#TNHSFB Playoffs: Round One Recap

<!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Most of the top teams advanced through round one while some others took defeat, especially a few big upsets. All that and more can be found below inside our high school playoff round one recap. </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Teams Advance</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- We saw a few #1 seeds take defeat but for the most part, the majority and if not all the top championship contending teams won their first round matchups. Most of the top title contenders blew by their opponents in round one with commanding defeats and continued to gain confidence towards a potential championship appearance.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the 6A level, Oakland, Maryville, Riverdale, Ravenwood, Collierville and Houston all had impressive performances where several didn't have a point scored on them. Going into the playoffs, I saw those six mentioned above as “the” teams to watch on the 6A level as main contenders and nothing happened in the first round to distinguish those thoughts.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Much of the same can be said for the teams coming out of the 5A ranks. Page yet again put forth a strong defensive showing, led by <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='219439' first='Eric' last='Hazzard']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='390716' first='Brenden' last='Anes'] </strong>and their front seven where they knocked off Columbia Central, 19-2.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Beech and Knox. West blew past their opponents while Southwind might have had the biggest challenge, defeating Hendersonville, 39-20 but <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='480742' first='Kelvin' last='Perkins'] </strong>and his Jags team hung in there to win. The possible top team out east in Sevier Co., gave up some points but still looked impressive in their defeat over Knox. Central.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mr, Football candidate <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1422897' first='Tyler' last='Thompson'] </strong>and his Marshall Co. team looked good in round one where they stifled Lexington, defeating the Tigers 42-5. The Tigers are a team that's on a roll right now and someone others may not want to see. Much of the same can be said for <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='533747' first='Ethan' last='Palk']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1254853' first='Bronzden' last='Chaffin'] </strong>and the Upperman Bees.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last week in their win over Signal Mountain, Upperman did anything they wanted without much friction from the Hawks. Three other title contenders in Anderson Co., Greeneville and Haywood handled business, advancing to round two and looked poised for a deep run.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the 3A level, all signs point to an eventual matchup between Alcoa and Sequatchie Co., as both team's handled business in the first round, looking extra impressive on the offensive side of the ball. Indians senior wideout <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1142019' first='Jackson' last='Tate'] </strong>had a sensational opening performance where he caught the ball for over 200 yards on the night and four touchdowns.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1555629,"width":"314px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/11/jacktate.jpg?w=400" alt="" class="wp-image-1555629" style="width:314px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's a shame we have Covington and Westview sitting on the same bracket on the 3A level as both to me look like legit championship caliber teams. Both looked good in round one and appear destined to see each other for the 2nd time this year here in a few weeks.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>East Robertson and Marion Co. both did their thing in round one but now must see each other in round two, where one of these championship caliber teams have to end their season. It will be a shame to see either of these teams go home for the year but that's the breaks. Another impressive first round showing on the 2A level came from Milan, who shut down a solid Lewis Co. offense, winning 42-16.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The top three teams coming out of the 1A ranks in MASE, McKenzie and South Pittsburg each performed like we expected them to as all three manhandled their opponents to advance to the second round. The Phoenix is on a roll right now with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1400354' first='Brody' last='Whittaker'] </strong>and his offense clicking on all the right cylinders.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Them and McKenzie look to be on a path to meet each other soon, which could be an exciting game. South Pitt, led by their sophomore tandem of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1134336' first='JaMychal' last='Buckner'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1577095' first='Dayon' last='Cooper']</strong>, absolutely destroyed Red Boiling Springs, 60-0. It was a commanding performance from the Pirates that might have put the rest of the 1A teams on notice. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- - - - -&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Big Road Wins</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- It's a long road to Chattanooga but teams must find ways to win along the path, including in round one where some squads had to go on the road to sustain their seasons. Possibly the biggest road win in round one came from the Admirals of Franklin going over to Antioch and taking down the Bears.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From the start, Franklin made their presence known, especially on defense where senior edge <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='501903' first='Aiden' last='Elmore'] </strong>harassed <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='378901' first='Andre' last='Adams'] </strong>on his way to three sacks on the night. The offense did their thing as well, scoring 28 points while controlling the clock with sustained drives. The first round one win by Franklin might have been their most impressive performance of the 2024 season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":501905,"width":"299px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/aelmore.jpg?w=400" alt="" class="wp-image-501905" style="width:299px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Macon Co. traveled in the first round as a three seed but definitely proved to be the better team in their resounding 34-0 win over Soddy Daisy. The Tigers ran the ball early and often, commanding the line of scrimmage and physically wearing down the Trojans. That physicality must remain in round two as the Tigers are set to face region foe and title contender Upperman.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kirkwood saw their best season to date come to an end as Bartlett came to town and shut down the Cobras, 44-7. The Panthers were very impressive, especially on defense where <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='795560' first='Austin' last='Howard']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1369287' first='Bryson' last='Johnson']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='258657' first='Chase' last='Sutton'] </strong>and <strong>Brandon Whitehead </strong>made plays all night long. The Bartlett offense was able to go off as well, spearheaded by the backfield of quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='539994' first='Alex' last='McAlpin'] </strong>and running back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1002741' first='Geron' last='Johnson']</strong>.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Two under the radar road wins in Round One came from Centennial and Knox. Halls. Both these sneaky good 5A teams did what they needed to win and advance to Round Two, especially the Red Devils, who escaped with a 20-14 win over Morristown-West.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Cougars made a statement as they snatched the season away from Lincoln Co., beating the Falcons, 34-7 and doing so in impressive fashion. The Centennial athleticism was a problem for the home team where senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='310897' first='Kani'' last='Johnson'] </strong>had a standout game on offense while stud linebacker <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='301403' first='Aidan' last='Wright'] </strong>caused havoc on defense. The Cougars will need this same kind of performance this Friday when they travel to face a familiar opponent in Page. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- - - - -&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>First Round Upsets</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- Throughout all the action from the first round of the Tennessee High School football playoffs, watching for upsets is fun and something that turns heads. Well we received a few big upsets in the first round that took some potential title contenders out of the mix. It's tough to call which upset had the most impact because I think we saw three of them take place that caused some waves.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Blackman traveled up to Mt. Juliet, took on an undefeated Green Hill team and absolutely demolished them. The Blaze defense caused serious problems for the Hawks offense where <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='390644' first='Archie' last='Roseman'] </strong>and the defensive line did a good job of getting pressure and making things uncomfortable for <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='964976' first='Kannon' last='Burroughs'] </strong>while the secondary of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1136682' first='Jalen' last='A. Anderson']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1614217' first='Jaden' last='Lark'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1207762' first='Trey' last='McGaffee'] </strong>locked down the Green Hill playmakers.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1555633,"width":"448px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/11/jlark.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1555633" style="width:448px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Possibly the biggest surprise in Round One came from Springfield where the Yellow Jackets traveled down to Memphis as a four seed and knocked off 5A title contender Munford. It was a back and forth, exciting game that saw Springfield come out on top, 36-32.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Yellow Jacket playmakers had a big part in this win. Senior two-way talent <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1134295' first='Ja'Braylon' last='Ellis'] </strong>was dominant where he produced six receptions for 161 yards and three touchdowns while <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1134310' first='Jaidon' last='Hurst'] </strong>brought nice balance with his running from the backfield. Springfield has been one of the hottest teams over the second half of the season and could be a dark horse moving forward.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I don't know if many people saw Bolivar Central knocking off Sheffield in Round One but it happened. The Tigers offense moved the ball at will versus the Knights defense and was a major factor behind their 36-32 upset victory.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Station Camp has been on fire of late and it continued in the first round of the playoffs where they went over to Jackson, Tennessee and took down a talented Jackson North-Side team, 47-24. The Bison defense did a nice job of keeping the Indians in-check while <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1535793' first='Colton' last='Overbey'] </strong>and his offense was explosive and efficient.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A few other round one upsets to note include Dyersburg over Bolton, Riverside over East Hickman, Rockwood over number one seed Cosby and Tellico Plains taking down South Greene in a close 30-28 win. Those four games were somewhat surprising, especially Rockwood taking down a confident Cosby squad.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first round of the playoffs provided some exciting games but some blowouts as well but it only gets better from here as round two looks to supply some outstanding matchups that might have ramifications throughout the remainder of the postseason.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1523309,"width":"321px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/coverbey.jpg?w=400" alt="" class="wp-image-1523309" style="width:321px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image -->