yet to win a game, the Mavs will be ready to play.
Rhea Co. Upsets Red Bank
– The Eagles didn’t look at Red Bank as the overpowering foe as they went into this game last Friday focused and ready to compete and that they did as Rhea Co. went on to defeat the Lions, 28-21 doing so by way of the ground. The Eagles ran the ball early and often for a total of 432 yards against the Red Bank defense as seniors Ethan Davis Ethan Davis 5'10" | 170 lbs | RB Rhea County | 2024 TN (206 yds rushing) and Cam Potts (157 yards rushing) could not be contained but they had to hold on till the end to pick up the victory.
Red Bank is still a good team but has some holes that must be filled while I think this speaks volumes about Rhea Co. and how good they could be this year. The Eagles play a physical brand of football along with their run game being the focal point on offense, so as long as everybody does their job efficiently, Rhea Co. could be in-store for a special season.
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Middle Tennessee
Battle of Brentwood Goes to the Bruins
– Just about everybody from the Williamson County area was in attendance for this inner city showdown that went to the home team as Brentwood hung tough till the end to pick up a huge 21-18 victory over Brentwood Academy.
This is a statement in two ways as the Bruins are now a bonafide 6A title contender while the Eagles have started their season at 0-2 and while they shouldn’t panic, they must get back to work and fix whatever issues they have. Most of those problems appear to be on offense where the Eagles have struggled to score two games in a row. They have played two very good defenses, so I’m not too alarmed but their schedule doesn’t get any easier.
Brentwood on the other hand looks real good with a well balanced team that has a steady offense and a defense that is lights out. While the Bruins did allow some yards to BA, their defense kept them out of the end zone. Senior defensive back Jackson Lowe Jackson Lowe 6'1" | 180 lbs | DB Brentwood | 2024 State TN played a strong game and was complimented nicely up front by Maximus Orefice Maximus Orefice 6'1" | 215 lbs | LB Brentwood | 2024 TN and Maddox McKim Maddox McKim 6'4" | 210 lbs | LB Brentwood | 2024 State TN . It was the second straight excellent performance from the Bruins that pushes the narrative further that Brentwood has one of the best defenses in the state for the 2023 season.
Moving forward for both these programs, region titles are in play as well as a deep playoff run as long as everybody stays healthy and both the Bruins and Eagles play at a high level. Brentwood Academy may have some work to do but don’t forget about them while Brentwood looks in mid-season form right now and a formidable opponent for whoever they face the rest of the season.
Pearl Cohn Takes Down Another Private Power in CPA
– The Firebirds took another major step towards their goal of winning a Class 4A state title as they went on the road yet again and defeated a private school power in CPA, 15-11 in a game that wasn’t decided till the very end. This was another hard fought victory for the Firebirds that makes them a better team, regardless of the final score.
Going on the road and winning is tough but beating a CPA team at their place, who just came off a big win over Brentwood Academy, is double hard but the Firebirds are built for these such challenges. While the Pearl Cohn offense has serious firepower, it was their defense that pushed them past the Lions. Led by seniors Grace’son Beach Grace’son Beach 6'1" | 215 lbs | LB Pearl Cohn | 2024 TN and Ja’Quis Williams Ja’Quis Williams 5'10" | 185 lbs | DB Pearl Cohn | 2024 State TN , the Firebirds defense kept the CPA offense in check the entire night, including some dudes like Braden Streeter Braden Streeter 6'2" | 190 lbs | QB CPA | 2024 State TN and Ondre Evans Ondre Evans 6'1" | 185 lbs | DB CPA | 2024 State TN .
Over the next few weeks, Pearl Cohn will continue to develop and gain more confidence in what they’re doing, especially on offense but with the veteran class in place, I don’t worry too much about the lack of points. Studs like Keshawn Tarleton Keshawn Tarleton 6'1" | 180 lbs | QB Pearl Cohn | 2024 State TN , Javion Kinnard Javion Kinnard 5'8" | 175 lbs | WR Pearl Cohn | 2025 State TN , D’Arious Reed D’Arious Reed 6'0" | 170 lbs | WR Pearl Cohn | 2024 State TN and others are there running the ship, so all will get turned around sooner than later.
What the two wins have done thus far for Pearl Cohn is solidify themselves as a state championship caliber team that will be very tough to beat in the 4A ranks this season, so whoever sits in their path better watch out!
Rivalry Game Goes To Clarksville
– One of the oldest rivalries in the Mid-Tennessee region took place last Friday evening between Clarksville and Springfield where the home Wildcats absolutely smashed the Yellow Jackets, 42-7 and pushed their record to 2-0 to start the 2023 season.
I and many across the state felt that this would be a close contest but we were definitely wrong as the young but well coached Wildcats put it on Springfield early and commanded the game the rest of the way. Where the Wildcats made their mark was in the line of scrimmage where the veteran O-linemen Laney Best Laney Best 6'1" | 290 lbs | OL Clarksville | 2024 TN , William Zielinski William Zielinski 6'6" | 285 lbs | OL Clarksville | 2024 State TN and others dominated the Yellow Jackets front seven. Clarksville was able to run the ball at will and there was nothing the opposition could do about it.
Springfield must go back to the drawing board to figure out their issues as they have started the season at 0-2 and have looked poor on the offensive side of the ball. The defense hasn’t been spectacular either, so the entire team needs to look in the mirror and figure out how to turn their season around.
Clarksville looks like the clear cut favorite to win their region but plenty of games are left to be played, so things can change but as of Week Two, the Wildcats have looked very impressive and a future postseason squad.
Independence, Shelbyville Pulls Off Upsets
– Two of the better games of the Week Two slate came from the overtime 30-27 win by Independence over Page and Shelbyville going on the road and taking down Marshall Co., 35-28. The Eagles had to scratch, claw and push their way to victory while the Golden Eagles outscored their opponent in an upset that many people saw coming.
Shelbyville showed signs of an explosive offense in Game One, however they fell to Siegel but their defense showed up enough to hold off a talented Marshall Co. offense. Senior athlete Micah Threatt Micah Threatt 6'1" | 185 lbs | ATH Shelbyville Central | 2024 State TN stood out once again this week with over 100 yards receiving and two touchdowns along with locking down receivers on defense.
It was a great win for a Shelbyville program that is growing and developing currently and building towards something sustainable. Beating a talented team like Marshall Co. shows that their coaches are doing the right things to take this program in the direction many would like to see it go.
Independence pulled off a big upset Friday night and did so by the very thinnest of margins. Early on and throughout most of the game, the Eagles were trailing and showed no signs of coming back but some mistakes by Page allowed them to get back into the mix. Led by senior athlete Luke McNeilly Luke McNeilly 5'10" | 165 lbs | ATH Summit | 2024 TN at quarterback, the Eagles found some juice to tie things up and take the game into overtime where a missed field goal by the Patriots sealed the victory for the home team.
This was a gutsy win for an Eagles program that is young and developing but could see things turn in the right direction after this win over a state title contending 5A program. We shall see how the season goes but for now, Independence is feeling pretty good about themselves!
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West Tennessee
Big Win For Collierville Over Beech
– Possibly the biggest game of the Week Two slate, Collierville hosted a very good Beech team on Friday night and the contest lived up to the billing as these two teams fought till the very end where the home Dragons came out on top, 28-21. This was a classic game between these two public school powers and a great test for each that will battle hardened them for postseason play.
Collierville, sporting the top quarterback in the state with Aidan Glover Aidan Glover 6'3" | 195 lbs | QB Collierville | 2024 State TN , moved the ball well at times against a strong Buccaneers defense and generated enough points to come out on top. It wasn’t easy though because Beech is a well coached team that competes very hard, so the Dragons had to fight till the very end to pick up the win.
Even though Beech came away with the loss, they will be a better team because of this game and a squad that jumps up the list for me when it comes to finding teams to compete for the Class 5A state championship. They are legit and a team you don’t want to face down the road!
The Dragons move on in their schedule and it doesn’t get easier as this coming Friday they take on rival Bartlett, in what is a huge game when it comes to competing for the region title, so Collierville must keep their competitive edge as they now sit as the #1 team in the state for public schools, according to PRZTN.
Bartlett Bounces Back
– Coming off a disappointing Week One showing, the Panthers were eager to get back on the field last Friday to right some wrongs but it was tough as they took on and defeated a good Lausanne team, 24-14 while holding their offense in check most of the night. This win shows the maturity of the Bartlett team as they could have easily lowered their head and taken another loss but they were resilient and ready to compete.
The offense had a better day than Week One where turnovers galore happened and the offense as a whole looked like there was no direction or purpose. Well things went different against the Lynx where quarterback Kam Alexander Kam Alexander 6'2" | 190 lbs | QB Bartlett | 2025 TN had a much better game and he received an outstanding performance from senior wideout Jade Kneeland Jade Kneeland 6'2" | 175 lbs | WR Bartlett | 2024 State TN , who produced 206 yards receiving and three touchdowns.
This is the kind of performance that is expected from the Bartlett coaching staff but more work must be done as the schedule doesn’t get easier as this Friday the Panthers are set to take on region foe Collierville.
Dresden Blows Out McKenzie
– The defending Class 1A champs took their 1st loss in almost two years last Friday when Dresden stomped McKenzie, 42-14 and placing themselves as a strong postseason contender moving forward. The Lions have looked impressive through two games thus far and it’s something I didn’t see coming, especially after losing star Tatum Oliver but they are getting the job done.
The Lions first two wins of the season have been against two recent state champions in Westview and McKenzie, so these Lions could be legit and a team that could compete for the 1A state title. We shall see on that as we have plenty of season yet to go but this start from Dresden tells me they are a team to watch for the rest of the year and maybe even a squad that can maneuver their way all the way to Chattanooga.
MUS Continues Dominance
– Through the first two games of the season, MUS has been one of the more dominant teams in the state with a steady offense along with a fast and violent defense that has shutout their first two opponents. Last Friday against Melrose, the Owls shut down one of the top junior running backs in the state while keeping the Golden Wildcats scoreless and defeating them 39-0.
What’s been impressive thus far from MUS is their dominance on the defensive side of the ball. Between their secondary, led by seniors Brandon Nicholson Brandon Nicholson 6'0" | 175 lbs | DB MUS | 2024 State TN and Makhi Shaw Makhi Shaw 6'0" | 190 lbs | ATH MUS | 2024 State TN and the front seven with linebacker Gavin Helton Gavin Helton 6'1" | 220 lbs | LB MUS | 2024 State TN wrecking havoc, the Owls defense has been lights out, locking down receivers and pressuring the quarterback.
I think the Owls defense can take another step as well with continued work from the D-line as well as their middle backers but even they have too played strong football as well. This is definitely one of the best defenses in the state that should be a consistent force all year that keeps the Owls on the winning path. If their offense, led by Brady Hughes Brady Hughes 6'2" | 195 lbs | QB MUS | 2025 TN , can also step up to another level as well, watch out because MUS could become a legit D2-Class AAA state title contender.