Week Two Top Matchups/Game Predictions

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The slate isn't as strong as last week but there are still several important games across the state to keep tabs on. We think these ten matchups below are the most interesting to follow for "Week Two" and a few games that could make or break someone's season. </h2>     #2 Nash. Christian (1-0) at #11 Ensworth (1-0)   - Both these Mid-Tennessee programs are coming off big “Week One” victories but both won their games in different ways. The road Eagles handled Davidson Academy while Ensworth had to stave off a good Whitehaven team to defeat the Tigers, 24-8. The response from both teams is what I'm interested to see the most. Does [player_tooltip player_id='1196806' first='Tate' last='Mathis'] and his Eagles team build off their opening win? Do the Tigers perform a little better after being tested in “Week One”? We will find out but I do like this matchup as I could honestly see either team leaving Friday night with a victory while also making their squads better for the long run, regardless of the outcome.    The biggest inner-game matchup I see here are the NCS receivers like [player_tooltip player_id='933063' first='Kaden' last='Grigsby'], [player_tooltip player_id='2233971' first='Dominick' last='Williams Jr.'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1588776' first='Hudson' last='Smith'] going against [player_tooltip player_id='1585715' first='Quinn' last='Taylor'] and the Tigers secondary. I still think the game will be won and lost in the trenches but game changing plays could be made out wide in the passing game. The home Tigers are a young team overall, so I'm interested to see how they handle the moment and the competition that will come from Nash. Christian. The Eagles are back to back D2-Class A state champs and there are several players on this team that knows what it takes to win titles. Establishing the run game with [player_tooltip player_id='1940925' first='E.J.' last='Gibson'] and keeping the Eagles offense on the sidelines may be key towards victory. I expect this contest to be close and not finalized till the very end where either team could finish on top.    Game Predictions   Chris Smith: Nash. Christian 27 Ensworth 20   Drew Toennies: Nash. Christian 28 Ensworth 27   Shayne Pickering: Ensworth 31 Nash. Christian 17   Conner Smith: Ensworth 35 Nash. Christian 31   Tim Swift: Ensworth 28 Nash. Christian 21   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/10/ejgibson.jpg?w=400" alt="" class="wp-image-1942278" style="width:232px;height:auto" /></figure>   - - - - -    Brentwood (1-0) at #5 Brentwood Academy (0-1)    - These two teams know each other very well, so I'm expecting a big crowd at Eagles stadium on Friday night where either squad could walk out as the victor. The home Brentwood Academy team is far superior when it comes to talent but the Bruins is a consistent ball club that does all the little things right to win and they have a talented signal caller in [player_tooltip player_id='904978' first='Gavin' last='Strang'] under center to lean on. I expect Strang to move the ball enough to score and keep his team right there in the mix but for the Bruins to pull off the upset, they will need their defense to play stellar and limit the big plays from the Brentwood Academy offense. It will be tough for Brentwood as they will need to find a way to slow down the likes of [player_tooltip player_id='378855' first='Kesean' last='Bowman'], [player_tooltip player_id='1410131' first='Lexton' last='Baskin'], [player_tooltip player_id='723428' first='Larry' last='Sanders II'] and others but if they can do enough, being there in the 4th quarter to win is very possible.    Another area to watch in this contest will be how the Bruins offensive line holds up against a strong Eagles defensive front seven. Brentwood Academy is loaded in this area, headlined by [player_tooltip player_id='1140547' first='Dylan' last='Taylor'] and [player_tooltip player_id='983676' first='Khris' last='Rice'] up front and [player_tooltip player_id='1585726' first='Kenneth' last='Simon'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1318538' first='Roman' last='Jennings'] behind them. Those among others will be looking to cause havoc on Strang and get him off script. If they are able to do that, it might turn into a long evening for the Bruins offense and team overall. I think leaning on the run game to establish the play action may be a key recipe towards success for Brentwood. I do like the Eagles in this game and think they will win but we can't sleep on the Bruins and what they may be able to accomplish in this cross town rivalry.    Game Predictions   Chris Smith: Brentwood Acad. 38 Brentwood 17   Drew Toennies: Brentwood Acad. 38 Brentwood 17   Shayne Pickering: Brentwood Acad. 38 Brentwood 14   Conner Smith: Brentwood Acad. 38 Brentwood 21   Tim Swift: Brentwood Acad. 45 Brentwood 30   - - - - -    #5 East Nashville (1-0) at Antioch (1-0)   - This should be one of the more interesting games to follow in “Week Two” as East Nashville is coming off a big road win over Collierville while Antioch handled business in foreign territory, knocking off Mt. Juliet. Both these teams head into Friday night's game confident and looking to remain undefeated on the season but only one can do so. The Eagles are bringing a physical, opportunistic defense to town that harassed a current Big Ten committed quarterback last week and this Friday, they will look to do the same against a Big 12 committed guy in [player_tooltip player_id='378901' first='Andre' last='Adams']. Watching how the Bears O-line goes against [player_tooltip player_id='1565681' first='Devin' last='Phillips'], [player_tooltip player_id='906125' first='Zamari' last='Davis'] and the East defensive line will be fun to watch and a potential indicator on who wins this Davidson County contest.    Another matchup I'm interested to see play out is Adams throwing against a talented Eagles secondary. Those guys basically shut down Collierville's passing attack last week that included two Big Ten, top 25 Prep Redzone Tennessee ranked prospects. Junior safety [player_tooltip player_id='1607226' first='Jaylen' last='Mays'] had a coming out party with three interceptions while [player_tooltip player_id='1909567' first='Mar'Shaun' last='Fletcher'] handled the boundary. Senior safety [player_tooltip player_id='1974488' first='Cason' last='Reed'] is also a part of the Eagles defensive backfield. There is a lot of talent on the back end that Adams and his receivers must deal with throughout this game. I think how both teams run the ball and how many turnovers are created will play big roles in the outcome of this game. I can see either team winning but if I have to give the edge to somebody, I'm leaning towards East Nashville, especially after the big road win down in Memphis.    Game Predictions   Chris Smith: East Nashville 24 Antioch 20   Drew Toennies: Antioch 28 East Nashville 24   Shayne Pickering: East Nashville 28 Antioch 26   Conner Smith: Antioch 35 East Nashville 34   Tim Swift: East Nashville 24 Antioch 23   - - - - -    Greeneville (1-0) at Upperman (1-0)   - Coming off a close, hard fought road win last week over Knox. Webb, the Bees open their home schedule with another tough East Tennessee opponent in Greeneville, who impressed in their victory over Morristown-West. These two teams faced off last year where Upperman took an eight point loss to the Green Devils, so getting revenge will certainly be in play but both these squads are different. Even after the first week of action, there are still some unknowns for both Greeneville and Upperman but I think we will definitely know a lot more after Friday night's contest. What I do know we will see is running the football. The Bees are using a young core in the backfield this year but showed promise last week. The Green Devils have their next stud running the show at quarterback in Kaine Ricker. Stopping the run for both defenses will be absolutely critical in winning this ball game.    I see this being a run the clock, ground and pound matchup that will be won in the trenches and benefitted by potential turnovers. Whoever is able to run the ball with consistency while forcing a turnover or two, will win this out of region matchup. I do like the Green Devils as the favorite here. I just think they have more overall talent right now and some veterans, including a difference maker like Ricker, that can guide their team to victory. Upperman senior two-way player [player_tooltip player_id='1679806' first='Colton' last='Johnson'] is one to watch as a game changer but he will definitely need help to overtake the road Green Devils.    Game Predictions   Chris Smith: Greeneville 37 Upperman 13    Drew Toennies: Upperman 21 Greeneville 14   Shayne Pickering: Greeneville 28 Upperman 14   Conner Smith: Upperman 24 Greenville 17   Tim Swift: Upperman 31 Greeneville 27   - - - - -    Houston (1-0) at Whitehaven (0-1)   - After having a rough 2025 season, could the Mustangs be back to prominence? I think we will know after their Friday night game against a hungry Whitehaven ball club. After defeating Germantown 40-6 last week, Houston is headed into this matchup looking to build their confidence further and develop a roster that could compete for a region title and beyond. Their young team from last year is older and more experienced. They have a strong offensive line, led by senior [player_tooltip player_id='2045254' first='Jaiden' last='Strother'] and a running back in [player_tooltip player_id='1718454' first='Raderius' last='Robertson'] that went off for 126 yards and 4 touchdowns last week. The Mustangs run game has a chance to be special, so it will be interesting to see how they stack up against a strong Whitehaven defensive front seven that is led by future college guys in [player_tooltip player_id='906615' first='Shelvy' last='Clark'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2212463' first='Daylin' last='Stanley'].    The difference in this game could be the Tigers offense, who scored only six points in their opening night loss to Ensworth. Led by junior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1588108' first='Jour'din' last='Shelton'], the Tigers struggled to generate anything consistent last week while turning the ball over too often. Improvement must happen this Friday against Houston if the home Tigers don't want to start the season 0-2. I do expect the Whitehaven defense to play better but I think this year's Houston team might be legit, so I'm leaning towards the Mustangs to win and potentially do so by two touchdowns.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/01/Photo-Jan-27-2026-2-16-58-PM-crop-401x263-1769545069.jpg?w=400" alt="" class="wp-image-2114246" style="aspect-ratio:1.5267770204479065;width:261px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Whitehaven DB [player_tooltip player_id='1570551' first='Calvin' last='Maclin'] before his game.</figcaption></figure>   Game Predictions   Chris Smith: Houston 24 Whitehaven 14   Drew Toennies: Whitehaven 21 Houston 20   Shayne Pickering: Whitehaven 30 Houston 21   Conner Smith: Whitehaven 27 Houston 20   Tim Swift: Houston 21 Whitehaven 20   - - - - -    #14 Lipscomb Academy (0-1) at #10 Ravenwood (1-0)   - The first week of action was heartbreak for Lipscomb as they fell to McCallie 27-24 after a goal line stop by the Blue Tornado defense. The Mustangs have to quickly get over it as they are on the road again against a top ten team in Ravenwood, who impressed in their opening win over Madison-Ridgeland. This should be a battle between two highly talented ball clubs that are running with new quarterbacks this year in [player_tooltip player_id='2113901' first='Brooks' last='Brown'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1633607' first='Turner' last='White']. Both offenses performed well last week, so it will be a challenge for each defense to limit the big plays while finding a way to stop the opposing teams run game. Ravenwood senior [player_tooltip player_id='1103577' first='Caden' last='Pace'] is a big X-Factor for the Raptors as is [player_tooltip player_id='1297479' first='Manoach' last='Crockett'] for the Mustangs. If each team's backfield is able to perform at a high level, we could be in for a high scoring affair that remains tight till the end.    I do give a slight edge to Ravenwood with them being at home and a defense that has a chance to be special but Lipscomb is very talented. They may be younger compared to the Raptors but they have serious talent in guys like [player_tooltip player_id='2182382' first='Ty' last='Hathaway'], [player_tooltip player_id='2143334' first='Jaxon' last='Spencer'], [player_tooltip player_id='1177924' first='Langston' last='Robinson'] and others. I am interested to see the battle in the trenches as well as how each team will respond after their week one results. As it was said above, I do like Ravenwood in this game but I definitely would not be surprised if Lipscomb pulled out the victory. Regardless of the result, it should be a fun game to follow that will have a lot of future college guys performing Friday night under the lights.    Game Predictions   Chris Smith: Ravenwood 28 Lipscomb Acad. 17   Drew Toennies: Ravenwood 31 Lipscomb Acad. 28   Shayne Pickering: Lipscomb Acad. 27 Ravenwood 20   Conner Smith: Lipscomb Acad. 34 Ravenwood 28   Tim Swift: Ravenwood 35 Lipscomb Acad. 27    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/08/dstallings.jpg?w=700" alt="" class="wp-image-2347064" style="width:225px;height:auto" /></figure>   - - - - -    #15 Sevier Co. (1-0) at Jefferson Co. (1-0)   - One of the better East Tennessee matchups we have for “Week Two” are the Smoky Bears taking on a Jefferson Co. team that surprised last Friday in their 55-0 victory over Cocke County and will be primed at home to face a 5A title contender. Sevier Co. brings a veteran squad to town, led by senior standouts [player_tooltip player_id='1142902' first='Cooper' last='Newman'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1577078' first='Parker' last='Newman'], who produced a 108 yard, two touchdown game last week that will be looking to build their offense further. Getting their run game going with [player_tooltip player_id='1182191' first='Brayden' last='Maples'] should be at the top of the list for Sevier Co., which is something Jefferson Co. must stop to win this contest. The Patriots defensive performance will be absolutely critical in their hopes at pulling off the upset but so too will be their offense and their ability to run the ball versus a solid Smoky Bears defensive front.    Senior running back [player_tooltip player_id='1177966' first='Donovan' last='Jackson'] could be a difference maker in this contest. The Patriots ball carrier has the size and overall talent to run through the Sevier Co. defense and generate big plays along with potential scores. I am sure the Smoky Bears coaching staff have the Pats run game on their list as a key to victory. Senior defensive end [player_tooltip player_id='1103040' first='Jaxson' last='Perry'] could be a key player in the Bears efforts at slowing down Jackson. I do like the road team in this game due to their winning culture and overall talent but I'm interested to see how Jefferson Co. performs and if they were a flash in the pan last week or a legit ball club to pay attention to the rest of the season.    Game Predictions   Chris Smith: Sevier Co. 38 Jefferson Co. 7   Drew Toennies: Sevier Co. 28 Jefferson Co. 20   Shayne Pickering: Sevier Co. 38 Jefferson Co. 6   Conner Smith: Sevier Co. 31 Jefferson Co. 17   Tim Swift: Sevier Co. 38 Jefferson Co. 17    - - - - -    Green Hill (1-0) at #16 Page (1-0)   - Two of more consistent programs from the greater Mid-Tennessee area face off against each other down in the countryside of Williamson Co. on Friday where the road Hawks will be looking to pull an upset over the reigning 5A state champs. Page welcomes Green Hill to town this week in what could be a close contest or a potential blowout. That all depends on the maturity of the young Hawks football team and how they handle facing a perennial power like Page. New starting quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1718205' first='Seth' last='Frankenfield'] had a solid debut last week in his team's win against Beech but the Patriots will put a better defense in front of him that could cause problems all night long. Edge rusher [player_tooltip player_id='2206375' first='Connor' last='Sullivan'] could be a difference maker in this matchup with his ability to harass Frankenfield while also making plays in space versus both the run and the pass.   Finding some offensive success I think will be key for the road Hawks, whether that's through the air with [player_tooltip player_id='1368155' first='Will' last='Butler'] or leaning on [player_tooltip player_id='1841394' first='Zachery' last='Cartwright'] and their run game. Something has to work because I think the Page offense with [player_tooltip player_id='693877' first='Cameron' last='Kruse'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1571091' first='Isaac' last='Otey'] will be too tough to slow down. The recipe that might work the best is giving the ball to Cartwright as much as possible and bleeding out the clock as best as they can while keeping the Patriots offense on the sidelines. If the Hawks can do that, they may have a shot to win but if Kruse and Otey score with ease while the Pats defense stuffs the run on early downs, it may be a long night for the road squad.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/06/csullivan.jpg?w=400" alt="" class="wp-image-2236667" style="width:290px;height:auto" /></figure>   Game Predictions   Chris Smith: Page 34 Green Hill 10   Drew Toennies: Page 17 Green Hill 10   Shayne Pickering: Page 35 Green Hill 17    Conner Smith: Page 28 Green Hill 14   Tim Swift: Page 24 Green Hill 17    - - - - -    McMinn Co. (1-0) at Cleveland (1-0)   - The Cherokees and Blue Raiders meet in “Week Two” after big opening nights wins over rivals with both surprising several across the state due to the results. McMinn Co. was a team under the radar going into the season while Cleveland was much of the same but had a little buzz due to some upperclassmen, however I don't know if anybody saw those two knocking off their “Week One” opponents. Well it happened and both head into this matchup 1-0 and looking to build off last week's victory. It will be interesting to see how McMinn Co. and Cleveland respond this week, especially the Blue Raiders, who put 48 points on Walker Valley but will they replicate that kind of offensive output for the second week in a row?   I think they can, especially with [player_tooltip player_id='1660896' first='Kason' last='McGowan'] behind center. He had a solid game last week but I believe McGowan could really crank up the passing attack against the Cherokees. I'm expecting the Blue Raiders to score points but will McMinn County? That is the biggest question to me in this game is will the Cherokees score enough against a solid Cleveland defense to pull out the road win. I don't know if they will be able to but that's a key point in why it makes this game so interesting because I think whoever wins, could be setting themselves up for a great start to their season with a lot of confidence going forward into the rest of their schedule.    Game Predictions   Chris Smith: Cleveland 31 McMinn Co. 13    Drew Toennies: Cleveland 28 McMinn Co. 21    Shayne Pickering: McMinn Co. 28 Cleveland 21    Conner Smith: Cleveland 21 McMinn Co. 10   Tim Swift: McMinn Co. 34 Cleveland 24   - - - - -    #13 Riverdale (0-1) at Father Ryan (1-0)   - Coming off a tough road loss to Knox. Catholic last week, Riverdale will be looking to bounce back in a big way but they take on a Father Ryan that impressed in “Week One” with their shutout victory against Overton, so it won't be easy. There is all sorts of talent within the Warriors roster but things just didn't click in their opening night loss. What did work for the Warriors was their defense and that's something that travels on the road. I fully expect the Riverdale defense, led by [player_tooltip player_id='1648682' first='James' last='Stewart'], [player_tooltip player_id='1588087' first='Gael' last='Lara'] and others to continue performing at a high level in “Week Two” against a Fighting Irish offense that shows potential but is still forming together. Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='2213219' first='Walter' last='Wilson'] and two-way player [player_tooltip player_id='906479' first='T.J.' last='Gooch Jr.'] had good opening games but both will need even more input this Friday to up-end the Warriors.    I am expecting the Riverdale offense to wake up a little more this Friday and produce thirty plus points but I think they must find a running game to make that happen. Senior linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1591998' first='Ethan' last='Stacey'] will be a key piece in helping stop the Warriors rushing attack and if he and others do so, this game might be closer than some may think. Turnovers could play a major role in this contest as well and that's something Riverdale must focus on not doing. There are a lot of dynamics in this game that I'm interested to see how it turns out. I do like the road team in this matchup based on the Riverdale defense and their overall roster talent but I would not be surprised to see the Fighting Irish close in the 4th quarter with an opportunity to push ahead.    Game Predictions   Chris Smith: Riverdale 31 Father Ryan 17    Drew Toennies: Riverdale 38 Father Ryan 21   Shayne Pickering: Riverdale 42 Father Ryan 10    Conner Smith: Riverdale 41 Father Ryan 14   Tim Swift: Riverdale 31 Father Ryan 13    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/01/Photo-Jan-24-2026-11-22-51-AM-crop-1072x704-1786213412.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-2267811" style="width:275px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Riverdale OLB [player_tooltip player_id='1588087' first='Gael' last='Lara']. Photo from his Instagram.</figcaption></figure>   - - - - -    Other Top Week Two Matchups   East Tennessee   Chatt. Prep (0-1) at Boyd Buchanan (1-0)   Walker Valley (0-1) at Bradley Cent. (0-1)   Tenn. High (1-0) at Elizabethton (0-1)   Knox. Halls (0-1) at Gibbs (1-0)   CAK (1-0) at Heritage (1-0)   Anderson Co. (0-1) at #7 Knox. Catholic (1-0) - Thurs.   #17 Maryville (0-1) at Knox. West (1-0)   Loudon (1-0) at Lenoir City (1-0)   Eagleton (1-0) at McMinn Cent. (1-0)   East Hamilton (1-0) at #10 Meigs Co. (1-0)   Notre Dame (1-0) at Rhea Co. (1-0)   Signal Mnt. (1-0) at #25 Sequatchie Co. (1-0)   #7 South Pittsburg (1-0) at Silverdale (1-0)   - - -   Middle Tennessee   Mt. Juliet (0-1) at Beech (0-1)   #21 Blackman (1-0) at Cane Ridge (1-0) - Thurs.   Providence Chrst. (1-0) at Cannon Co. (1-0)   Moore Co. (1-0) at #23 Cascade (1-0)   #8 BGA (1-0) at Columbia Acad. (1-0)   #12 FRA (1-0) at Cookeville (1-0)   #22 Jackson Chrst. (1-0) at DCA (1-0)   Huntland (1-0) at #15 Forrest (1-0)   #17 MTCS (1-0) at Franklin-Grace (1-0)   #11 East Robertson (1-0) at Pope Prep (0-1)   CPA (0-1) at #23 Pearl Cohn (0-1)   Station Camp (1-0) at Rockvale (1-0)   Coalfield (0-1) at Stone Memorial (1-0)   #18 Gordonsville (1-0) at Watertown (1-0)   - - -    West Tennessee   Germantown (0-1) at Bartlett (1-0)   Fairley (1-0) at #18 Briarcrest Chrst. (1-0)   Adamsville (1-0) at Chester Co. (1-0)   Haywood (0-1) at Covington (1-0)   #16 McKenzie (0-1) at Dresden (0-1)   Giles Co. (0-1) at Henry Co. (1-0)   Camden (1-0) at #12 Huntingdon (1-0)   Humboldt (1-0) at Peabody (1-0)   Lexington (1-0) at Riverside (1-0)   #24 Milan (1-0) at South Gibson (0-1)   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/08/sevierco_3ca3b8.jpg?w=508" alt="" class="wp-image-2264712" style="width:289px;height:auto" /></figure>