TNHSFB Round Two Statewide Recap

<!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Upset city continued into "Round Two" as we saw some top title contenders go down while a few surprising teams remain alive! We break down the top stories coming out of the second week of playoff action along with some in-depth takes on what you could expect moving into the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds. </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Second Round Top Stories&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- Possibly the biggest upset coming out of the “Second Round” was <strong>Lincoln Co. </strong>traveling over to Knoxville and defeating number one seed, <strong>Powell</strong>, 36-34. This was a hard fought, close matchup that wasn't settled till the final minutes where the Falcons did enough to stay on top and advance to the quarterfinals of the 5A playoffs. This is easily the best win of the season for Lincoln Co. and one that shows the Falcons are capable of beating high quality teams and potentially playing their way to Chattanooga. The biggest takeaway I have from this victory is the offensive firepower displayed against a good Panthers defense that had been strong all year long.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Falcons received strong play from their key offensive guys. Quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='523936' first='Maddox' last='Franklin'] </strong>did his thing through the air while <strong>Carsen Carter </strong>handled business in the ground game. Their offensive line really deserves a game ball going against <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1154536' first='Iverson' last='Garcia'] </strong>and the Panthers defensive front. Yes they gave up a few plays here or there but overall, the Falcons front five was a key pillar behind their road victory. A lot of effort was put into this game, so I'm hoping Lincoln Co. can recoup their energy and bring it next Friday as they are set to face the defending 5A champs in Sevier County but for now, this a big win and moment for the Falcons football program.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- - - - -&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- Another upset I don't think many saw coming was <strong>CPA </strong>taking the short trip over to <strong>Ensworth </strong>and putting the Tigers out of the playoffs. That's what happened last Friday as the Lions held tough till the end to put away Ensworth, 17-15. Points came at a premium in this contest as both defenses played strong and did a good job of keeping big plays to a minimum. The one thing that couldn't be slowed down enough was the rushing attack of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1335216' first='Rawls' last='Patterson']</strong>. His power running style proved to be a difference maker in this matchup. The Tigers defense did enough to keep their offense in the game but they just couldn't generate enough points to advance.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's been a battle all year for the Lions as they played the toughest schedule in the state but it might have tested them properly for the right time of the year. The CPA football program is used to winning games, so it's not a surprise they came ready to play in this 2nd round contest. It's more surprising the lack of production from the Ensworth offense. The Lions made <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1940925' first='E.J.' last='Gibson'] </strong>non-existent while also doing a nice job of keeping <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1153810' first='Taylor' last='Hasselbeck'] </strong>in-check. This was probably the best overall defensive performance of the season for CPA but it must continue in the quarters where they face a talented Brentwood Academy offense with a lot of firepower. The Lions must move on and focus on the Eagles but beating the Tigers was a nice win to build confidence while also holding some bragging rights over a fellow West Nashville rival.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2004554,"width":"271px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/09/ocabell-crop-321x211-1762231188.jpg?w=320" alt="" class="wp-image-2004554" style="width:271px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- - - - -&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- <strong>Alcoa </strong>looks primed for another strong playoff run, especially after their 49-28 road win last week over <strong>Upperman</strong>. The first half saw both teams go back and forth with offensive scores but the Tornadoes coaching staff made half time adjustments that completely shut down the Bees offense. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1254853' first='Bronzden' last='Chaffin'] </strong>was a problem in the first half but the Alcoa defense did a nice job after halftime of limiting his big runs while locking things down in the secondary. The defensive line had a solid night but I thought <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1366543' first='Darius' last='Sudderth'] </strong>was an active, physical leader that did well at making his presence felt in stopping the run. The defense did show some leaks at times, which needs to be fixed as they move on but their second half performance certainly led them to victory.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Quarterback <strong>Thomas Manu </strong>was near flawless in this second round win as his completion percentage was exceptional but so was his command in the huddle. The Tornadoes junior signal caller looked like a poised performer behind center that never flinched when the Bees kept answering offensive scores. Junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='904844' first='Micah' last='Jones'] </strong>played a big role in this game with three rushing touchdowns as did the Tornado receivers, especially <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1028069' first='Haynes' last='Hawkins']</strong>, who produced two scores on the night. This was an impressive win for Alcoa that shows they have the chops to yet again get to Chattanooga and bring home another “Gold Ball.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- - - - -&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- I don't know if anybody picked <strong>Centennial </strong>to reach the quarterfinals but they did after a surprising road win over a very good <strong>Memphis Central </strong>team. The Cougars put together their best team performance of the season at the right time of the year and did so versus a team that I and others saw as a sleeper to reach the 5A title game. The offense led by <strong>Mitchell Grandjean</strong>, performed well, especially through the air but it was the Cougars defense that I felt won the game for them. Stopping <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1094224' first='Brooks' last='Wright'] </strong>and the Warriors offense was a tall task but the Centennial defenders did their job and maintained focus throughout the entire game. They did allow <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1598138' first='Andrus' last='Farmer'] </strong>to go off but when the Warriors got in the red zone, the Cougars did well at keeping them off the scoreboard.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>You have to give credit to the Centennial coaching staff and players for staying together through a rough season and remaining focused on the bigger goal at hand and that's competing for a state title. The Cougars are an overall young team with a few veterans like Grandjean, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1640649' first='Malachi' last='Steele'] </strong>and others that lead the way but all the pieces seem to be forming together well at the most important time of the year. It may be tough to keep the magic going as the Cougars hit the road again with a matchup looming versus <strong>Henry Co. </strong>but seeing how they are playing right now, I wouldn't put it past Centennial to pull off another playoff upset.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2055476,"width":"223px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/11/msteele.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2055476" style="width:223px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- - - - -&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- Going into the second round, one of the more intriguing matchups we had was <strong>Huntingdon </strong>versus <strong>Lewis Co. </strong>but in the end, the Mustangs proved to be the better team in their commanding 49-22 win over the Panthers. The Mustangs rushing attack, spearheaded by <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1648079' first='Tyreke' last='Hutch']</strong>, proved to be too much to handle for the Lewis Co. defense as they ran up and down the field all night on the way to victory. Running the ball is what Huntingdon does and the Panthers knew they would need to slow that down to win but it became overwhelming as the game went on and proved to tire out the Lewis Co. defense. The Mustangs have performed well all year but this might have been one of the better performances from the 2025 season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The biggest takeaway I have about Huntingdon from this win is they looked primed for a deep run and a team to watch for at making it to the 2A title game. Their style of offense works well in postseason play and as long as their defense does well up front, they have the chops to bring home a “Gold Ball.” It won't be an easy path, especially in the quarters as they face the perennial favorite to take home the title in <strong>East Robertson</strong> but if they can get past the Indians, I like their chances at making it to Chattanooga.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- - - - -&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- A team to watch for in the quarterfinal round that appears to be playing their best football of the season is <strong>Marshall County</strong>. The Tigers are coming off possibly their best win of the year as they defeated <strong>Dyer Co.</strong>, 41-14 in what became one of the more surprising scores from the 4A ranks. What is standing out right now about the Tigers is their offense. Through two playoff games, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1422897' first='Tyler' last='Thompson'] </strong>and his Tigers offense is averaging 44 points a game and showing balance between their passing and the emergence at running back from sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1885826' first='Tot' last='Gardner']</strong>. During their win over the Choctaws, Gardner ran for over 200 yards while producing multiple scores. His athleticism and speed proved to be game changers in this second round win and a good sign moving into the quarters.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This Tigers program has won a lot of ball games under the leadership of Thompson, so you can't put it past them to continue advancing throughout the playoffs. They face a familiar opponent next Friday in <strong>Pearl Cohn</strong>, who was a region foe for multiple years that has had their number but Marshall Co. has them at home, so maybe that can be an advantage. Regardless of what happens this Friday, it's been a good run for Marshall Co., especially with mostly a young ball club that is building beyond the 2025 campaign but still focused on the goal at hand and that's making it to Chattanooga.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2055489,"width":"208px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/11/tythompson2.jpg?w=730" alt="" class="wp-image-2055489" style="width:208px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Marshall Co. Post </figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- - - - -&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- The 1A ranks lost one of their top contenders to win the state title last week when <strong>Fayetteville </strong>knocked off <strong>Dresden</strong>, 41-21 to end the Tigers 2025 season. This proved to be one of the bigger upsets from the second round as myself and many others didn't see Dresden taking defeat but it happened and you have to give a lot of credit to the Fayetteville coaching staff for putting together a great game plan that the players executed. The Tigers offense exploded for 41 points, which made a big difference but I think it was the Fayetteville defense that led them to victory.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dresden has been able to run through their opponents most of the year but the Tigers did a great job up front of playing physical and getting off blocks. They did one thing many others haven't and that's slowing down Mr. Football semifinalist <strong>Luke DiPietro</strong>. I don't know how far Fayetteville will take this playoff ride but beating a team like Dresden is definitely progress in the right direction for the overall outlook of their program. For the Tigers out of Dresden, this is a tough loss that will certainly sting for some time as they had aspirations of winning a state title but now must move on and look to build their 2026 roster.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- - - - -&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- So far through two rounds of action, the D2-Class AA level has stayed chalk, meaning everything has gone to plan and all the top title teams remain in play. The four teams remaining in <strong>BGA, Boyd Buchanan, FRA </strong>and <strong>Lausanne </strong>were the considered favorites going into the playoffs and they remain in-line to bring home the “Gold Ball.” All four teams have easily defeated their opponents and looked impressive in their wins. Mr. Football candidates <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='914547' first='Kaedyn' last='Marable']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1562192' first='T.J.' last='Jenkins'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='402534' first='David' last='Green'] </strong>have been sensational and will be linchpins over the next two rounds. The Panthers from FRA are averaging 49 points through two games while allowing only 16 points a game on defense. Every team left has been impressive but only one can call themselves “champion” at the end of the road. BGA is set to face Boyd Buchanan this Friday while FRA hosts Lausanne. Both games should be fun to watch and see who comes out on top. I can see where all four teams can win the state title, which should make the semifinals and championship rounds quite entertaining.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1720348,"width":"245px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/07/tjjenkins_e4d2a8.jpg?w=700" alt="" class="wp-image-1720348" style="width:245px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image -->