TNHSFB Week Seven Statewide Recap

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Baylor/McCallie played a classic last Friday w/ the Red Raiders coming out on top. Surprising Franklin-Grace remains undefeated. What has happened to Knox. Webb and Stewarts Creek? All this and more inside our recap from the action out of "Week Seven." </h2>     Week Seven Top Stories    Stock Up   - Every time Baylor and McCallie meet up on the gridiron, they tend to play a classic and that's what happened last Friday when the Red Raiders came from behind 38-35 to defeat the Blue Tornado. This was an outstanding football game that wasn't settled till late in the 4th quarter when stud back [player_tooltip player_id='1210671' first='David' last='Gabriel-Georges'] scored his third touchdown of the night to put the game away. The Blue Tornado took command early but eventually lost their edge as Gabriel-Georges got going with a ton of help from [player_tooltip player_id='1270425' first='Gabriel' last='Osenda'], [player_tooltip player_id='926104' first='Charlie' last='Edgeworth'] and the Baylor offensive line. This was an impressive win by the Red Raiders as they had to face adversity on the road in a hostile environment but still came out on top in the end.    There is a very strong possibility these two teams meet again in the playoffs and maybe even the D2-Class AAA state title game, like they did last year where McCallie won. These are the two best teams within their classification and Friday night's game proved that with two heavyweights going blow for blow with Baylor having a little extra in the end. I think by the time we reach December, both Baylor and McCallie should be firing on all cylinders with both positioned to take home the state title. If they play again, you never know what can happen, although the Blue Tornado have had the Red Raiders number in postseason play. For now however, Baylor holds the edge after their perseverance to win in last Friday's classic.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/dggeorges-crop-694x456-1759777147.webp?w=693" alt="" class="wp-image-1938480" style="width:278px;height:auto" /></figure>   - - - - -    - One of the more entertaining games coming out of “Week Seven” was Gibbs going on the road and upsetting Anderson Co., 35-28 in what could prove to be a playoff clincher for the Eagles. This victory over the Mavericks was a big one for Gibbs as it proved they are a good team that could do some damage in postseason play. Their defense deserves a lot of credit for last week's win as they got gashed a few times by [player_tooltip player_id='806042' first='Jayzon' last='Thompson'] but the Eagles held him down enough to not go-off for a monster game. Their offense showed up too, moving the ball well then finishing drives with touchdowns on a consistent basis.    The biggest takeaway from the Eagles performance was their ability to live in the moment, block out the crowd and execute throughout the entire game. The Mavs held the edge with overall talent but Gibbs fought hard and played technique sound football, which proved to be enough to come out on top. This win for the Eagles pushed them closer towards 2nd place in the region but to finish there, they must win their final three games, including a big one versus Carter to end the regular season. I like how the Eagles are ascending right now. They may not be a team others want to see in the playoffs, especially if their offense keeps playing at a high level.    - - - - -    - It took till almost the final whistle to get the job done but White House-Heritage pulled off a big region win last Friday when they knocked off previously undefeated Whites Creek, 21-18. This victory placed the Patriots at the top of the region in first place with a great shot at ending the regular season as region champs. They still have several games to go but knocking off the Cobras puts the Pats in strong position to win the region and sport a #1 seed in the playoffs. How did the Heritage pull out this win? A lot of the credit has to go to their defense, which provided nice balance as they did a nice job of keeping [player_tooltip player_id='1580784' first='Deon' last='Barnes'] in-check while not allowing their big play receivers to go-off.    The Patriots front seven did a good job as well by closing up holes in the run game while providing the occasional pass rush against Barnes. Guys like [player_tooltip player_id='1726932' first='Bradley' last='Butler'] have been a revelation this season on defense, playing consistent ball every week and doing their job as the offense have shown some struggles. Going into Week Eight, the Patriots sit at 5-2 overall with a win streak of two games but have some tough matchups ahead, especially against Sycamore and region foe Westmoreland. I like how Heritage is performing right now but must piggy back off this big win over Whites Creek and keep the train rolling.    - - - - -    - I wonder if anybody had Franklin-Grace sitting at 7-0 this deep in the season but they are after hitting the road last week and defeating Pope Prep, 28-14. This was a strong showing by the Lions, especially from [player_tooltip player_id='1629250' first='Jacob' last='Gilles'] and their defense as they harassed and made things difficult for a Knights offense that has shown explosive play this season. The Grace defense has been stellar all season long and a big reason why they sit undefeated going into Week Eight. The most points the Lions have given up in one game has been 20 while also shutting out two opponents along the way. The offense does their job and scores enough points but it's the Franklin-Grace defense that has them in position, fighting for a region title.    It's outstanding to be sitting undefeated as we head down the final stretch of the regular season but the Lions have their toughest games ahead, so we will definitely know how good this team is after their matchups with BGA and FRA. Those two teams will definitely test the Lions and make them perform above their heads to pull out wins. Regardless of what happens the rest of the way, Franklin-Grace is built to do some damage in postseason play, especially with a defense that plays well within the front seven.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/10/jgilles.jpg?w=700" alt="" class="wp-image-1938484" style="width:257px;height:auto" /></figure>   - - - - -    - It took overtime to pull out the win but Briarcrest Christian got it done in their 24-17 region victory over rival Christian Brothers. This victory moved the Saints to 5-2 overall and 2-0 within their region. They now sit in a strong position to fight for a region title but they must remain focused and take one game at a time. They showed good focus in their victory last week over the Purple Wave as they trailed most of the game but continued to fight until they tied things up late, led by the strong play of senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='492553' first='Hudson' last='Tucker']. The Saints top 10 ranked in-state signal caller found [player_tooltip player_id='1611645' first='William' last='Jones'] in the end zone on the first series of overtime, which proved to be the game winner. This was a gutsy win for the Saints but one that should help grow the team and bring confidence to the field down the stretch.    The Saints have a few big matchups looming in the next several weeks. This coming Friday may be their biggest one as they host Brentwood Academy, the PRZTN fifth ranked team in the state and a prime contender to fight for a state championship. If the Saints can take out the Eagles, they will be sitting in prime position to win their region and place themselves as a number one seed in the playoffs. I don't know if Briarcrest has the athletes to keep up with Brentwood Academy but we will see how it plays out. Either way, the Saints are coming on and a team that I think has another level to reach.   - - - - -    - After taking defeat last week, Lincoln Co. bounced back in a big way by knocking off Tullahoma, 41-28 in what could be a de facto region title win. The Falcons and Wildcats could be viewed as the top two teams from their region, so whoever won, would place themselves in a strong position to take the title. Lincoln Co. came out ready to go last Friday and it was needed as Tullahoma presented a challenge but it was one the Falcons were prepared for.    Both sides of the ball did good work in this win, especially the offense that used a nice combination of passing from [player_tooltip player_id='523936' first='Maddox' last='Franklin'] and running the ball from Carsen Carter to achieve victory. The defense did just enough to keep the Wildcats in-check while getting the right amount of stops needed to push their record to 6-1 overall and 1-0 within the region. After a bye week, the Falcons finish the regular season with three region games against Columbia Central, Lawrence Co. and Franklin. They will be the favorites in all three but that doesn't mean anything unless the Falcons win. This victory over Tullahoma definitely helps their cause at winning this region and it might be the game needed for the Falcons to go on a run into postseason play.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/09/mfranklin.jpg?w=400" alt="" class="wp-image-1865083" style="width:231px;height:auto" /></figure>   - - - - -    - Crockett Co. took one step closer towards achieving a region title after the big win over Dyersburg last week. The Cavaliers took it to the Trojans, defeating them 42-28 to move their overall record to 6-1 on the season and alone at the top of their region. Their only loss was to Dyer Co., who is placed right behind them in the region and one team that could snatch the title away from the Cavaliers. Opportunity is there for Crockett Co. to take things in their own hands and win this region but they must get past a South Gibson team, who they play in two weeks that is starting to play at a high level.    What this year's Cavaliers team sports is a veteran squad with an offense, led by [player_tooltip player_id='1743787' first='Ben' last='Burgess'] that can be explosive and high scoring. Their defense has shown flashes of good play but have also had some struggles as well. The defense has done enough to get by but they must get better to help the team win their region and go on a deep playoff run. I do like what I'm seeing though from this Crockett Co. team and how they go about their business in big games, which is something that travels well into the playoffs.    - - - - - - - - -    Stock Down   - The 2025 season appears to be a rebuilding one for Knox. Webb as they go into “Week Eight” with a record of 0-7 overall and 0-5 within their region. Even though the Spartans have one of the best players in the state with [player_tooltip player_id='402563' first='Shavar' last='Young, Jr'], they have struggled in every facet this year, especially on defense where they are allowing more than 40 points a game. Knox. Webb is a young team overall but the standards at this school have been high for several years, so their current winless season is something many I'm sure are not happy with. It's very possible the Spartans miss out on postseason action this year but hopefully the youth on this team can use this season as motivation to get better and turn things around for the 2026 campaign. Hopefully the Spartans can pick up a few wins before the season is over and have something to build upon in the offseason.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/07/syoungjr_a420bf.jpg?w=700" alt="" class="wp-image-1329884" style="width:219px;height:auto" /></figure>   - - - - -    - Macon Co. won  the 4A title last year and began the 2025 season at 5-0 but have lost in back to back to region foes and now sit on the threshold of missing out on the playoffs. Yes that is a possibility, especially after taking defeat to White Co. and Stone Memorial last week and they have yet to play the projected top team in Upperman. The Tigers also have a big game in a few weeks versus Livingston Academy, who is the team they are fighting with for that final playoff spot. I think the Tigers can reset themselves and make the playoffs but this is certainly a different team compared to last year.    The Tigers were having to replace some very important pieces from last year's state title team. You knew it could take some time for others to step forward and develop into leading roles but Macon Co. began the season 5-0 with some solid, so all was looking good. The luck ran out two weeks ago with a somewhat surprising loss to White Co. but I expected them to bounce back last Friday versus Stone Memorial, however that didn't happen. The Tigers must now re-group and focus on the final stretch. I'm very curious to see how Macon Co. performs the rest of  the way and how they finish out the 2025 campaign.    - - - - -    - After beginning the season at 3-0, Stewarts Creek has dropped four games in a row and put themselves in position to miss out on postseason action. Coming off a 35-7 loss to Blackman, the Red Hawks are looking for answers but they are running out of time as they only have three games remaining with one of them being against Oakland. Injuries are playing a big role in the Red hawks 3-4 season. They lost their quarterback Rockvale. Their top back in [player_tooltip player_id='1567089' first='Jamarcus' last='Brown'] was out for several weeks and after a return last Thursday versus the Blaze, he may be down again and for a while. Junior two-way prospect Kingston McQueen also left last week's matchup with an injury.    It's been a tough year for Stewarts Creek and I don't know if they can get things back on track with so many key injuries and very little in the season left to go. After a much needed bye week, they do have a game with struggling Knox. Webb in two weeks, so maybe the Red Hawks can win that game and pick up some confidence for the remainder of the season. More than likely, the playoffs are not happening for Stewarts Creek this year but competing hard the final three games may provide something to build upon in the offseason.    - - - - -    - As we go into “Week Eight” of the 2025 season, it appears now that Riverside is working through a rebuilding season as they sit at 1-6 overall and 1-2 within their region. It's been a struggle most of the season for the Panthers as they haven't performed up to their standards on either side of the ball, especially on offense where they are struggling to score points. They are coming off their worst performance of the season in their 49-0 loss to Huntingdon. Something is simply missing on the offensive side of the ball but the Panthers still have hope and a shot at reaching postseason play but things must be tweaked as soon as possible.    Riverside has three games remaining with all three being against region opponents. They would like to win all three but if they can at least take two of them with one being against Summertown, the Panthers may slip their way into the playoffs. Achieving postseason play within a season like this has to be a mini-victory for Riverside. It's something the staff can build on in the offseason but the team must win a few more games to make that happen.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/08/riverside-crop-1453x954-1724273406.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1398491" style="width:348px;height:auto" /></figure>