TNHSFB Week Eight Statewide Recap

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Fall break began for a lot of programs across the state last week but we still had plenty of games take place, providing a solid recap from "Week Eight." We actually had some upsets happen as well as some matchups that may prove to be games of the year, including the high scoring affair between Antioch and FRA. </h2>     Week Eight Top Stories    Stock Up   - The game of the year might have taken place last Friday when Antioch took a big lead but had to hold off FRA in the Bears 64-62 win over the previously undefeated Panthers. This game turned out to be a classic but I'm not here to break down that game, this piece is centered around Antioch and their possibilities at making a deep run in the coming playoffs. The Bears might be a sleeper team to not only do damage in the postseason but possibly make a run towards Chattanooga. Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='378901' first='Andre' last='Adams'] and the Bears offense is a big factor behind that potentially coming true. Adams is playing at another level right now, producing big game after big game, like last Friday with his nine touchdown performance. He has a great connection going with his receivers, especially [player_tooltip player_id='966033' first='Brandon' last='Goliday'], while the O-line is doing good enough work for Adams to handle business.    The Antioch offense is explosive and high scoring but for the Bears to go through the 6A playoffs and into Chattanooga, their defense needs to tighten things up and become more stout in the line of scrimmage. The Bears secondary is legit, especially at safety with [player_tooltip player_id='492602' first='Amari' last='Peters'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1637994' first='Dominick' last='Hamer'] but the front seven has shown some leaks over the past few weeks. If the defensive front seven can pick things up to join alongside a potent Bears offense, Antioch may become a team others don't want to face and could win their way towards contending for a 6A title.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/09/bgoliday-crop-700x460-1760308279.jpg?w=700" alt="" class="wp-image-1952716" style="width:334px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: WR [player_tooltip player_id='966033' first='Brandon' last='Goliday']. Taken by Antioch Athletics.</figcaption></figure>   - - - - -    - An undefeated season is no more for Sevier Co. as they went down in “Week Eight” to GCA, 33-31 in what is a surprising outcome that many across the state didn't see coming. The Smoky Bears didn't play bad, it's just that GCA played better and came up with big plays when it was needed. The Rams put together their best game and performance of the season last week where both sides of the ball played well and their top playmakers made a difference. Freshman running back J.V. Stinson has stepped in nicely for an injured [player_tooltip player_id='933067' first='Terrion' last='Thomas'] and been sensational. He had another good game versus the Smoky Bears with [player_tooltip player_id='439667' first='Will' last='DeLong'], Caden Gang and the Rams offensive line dominating up front against a good Sevier Co. defensive front.    What this win shows me is that GCA might be a team that can compete for a state title on the D2-Class AA level. It also shows that Sevier Co. is vulnerable, especially on defense against the run. This game also provides both teams an opportunity to figure out who they are the rest of the season. Will the Rams take advantage of this win and continue developing into a state title caliber team? Will the Smoky Bears learn from this loss to improve their faults and get back on path towards becoming back to back 5A state champs? We shall see but I do know these are two good teams with the pieces in place to do something special by the end of the year.    - - - - -    - Don't look now but Marion Co. is starting to round into form as we inch closer to postseason play. The Warriors are coming off their most important win of the season as they handled business versus Grundy Co., defeating the Yellow Jackets 41-20 and taking sole possession of first place within their region. This victory over Grundy Co. virtually signals a coming region championship for Marion Co. and a number seed in the playoffs where the rest of the 2A competition may not want to see the Warriors. It took several games for the Marion Co. offense to find their footing but they appear to be clicking very well down the stretch. Their defense has been strong all year and I expect that side of the ball to be a tone setter in the playoffs and be the unit that could lead the Warriors back into 2A title contention.    While I do see this Marion Co. team being a force in the coming playoffs, they are still young on the offensive side of the ball, so the youth could show up and not perform at the level needed in any given round. The Warriors staff needs guys like [player_tooltip player_id='1282609' first='Mason' last='Mays'] and Zaiden Humphrey to excel and lead their offense. Those two along with several others must continue the trajectory they are on right now. This team is well coached, so I expect the Warriors to be just fine in the postseason, especially because of a defense that has been stout all year, led by senior star Ashton Martin. I think it will be a tougher road this go around compared to last year for Marion Co. but I still believe the Warriors are a favorite to reach Chattanooga, especially with how they are performing right now.    - - - - -    - Nash. Christian and Tyner Academy played a barn burner last Friday where the home Eagles came out on top, 49-42 but they had to fight for everything and hold off a talented Rams team to remain undefeated. These two teams went blow for blow and at several occasions throughout the game, it seemed that Eagles would run away with victory but Tyner Academy kept battling and finding a way to stay right there. Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='402548' first='Jared' last='Curtis'] was exceptional and so was his connection with senior wideout [player_tooltip player_id='1549102' first='Javin' last='Drewelow'], who caught 3 passes for 96 yards and three touchdowns.    The Eagles offense was stellar but their defense left something to be desired. When Nash. Christian has faced strong competition, their defense has struggled against athletic offenses. Tyner Academy has those athletes and they did a good job of running past the Eagles defenders and finding paydirt more often than the Eagles staff wanted. I still think NCS is the team to beat on the D2-Class A level but they must tighten up things on defense if they want to go all the way.    The Rams will be just fine and as a matter of fact, I think they will be a better team even in the loss. Tyner Academy is chalk full of athletes that opposing teams have a hard time dealing with and I feel the Rams are well equipped to make a deep playoff run. They will get back to work after this loss and learn from it to become a better team moving forward. Overall, this was an outstanding football game that might have showcased two future state title teams.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/jdrewelow.jpg?w=400" alt="" class="wp-image-1593304" style="width:238px;height:auto" /></figure>   - - - - -    - Keep your eyes on Lausanne moving forward as they appear to be hitting their stride, especially after going on the road last week and defeating Collierville, 49-35. This was the best win of the year for the Lynx and a victory that may provide ultimate confidence for them as we inch closer towards postseason play. The offense is clicking on all cylinders with [player_tooltip player_id='1562192' first='T.J.' last='Jenkins'] playing outstanding football right now and his receiving duo of [player_tooltip player_id='860627' first='Jawell' last='Rodgers'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1556594' first='Lawrence' last='Britt'] dominating opposing secondaries. The O-line is holding up pretty well too. The Lynx defense does need to fix some holes and tighten up but they have the athletes to make a difference.    Looking at the terrain on the D2-Class AA level, the Lynx have a shot to go on a run and compete for a state title but the level of current play must remain. The key players must remain healthy as well. Having a senior quarterback at the helm with a few playmakers around him, helps a ton and provides an advantage over other teams they may face the rest of the season. The Lynx sit at 3-3 overall but 1-0 within their region with three winnable games on their schedule. I am beginning to see a scenario where Lausanne wins their region, places themselves as a #1 seed in the playoffs and becomes a team that can make it all the way to Chattanooga.    - - - - -    - One of the best stories currently from the 2025 season is Sale Creek and their 7-0 start. This is the best season by far in school's history but knowing their head coach Jason Fitzgerald, he is thirsty for more wins and prepared to lead his team on a deep playoff run. Well this coming Friday will be their biggest test of the season as they welcome in 1A power South Pittsburg in a game that will be for the region title. The Panthers are a well balanced team that is led by their defense, which is a unit that has been stout all season long. They are giving up less than 14 points a game and have done good work up front, stopping the run. They have a tall task this Friday versus an athletic Pirates rushing attack that has steadily gotten better as the season has gone on. Regardless of what happens in “Week Nine”, the Panthers are set to make postseason play and once we are there, anything can happen, meaning the competition better keep eyes out for the Panthers because they are a confident squad that is playing with house money right now.    - - - - -    - Looking into the West Tennessee region, one of the biggest surprise wins coming out of “Week Eight” was Lake Co. going on the road and defeating previously undefeated South Fulton, 22-20. This was an impressive performance and win from the Falcons and a victory that inches them closer towards winning their region title. Going on the road and knocking off the Red Devils was easily the best win of the year thus far from Lake Co. and a win that tells the rest of the 1A teams that the Falcons are legit and a team on the rise that many others may not want to see in the postseason.    The victory over South Fulton did move the Falcons closer towards winning their region. They haven't accomplished that yet as Lake Co. has three games upcoming versus Humboldt, Greenfield and Dresden that will test them and dictate whether they win their region or not. The Falcons have been playing well on both sides of the ball with their offense standing out. They have received steady play at running back from Ka'Devon Gross and their offensive line all year while the defense has been opportunistic. I'm very curious to see how they hold up the rest of the regular season because I like this team and their upside in the playoffs. I think if they can stay healthy the remainder of the way while taking the region title, Lake Co. may be a sleeper team that could play their way towards Chattanooga.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/10/lakeco-crop-3249x2133-1760371722.webp?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1953597" style="width:319px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Thunderbolt Radio</figcaption></figure>   - - - - - - - - -    Stock Down   - It's been a challenge for CPA during the first year of competing on the D2-Class AAA level as they head into “Week Nine” at 2-6 overall and 1-2 within their region. The Lions have probably played the toughest schedule of anybody in this state and it doesn't get any easier to close out the regular season with Knox. Catholic and McCallie. One good positive is the fact that CPA should still make the playoffs, which provides them a new opportunity, a chance to right some wrongs and chase after a title. The Lions have good senior leadership from [player_tooltip player_id='1335216' first='Rawls' last='Patterson'], [player_tooltip player_id='824736' first='Owen' last='Cabell'] and others to cause some havoc in postseason play but they gotta receive better play from their offensive line and more consistency on defense to go far in the playoffs.    This 2025 season should definitely be a learning moment for the Lions coaching staff and what they must do moving forward to compete with the rest of the teams in their classification. CPA has a good staff in place to navigate the D2-Class AAA waters moving forward but their talent must level up. I'm curious to see if the Lions make any philosophical changes in the off-season and look at the high school portal to filter in more talent. This is a proud program that can win championships with their new classification but some potential changes may need to take place for that to happen.     - - - - -    - A team I had higher expectations for going into the 2025 season was Whitehaven but as we head down the final stretch of the season, the Tigers sit at 3-4 overall and 0-2 inside the region after falling 42-21 to Southwind last week. Finding consistency on offense and strong play from their defense have been struggles this year. I kind of expected the Tigers offense to have some up's and down's but I did not foresee their defense struggling like they have.    Giving up big plays and stopping the run have appeared to be issues for Whitehaven this year and that's usually not a good recipe towards winning ball games. All is not lost however as the Tigers have two get-right games upcoming against Bartlett and White Station before we start postseason play. Whitehaven will reach the playoffs and they do have significant talent with guys like [player_tooltip player_id='1431775' first='Christopher' last='Talley'], [player_tooltip player_id='1162375' first='Cory' last='House'], [player_tooltip player_id='1367238' first='ZaColby' last='Malone'] and others to find their stride and become a team others may not want to face. Things do need to get fixed though and be done soon, if the Tigers want to turn this season around and do some damage in November.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/10/ctalley2.jpg?w=400" alt="" class="wp-image-1953607" style="width:261px;height:auto" /></figure>   - Another team I had high expectations for going into the 2025 campaign was Johnson Co. but as we head into “Week Nine”, the Longhorns sit at 3-5 overall and 2-1 within their region. That record inside the region is good but they have their two toughest games of the year ahead against Gatlinburg-Pittman and Unicoi County. It doesn't help either that the Longhorns are coming off a loss to Pigeon Forge, who was previously winless. There is a scenario where Johnson Co. takes two more defeats and misses out on the playoffs this year.    Things just haven't clicked like the coaching staff hoped it would going into the season. The offense has struggled to score points while their defense has been gashed on all three levels. It may simply be a rebuilding season for the Longhorns. If they make the playoffs, which I believe they will, they are provided a new opportunity to keep their year going but either way, adjustments will be needed in the offseason to get the Longhorns back at the top and in contention for region titles.    - - - - -    - After starting the season 1-0, Father Ryan has lost seven games in a row, which now speaks towards a rebuilding year for the Fighting Irish. I honestly didn't foresee this kind of season coming for Father Ryan but when you look at the roster, you can understand the results. They have a young team that was having to replace several key starters from last year, including several college guys. New players were going to be needed to step forward into big roles this year but I don't know if the coaching staff or players saw a current one win season on the horizon.    The positive I can take away from the current season for Father Ryan is the gained experience from their youth. Players like [player_tooltip player_id='1036114' first='Cayden' last='Dixon'], who has been the team's starting quarterback all season, will be better from this season and hopefully grow towards the 2026 campaign. I do like several pieces on their roster, so I can see hope into the future. Playing on the D2-Class AAA level, competition will always be tough but the Fighting Irish have a proud football program with some good coaches on staff that can develop their roster in the offseason and bounce back from a down year.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/10/caydixon2.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1953610" style="width:310px;height:auto" /></figure>