#TNHSFB: Week Three Recap/Top Stories
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The best set of games yet this season took place in Week Three where we had excellent contests take place all across the state, including some surprise victories that pushed teams to a 3-0 start. East Tennessee Bradley Takes Down…
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Continue ReadingThe best set of games yet this season took place in Week Three where we had excellent contests take place all across the state, including some surprise victories that pushed teams to a 3-0 start.
East Tennessee
Bradley Takes Down Region Rival
– This could be the year where the Bears finally breakthrough and compete for that 6A title as last Friday they took down region foe and perennial state title contender Maryville, 21-13. The Bears have fallen short several times over the past few years when it came to competing in big games but not this time as Bradley fought tooth and nail till the very end to pull out the eight point victory.
Pushing the Bears over the top were two future SEC competitors at the University of Tennessee with Boo Carter Boo Carter 6'0" | 180 lbs | ATH Bradley Central | 2024 State TN and Marcus Goree, Jr Marcus Goree, Jr 6'1" | 180 lbs | DB Bradley Central | 2024 State TN making key plays for their team. Quarterback, defensive back Kaleb Martin Kaleb Martin 6'2" | 180 lbs | DB Rhea Co. | 2024 State TN was also clutch in this contest, handling his role well under center while picking off the game winning pass in the 4th quarter. It was an outstanding collective effort from everybody on the Bears roster and a great sign of perseverance and growth for this East TN squad moving forward.
What Bradley Central must do now is move on from this win over Maryville and focus on their next opponent. The Bears have a tough schedule ahead of them but they are well equipped and talented with some dudes to take on all comers. They just need to remain focused, humbled and hungry along the way to meet the lofty goals they have for themselves by season’s end.
Carter Upsets Pittman
– One of the biggest surprises from the Week Three slate was the Carter Hornets taking down the #PRZTN #11 team in the state Gatlinburg-Pittman, 49-29 in a blowout that nobody saw coming. Tons of credit has to go to the Hornets coaching staff for preparing their team and getting them invested to compete against a high octane Highlanders offense as well as watch the team execute their game plan to almost perfection. This was one of the best performances from this Carter program in several years and maybe it’s a win that can propel the team to bigger and more wins.
Senior athlete Spencer Russell Spencer Russell 5'10" | 165 lbs | ATH Carter | 2024 TN had another stellar game, leading the team in yards and being the kind of playmaker the Hornets need to win ball games. His play along with the Carter O-line, led by Judd Taylor Judd Taylor 6'4" | 275 lbs | OL Carter | 2025 State TN and Hayden Warwick Hayden Warwick 6'3" | 280 lbs | OL Carter | 2025 TN , were big factors in defeating Pittman and pushing the team’s record out to 2-1.
For the home Highlanders, they gotta figure out what went wrong and fix their issues because Gatlinburg-Pittman has more overall talent compared to the Hornets but they were beaten by 20 points and on this night, they didn’t look like the better team. I’m sure Coach Waggoner and his staff will get the team ready for the next game with tough practices this week but it will be interesting to see how the Highlanders bounce back.
Undefeated Battle Goes to West
– One of the more entertaining games of the Week Three Slate, Knox. West defeated Farragut 38-31 in a classic contest that saw a breakout performance from senior Marshaun Bowers Marshaun Bowers 5'9" | 185 lbs | RB Knox. West | 2024 State TN push the Rebels to victory and improve their record to 3-0 while the Admirals fell to 2-1.
Bowers was an absolute stud on Friday, producing in multiple ways and being the difference maker in the Rebels win. He ended the night with 141 yards rushing and 1 touchdown while also producing a touchdown through the air along with a 95 yard kick return for a score and an interception on defense. The Rebels senior playmaker did just about everything on the field as Bowers was simply someone the Admirals defense had no answers for.
It wasn’t just the performance from Bowers that intrigues me but it’s the Rebels offense showing continued improvement. I expect Knox. West to have a stout defense throughout the 2023 season but if their offense can continue to develop and put up points, another 5A title is certainly in the cards.
A side note about Farragut. The Admirals are a good football team that I believe will remain a formidable opponent the remainder of the season and be a team others don’t want to face come postseason play. Senior wideout Landis Davila Landis Davila 6'3" | 195 lbs | WR Farragut | 2024 State TN has been a stud early this season and a key piece behind a high scoring Farragut offense. If the defense can continue to get better, the Admirals are a sleeper team to make it to Chattanooga.
Walker Valley Stuns Blue Raiders
– A clash of inner county programs took place Friday evening where the underdog Walker Valley Mustangs defeated Cleveland, 20-14 in an excellent high school football game that was not finalized till the very last of the game. Mustangs linebacker Zeke Garrison Zeke Garrison 5'11" Walker Valley | 2025 TN sealed the victory with a 4th quarter interception that pushed Walker Valley to a 3-0 start and a squad to watch out for moving forward.
Many felt that Cleveland would come away with the win, simply based on talent alone but the Mustangs came to play and were very difficult to deal with all night long. The Walker Valley defense was excellent. They did a great job of slowing down a high scoring Blue Raiders offense, especially in the line of scrimmage where they were able to gain push and close down running holes.
Through three games, the Walker Valley defense has allowed a total of 22 points. No matter if they have given up some yards here or there, they are keeping teams out of the end zone while the offense has contributed just enough to get the job done.
Senior quarterback Evan Schwarzl Evan Schwarzl 6'0" | 185 lbs | QB Walker Valley | 2024 TN had a solid evening where he commanded the offense well and made several big time throws in critical moments. His O-line held up well too. Overall, it was an outstanding collective effort from everybody on the Mustangs team that will carry weight with the people around the greater Bradley County area.
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Mid Tennessee
Brentwood Smashes Hendersonville
– If you didn’t think Brentwood was a major contender in the 6A ranks this year headed into their game Friday vs. Hendersonville, you better start changing your mind! The Bruins are for real and a team that can continue their winning ways and head into postseason action as a squad nobody wants to face. Brentwood went on the road and defeated the Commandos, 43-6, shutting down an offense that had been averaging almost 50 points per game through two weeks of high school football and pushed their undefeated record out to 3-0.
This was a complete shutdown of an offense that had been on fire for two weeks but the Commandos just couldn’t move the ball consistently against the Brentwood defense. Led by seniors Will Adcock Will Adcock 6'1" | 190 lbs | LB Brentwood | 2024 State TN , Maddox McKim Maddox McKim 6'4" | 210 lbs | LB Brentwood | 2024 State TN , Jackson Lowe Jackson Lowe 6'1" | 180 lbs | DB Brentwood | 2024 State TN and others, the Bruins defense is quickly establishing itself as possibly the best defense in the state for the 2023 season. They have been absolutely sensational thus far playing a physical brand of football along with technique sound play that has been shutting down opponents.
Offensively, the Bruins have been solid and doing their job to get wins. Senior quarterback Baylor Hayes Baylor Hayes 6'1" | 175 lbs | QB Brentwood | 2024 State TN has been steady. Receivers Matthew Manning Matthew Manning 6'2" | 180 lbs | WR Brentwood | 2024 TN and Clayton Merrill Clayton Merrill 5'10" | 180 lbs | WR Brentwood | 2025 TN have been explosive and productive. The O-line has been very strong thus far and I think will get better as the season goes on.
The entire Brentwood team is playing at a high level right now but they must maintain it throughout the remaining seven games if they want to be the kind of team that goes deep in postseason play. For the moment though, the Bruins are the talk of the Mid-TN area as a team to watch for the rest of the season.
FCS Continues Their Winning Ways
– Even after losing key players from last year’s state title team, the Friendship Christian Commanders haven’t missed a beat this season as they have begun their year at 3-0 after a 42-21 victory Friday night over Columbia Academy. It was another excellent performance from the Commanders as they were able to do their thing on offense while defensively, they kept the Bulldogs in check for most of the night to lead towards the 20 plus point victory.
The Commanders received yet another big game from senior back Tyson Wolcott, who ran at will against the Bulldogs defense and continued to push his stock further towards becoming a candidate for D2-Class A Mr. Football. Friendship’s defense has been solid as well. They struggled a little bit last Friday but overall, they have been strong through three games.
Winning is just something that these Commanders are just getting used to and right now, I don’t see why the Commanders can’t be considered a state title contender yet again this year. They are playing technique sound, consistent football right now that I don’t foresee slowing down anytime soon. Don’t be surprised if you look up by season’s end and see these Commanders back in Chattanooga competing for another state title.
Region Battle Goes to Upperman
– One of the top games from the Mid-Tennessee region for Week Three did not disappoint as Upperman went on the road to defeat region foe Macon Co., 14-7 and take a leg up on the Class 4A-Region 4 standings. The Bees are a veteran squad that have gone through some battles the last few years and so far through the 2023 season, it shows that this team has learned from the past to find ways to win when things don’t go the way they want. That showed last Friday in their contest vs. Macon Co. and it’s something they must maintain going forward.
Where the Bees took a step forward last week was with their defense. The Upperman “D” shutdown a potent rushing attack by Macon Co., keeping them in check all night and forcing them into long distance situations. Defenders like Clayton Harris Clayton Harris 6'2" | 235 lbs | DL Upperman | 2024 State TN , Evan Briggs Evan Briggs 6'2" | 275 lbs | OL Upperman | 2024 TN and others did a good job of reading the run, getting off blocks and making the stop. Their ability to stop the run was a major factor towards the Bees picking up the big road region win.
So far through the 2023 season, the Bees have been tested, which marks a good chance for this Mid-TN program to go far in postseason play due to their close contested action. Challenges will continue to come their way over the coming weeks but this poised, veteran Bees team appears well equipped to take on all challengers.
Riverdale Squeaks By Buccaneers
– The TV Game of the Week took place down in Murfreesboro where the home Riverdale Warriors held on to defeat Beech, 16-14 in what was a defensive affair that saw each offense’s struggle with consistent drives. In the end, the Warriors were two points better than Beech as they moved their record to 2-1 after a big win over a top level 5A program.
Early on, it looked like Riverdale would be in command throughout as they held an early lead but in the 2nd half, sophomore quarterback Kaden Powell Kaden Powell 6'4" | 240 lbs | ATH Beech | 2026 TN led his Bucs team back in front at 14-13. That lead wouldn’t last long as Warriors signal caller Braden Graham Braden Graham 6'1" | 200 lbs | QB Riverdale | 2024 State TN led his offense down the field where his kicker put the Warriors back in front for good.
Riverdale received an outstanding performance from two-way talent Keshawn Williams Keshawn Williams 6'1" | 185 lbs | DB Riverdale | 2024 State TN , who was easily the best player on the field Friday night. He was everywhere on defense, making tackles out of nowhere but was also dynamic on offense, where he produced big play after big play. Power Five, D1 schools need to get involved with Williams because he is legit!
Overall, this was an outstanding win for Riverdale over a very good team. Beating teams like Beech helps battle harden their resolve, which in turn could lead to more wins and victories over some other top level squads.
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West Tennessee
Bartlett Takes Down Collierville
– The biggest win of Week Three comes right here with the Bartlett Panthers pulling off the upset over former #PRZTN #1 team in the state Collierville, 38-35 in what was a classic contest with tons of emotional up and downs waves. Both teams went blow for blow until the very end where the Panthers landed a huge region win that could play up big by the end of the year as possible region champs.
The Panthers leaned on their rushing attack against the Dragons, where junior running back Geron Johnson Geron Johnson 6'0" | 185 lbs | RB Bartlett | 2025 TN had a monster game. He was given the ball 37 times where he ran for 274 yards with 4 touchdowns on the night. Johnson was a bell cow back on Friday night that ran the Panthers to victory as well as placed himself on the map as a legit college prospect.
Bartlett also received a strong performance on defense from senior standout Devin Rutherford Devin Rutherford 5'11" | 175 lbs | DB Bartlett | 2024 State TN . The #PRZTN Top 100 prospect came up clutch multiple times throughout this contest, ending the game with 4 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 forced fumble and a big interception late to help push the Panthers to victory.
After starting the season at 0-1 and being shutout 38-0 by MUS, the Panthers have bounced back in a big way, beating Lausanne and Collierville over the last two weeks and beginning to push the narrative that Bartlett is a legit contender this year in the Class 6A ranks. Plenty of season is yet to come and the Panthers have several tough games remaining but this could be a team on the rise that you don’t want to face.
Germantown Sneaks By Houston
– The Class 6A-Region 8 was on full display within the greater Memphis area Friday evening as you had tow marquee matchups, including this low scoring, defensive classic that went to Germantown, 14-13. The Red Devils made critical plays throughout this contest that pushed them past Houston and gave them their 1st in-region victory of the 2023 season.
Points came at a premium in this contest where both the Red Devils and Mustangs defenses played physical, technique sound football until the final whistle. Senior defensive back Taeshawn Jefferson Taeshawn Jefferson 5'9" | 185 lbs | DB Germantown | 2024 TN was a game changer in this game where he produced a big interception and blocked a PAT that proved to be the difference in the game. Jefferson has been clutch thus far through three games, boosting his recruiting stock to another level.
The Red Devils had another solid game from quarterback Cordero Walker Cordero Walker 6'0" | 180 lbs | QB Germantown | 2024 State TN as well. He had a big run in the 2nd half to put his team ahead for good. He has been very steady so far this year, being the leader and playmaker the coaching staff envisioned he would be.
This game will be very beneficial in different ways for both teams. Germantown will be better and tougher because of this hard fought win while Houston will also be better and will learn from this defeat to grow stronger. The Red Devils however have the leg up on Mustangs and others at the moment as they sit 1-0 within the region.
Cordova Takes 1st Loss
– Jumping into region action in Week Three, Cordova found some struggles, especially on offense where they found it hard to score points against a salty White Station defense in the Wolves, 24-12 loss to the Spartans. It was a battle for the Wolves all night in their chances at finding the end zone but they remained in contention for the win as long as they could before the game ended with their first loss of the 2023 season.
Looking at this game from the larger stand point, Cordova has a very tough schedule ahead of them with games looming against region foes Collierville, Germantown, Houston and Whitehaven. This loss to White Station was a battle for the middle part of this region that went to the Spartans, so it might now be an uphill battle for the Wolves to reach postseason play.
I am definitely not counting out the Wolves as I believe they are a well coached team with underrated talent that can sneak up and beat any of those four teams mentioned above. They just have to get back to work and figure out what went wrong versus White Station and move forward. Plenty of season is left for Cordova but I will be curious to see if this loss to the Spartans will loom its ugly head at the end of the year.
Battle of Jackson Goes to USJ
– An under the radar game between two Jackson area based teams, USJ defeated Trinity Chrst. Academy Friday evening, 28-16 to boost their record to 3-0 on the season and continue to build their stock as a sleeper team to compete for the D2-Class AA state championship.
The rub in this contest is that TCA had the star power with junior wideout Brayden Waller Brayden Waller 6'3" | 180 lbs | WR TCA | 2025 State TN and sophomore back LeKhy Thompkins LeKhy Thompkins 6'2" | 205 lbs | ATH Trinity Christian Academy | 2026 State TN but the well coached Bruins team showed the Trojans what a winning football program and team looks like. USJ had some issues here and there but by all accounts, the Bruins had control of this game almost from start to finish.
Games will get tougher for USJ but early on, they look good yet again and a team that will make it into postseason play and even possibly deep in the playoffs, if they remain healthy and stay playing at a high level.