Five Takes Following the Opening Round of the TSSAA Playoffs

The first round of the TSSAA playoffs took place last week and did not disappoint.   There was plenty of excitement, great last-second plays and some surprising upsets that leave you craving more football. After having a week to digest what happened, I've decided to talk about some of the opinions I gathered following an outstanding opening round.   I've compiled five of my takes about this year's postseason throughout the state. Let's get into it.   <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/11/lclement.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2044032" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Science Hill QB [player_tooltip player_id='1577633' first='Lane' last='Clement']. Taken by Tri City Sports.</figcaption></figure>   This postseason will be more upset-heavy than recent ones   It's obviously somewhat early to make this claim, but the 2025 playoffs are shaping up to be one of the most upset-heavy years that I've seen in recent memory.   According to the brackets and seeding, there were 25 upsets in the opening round.   That number is high, but it wasn't just because of the seeding being skewed. There were legitimate teams who were upset this past week, such as Oak Ridge, Goodpasture and Rhea County.   While that isn't good for our Prep Redzone brackets, it makes for a fun next two months, which is what's most important. Although that number is unlikely to be sustainable, there will be more upsets in the next few weeks; it's just a matter of where.   <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/11/Photo-Nov-11-2025-8-17-20-PM.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-2045543" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Oakland RB [player_tooltip player_id='856867' first='Craig' last='Tutt']. Taken by Cam Reid, 615 Preps.</figcaption></figure>   Oakland is an elite team, but not unbeatable   The Oakland Patriots are, without a doubt, one of the best teams in Tennessee. They have a dynamic running back duo, a stifling defense, good quarterback play and the best head coach in the state.   However, things are still open in 6A, and Riverdale putting them against the ropes two weeks ago should have proved that they aren't unbeatable. Now, could they go on a run and capture another state championship under Kevin Creasy? Absolutely. But my point still stands.   They've been in tight games twice this season against a pair of quality opponents. Sure, they won those ball games. But they didn't look like some impenetrable force.   Oakland is my state championship pick for a reason, but there are teams like Southwind and Ravenwood who have a shot to knock them off their throne.   I'm sure they will use this for motivation, as they should. But it will be exciting to see how things play out in a top-heavy, but highly competitive 6A class.   <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/07/dcovington2.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-1703944" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: East Nashville QB [player_tooltip player_id='1668630' first='Dallas' last='Covington']. Photo by East Nash Athletics.</figcaption></figure>   Despite being 5-5, East Nashville is a legitimate 2A state title contender   East Nashville Magnet limped into the playoffs at 4-5 before blowing out Adamsville 41-18.   Do not sleep on this team. They're incredibly talented, and their record doesn't accurately reflect their abilities.   Four of their losses are to Collierville, Antioch, Beech and Springfield, by a combined 21 points. Their lone 2A loss was by 10 points to an undefeated East Robertson team, who they would not face until the semifinals.   The Eagles may not win it all, but they have good odds to make a push.   They have a very productive dual-threat quarterback in [player_tooltip player_id='1668630' first='Dallas' last='Covington'], good skill players and a defense that's giving up under 20 points per game.   <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/dkwilliams-crop-762x500-1755115417.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1799570" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Beech ATH [player_tooltip player_id='903534' first='DK' last='Williams']. Photo by Beech Athletics.</figcaption></figure>   5A will be the most competitive classification   You could make this argument with a few others, and I wouldn't be upset. However, 5A seems to be the most complete classification, with nearly 10 schools that have a legitimate chance to win the state championship.   Whether you talk about defending champion Sevier County, Powell, Beech, Page, etc., it's a loaded group. Most classifications have a few teams you expect to see in the title mix, but 5A is just different.   It's completely unpredictable, with so many schools having a realistic shot at taking home the trophy.   <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/gsimpson.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1529148" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Westview QB [player_tooltip player_id='424594' first='Graham' last='Simpson']. Photo by Matthew Joyner.</figcaption></figure>   3A is Westview, then everybody else   Unlike 5A, this classification has a clear-cut favorite with the 10-0 Westview Chargers.   I hate to say that it's over before we even get to the second weekend, but it's over. This team is incredibly talented and has dominated nearly every game it has played thus far.   Its lone close game was a 37-34 win over Lausanne. But outside of that, it's been nothing but blowouts. In the other nine games, Westview has outscored its opponents 532-123, including eight victories of 30 points or more.   This team is unstoppable and features multiple high-profile recruits, including quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='424594' first='Graham' last='Simpson'], athlete [player_tooltip player_id='1422977' first='Miles' last='Brown'] and running back [player_tooltip player_id='1103496' first='Asa' last='Barnes'].   They will be challenged in the quarterfinals by, presumably, Melrose. If they get through that game with the win, nobody will stop Westview on its way to the school's first state championship since 2021.

The first round of the TSSAA playoffs took place last week and did not disappoint.