TNHSFB Week One Statewide Recap

<!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Football is officially back as "Week One" provided a lot of great action across the state, including a few upsets and surprise victories. Here we recap some of the biggest stories from last week from teams that impressed to ball clubs that had underwhelming performances. </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Stock Up</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- Two of the best programs in the state went toe to toe last Friday in “Week One” where <strong>Alcoa</strong> pulled out a 28-21 4th quarter victory over rival <strong>Maryville</strong>. The Rebels were right there with Alcoa throughout the entire contest, even holding leads on several occasions but the big play abilities and physicality from the Tornadoes offense proved to be difference makers. Wide receivers <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1630037' first='JaColby' last='Cooper'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='817933' first='Jamir' last='Dean'] </strong>came up clutch with touchdown receptions while junior quarterback <strong>Thomas Manu </strong>performed very well during his high school debut. The Tornadoes defense had some struggles at times, especially keeping Maryville quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1723184' first='Will' last='Jones'] </strong>in-check but they did a good job overall to keep their offense in striking distance.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Maryville will be fine as they are a well coached team that should bounce back from this loss but for Alcoa, it was an impressive opening win that makes a statement to the rest of the 4A teams that the Tornadoes are ready to chase after another “Gold Ball.” I like what I saw from Alcoa last Friday and expect several more strong performances throughout the coming year.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- One of the more dominating performances from “Week One” came from <strong>Munford</strong> in their 62-20 commanding win over <strong>Memphis Business Academy</strong>. Scoring that many points and winning by the margin they did was impressive as the Execs have some legit talent on their team. I did expect the Cougars to win but not by that much. It shows me that Munford is ready to play and make a big impression this year as a potential state title contending team from the 5A level. The Cougars like to run the ball and that's what they did versus MBA. Their two-headed force in the backfield of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1281919' first='Bricen' last='Turnage'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1585458' first='Tay' last='Starks'] </strong>proved to be a deadly combo for the Execs as they had a hard time slowing them down. I gotta see more from the Cougars going forward but they definitely caught mine and others attention with the impressive opening victory.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1852613,"width":"268px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/kysharp.jpg?w=836" alt="" class="wp-image-1852613" style="width:268px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- <strong>Upperman</strong> has aspirations of competing for a 4A title this year and if their opening 29-7 win over <strong>Knox. Webb</strong> shows anything, it's that they are ready for the challenge. The Bees went on the road to kick off their 2025 season against a program in Webb that have some big time talent on their roster but it didn't phase them, especially on defense where Upperman basically shut down the Spartans offense. I figured <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1254853' first='Bronzden' last='Chaffin'] </strong>and the Bees offense would score enough to win but the Bees defense was the most impressive thing to me about their victory in Knoxville.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Looking at this game from a glance, the Bees appeared to keep <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='402563' first='Shavar' last='Young, Jr'] </strong>in-check and not allow his explosive game play to damage them. If that was the case, that is big because it shows the Bees defense could handle ultra athletic guys and keep explosive plays to a minimum. I'm interested to see how Upperman continues to develop throughout the year as I definitely see them as a state title contending squad that could continue getting better as the season goes on.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- <strong>Germantown</strong> made it known in “Week One” that they are ready to play and chase after that 6A state title in their 44-20 victory over cross town rival <strong>Houston</strong>. The Red Devils scored early and often versus the Mustangs defense, providing a balanced attack on offense with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1588108' first='Jour'din' last='Shelton'] </strong>dropping dimes while running back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1697829' first='Kavious' last='Record'] </strong>broke loose for several big runs. The Red Devils have a lot of offensive talent on this team, so scoring nearly 40 points a game could become a regular occurrence throughout the season ahead. I see big potential with their defense as well. Germantown did allow 22 points but it was game one and I'm sure some technical mistakes were made. By the time we reach the end of the year, the Red Devils should be battle tested as they must work through a tough schedule but this team is equipped for the challenge ahead and a team others may not want to face.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1852560,"width":"263px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/jshelton3.jpg?w=921" alt="" class="wp-image-1852560" style="width:263px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- Possibly one of the more impressive wins from “Week One” came from <strong>Green Hill</strong> in their 38-21 victory over <strong>Beech</strong>. The Hawks had control the entire way. They did not trail at any point in the game and clearly looked like the better team. Green Hill received top level play from both sides of the ball where their defense kept the Bucs run game down while their offense between <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='964976' first='Kannon' last='Burroughs'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1841394' first='Zachery' last='Cartwright'] </strong>provided balance. You could tell that the Hawks were well prepared for Beech. Their coaching staff did a great job of getting the team ready and prepped to contend versus a physical team that wouldn't back down. This victory over Beech was a statement win for Green Hill and a game that should tell others on the 6A level that the Hawks are legit and a team you can't overlook.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- Two Murfreesboro area teams in <strong>Blackman </strong>and <strong>Siegel </strong>went on the road in “Week One” and came away with big victories. The Blaze went up to Clarksville and knocked off the Wildcats, 24-6 while Siegel traveled to Cookeville to take down the Cavaliers, 15-12. The Blackman defense is the biggest story coming out of their win as they pretty much shut down the Clarksville run game After giving up an early long run to <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1664053' first='Bryson' last='Ellington']</strong>, the Blaze defensive front seven locked things down the rest of the way, making sure the Wildcats rushing attack stayed quiet. The Blackman offense scored enough to get the job done but with the competition they face the rest of the way, they must generate more explosive play.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nobody, including myself, saw Siegel going out to Cookeville and beating them. Their victory proved to be one of the biggest surprises coming out of “Week One.” The Stars have been dormant for several years now but this victory could spark something within this program and provide a starting point for growth. If the coaching staff receives defensive performances throughout the year like last Friday, they may be in-line for more wins. The Stars did a great job of keeping the Cavs offense down and not allowing them to get much going. This was a great win for Siegel but they must forget about it and move on. They stay on the road next week at Lebanon but it's a game they can win. Regardless, the win over Cookeville is a great start for Siegel and maybe the start of a breakthrough season for the Stars.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- One of the better, close-fought games from Friday night came down in the Chattanooga area where <strong>Tyner Academy</strong> had to fight from behind the entire game versus <strong>Silverdale</strong> but the Rams got the job done late to defeat the Seahawks, 28-27. This game proved to be a classic, especially with how <strong>Tyler Anderson </strong>and the Rams found the offensive magic in the second half to come back and win. Anderson kept his poise when the team was down and slowly but surely brought them back. He received excellent help from sophomore running back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1038480' first='Dee' last='McNealy']</strong>, who produced two second half rushing touchdowns. The Rams weren't going to be able to come back unless their defense woke up and they did in the second half as they slowed down Silverdale to provide their offense a shot at getting back into the game. This wasn't a must win for Tyner but it's much better than starting the season with a loss. This game could be the marker needed for the Rams to know they can't be relaxed in any game if they want to chase after championships.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1852608,"width":"219px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/tyner3.jpg?w=691" alt="" class="wp-image-1852608" style="width:219px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Justin Sims</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- - - - - - - - -&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Stock Down</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- Having <strong>Whitehaven</strong> in the greater Nashville area last Friday to compete versus <strong>Ensworth</strong> was an exciting concept but the Tigers left their offense in Memphis as they struggled to move the ball in their 31-6 defeat. I expected a closer game between these two teams but the Ensworth defense proved their worth as they shut down the Tigers run game while keeping their athletic playmakers in-check. Now I believe Whitehaven will be fine and bounce back but I'm sure their coaching staff isn't pleased with their opening performance. You can bet the Tigers will be hard pressed at practice this week to improve and get right for game two. Hopefully this is the last poor performance from a Whitehaven team that could do some special things this season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- Even though <strong>MASE</strong> went&nbsp; up against a very good <strong>Westview</strong> team, I didn't expect them to go scoreless in their opening season 34-0 loss to the Chargers. This matchup was close early on but eventually, Westview pulled away. The Phoenix defense did good early at keeping the Chargers explosive offense in-check but the dam broke after being on the field most of the night. The MASE offense could not generate many long drives nor produce many explosive plays. What this loss provides is an opportunity to see what went wrong offensively and fix the issues or at least work on them. MASE is still one of the best teams coming out of their classification but getting the offense on point is something that needs to be fixed if the Phoenix want to compete for a state championship.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- If you go back and look at our #PRZTN expert predictions for “Week One”, you would see that I picked <strong>Riverdale</strong> to win and had them scoring more than 30 points but that didn't happen in their 20-6 loss to <strong>Knox. Catholic</strong>. The Warriors have a lot of athletes throughout their roster, especially on offense but that athleticism didn't show up or help in the game one loss. Sophomore quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1287058' first='Gavin' last='Hampton'] </strong>did appear to struggle in his Riverdale debut where he threw multiple interceptions but did so versus a highly talented Fighting Irish secondary. Sophomore running back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1868595' first='Jacob' last='Vaughn'] </strong>was able to display his shifty running style at times but couldn't gain enough traction to establish a potent rushing attack.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Warriors simply struggled to finish drives or stay away from the mistakes. They faced a very good Knox. Catholic team but the Riverdale offense and team is better than six points. I'm sure the coaching staff will have them working hard at practice this week to fix their issues. This is a better team than their opening performance shows. I'm very curious to see how they bounce back this week in their home game against a solid Father Ryan team.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- <strong>Pearl Cohn </strong>has no problem testing themselves against good competition because it allows the staff to see who they are and what they need to work on. Well they received a good idea on what needs to be fixed coming off a 17-14 loss in “Week One” to <strong>MBA</strong> and to me it's the play up front in the trenches. The Firebirds had a hard time running the ball and a lot of that was due to the play of the Big Red defensive line but it was also because of the lack of push from their offensive line. New starters were competing up front for Pearl Cohn, so some struggles might have been expected but they had a hard time sustaining blocks for most of the game.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Firebirds also didn't get much of a pass rush from their defense nor slow down the Big Red run game. They did occasionally get into the MBA backfield but not enough. They also allowed <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1847729' first='William' last='Wade'] </strong>to physically wear them down with his power running style. Now the defense did a solid job of shutting down the MBA pass game but had a hard time handling their rushing attack. I believe in the long run, everything will be fine with Pearl Cohn but they must fix their issues up front to become the kind of team that competes for a state title.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- One of the better games from the “Week One” slate proved to be <strong>McMinn Co.</strong> versus <strong>Bradley Central</strong> as the road Cherokees prevailed in the end, 21-17. The biggest takeaway I have from this matchup is lack of offensive firepower coming from the Bears. Knowing the Cherokees roster, they don't have a ton of athleticism, so I expected Bradley Central to score more than 17 points but they struggled to finish drives. You have to give credit to the McMinn Co. defense as they did their job and kept themselves in the game but Bradley simply had a hard time finding consistency on offense. I do think the Bears have a good enough defense to keep them in games but their offense must find another level if they want to contend for a postseason berth.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1852572,"width":"351px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/derrecklee-crop-1639x1076-1756136495.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1852572" style="width:351px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Derreck Lee LeeCreative</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image -->