Page Climbs Out of Early Hole, Advances to the State Semifinals

Franklin, Tenn. – No. 7 Page hosted No. 16 Beech on Friday night in a matchup of two elite 5A schools trying to make the state semifinals. Both teams went back and forth in one of the best games of the 2025 season.   However, in the end, the Page Patriots proved to be too much for the Beech Buccaneers, defeating them 31-21 and advancing to their fifth consecutive semifinal appearance.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/connersmith04/status/1992079233267724319?s=20 </div></figure>   After a three-and-out to begin the game, Beech recovered a fumble and took it deep into Page territory.   Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='866718' first='Kaden' last='Powell'] drove his offense inside the 10 and finished the drive with a rushing touchdown on fourth down to draw first blood.   It wouldn't take long to put another score on the board after they forced a punt, and the Buccaneer offense drove into the red zone again. Powell called his own number on second down to put his team up 14-0 as the Page side was stunned.   That deficit was the largest they had faced all season.   The second quarter was a defensive chess match, but the Patriots finally got something going offensively as they sat deep in Bucs territory right before halftime.   [player_tooltip player_id='1571091' first='Isaac' last='Otey'] took the snap and rushed for a good gain before fumbling the ball, where [player_tooltip player_id='853120' first='Cayden' last='Aukerman'] recovered it and ran into the end zone for a score.   Both offenses traded punts after that to head into the intermission with Beech leading 14-7.   The Pats came out firing on all cylinders after a nearly 60-yard run by Otey set up a [player_tooltip player_id='1532741' first='James' last='Pierre'] rushing score to tie things. They took the lead roughly 11 minutes later on a long field goal to make it 17-14.   Just when the momentum had shifted all the way to Page's side, Beech had something up their sleeve.   After running the football all game, Powell launched a deep ball that senior wide receiver Brock Miller caught for the go-ahead score.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/connersmith04/status/1992071695386210305?s=20 </div></figure>   However, the home side also decided to pull out a long pass play.   [player_tooltip player_id='693877' first='Cameron' last='Kruse'] launched a deep ball to [player_tooltip player_id='540028' first='Knight' last='Wilson'], who juked out two defenders on his way to paydirt, giving Page the lead just a minute later.   Kruse called his number a few minutes later to extend the lead to 31-21 with 3:38 remaining in the contest. The Patriot defense held firm the rest of the game, as they clawed back from an early hole to punch their tickets to the TSSAA 5A semifinals.   Player of the Game    Wilson was fantastic against Beech, where he played arguably his best game of the year. The well-built safety was terrific on the defensive side of things, where he spent the majority of the night playing in the box to limit big rushes.   He demonstrated his versatility by sitting back and playing coverage over the middle of the field and deep in the secondary, with strong tackling to play wherever he's needed.   The Air Force commit was outstanding as a receiver as well. He racked up over 100 receiving yards, including a 60+ yard touchdown reception.    Other Notable Players   2026 QB [player_tooltip player_id='866718' first='Kaden' last='Powell'] – Beech   Even in a losing effort, Powell was impressive for his Beech Buccaneers on Friday. He's a massive body at 6-foot-4 and nearly 250 pounds, but he possesses good athleticism and speed, making him a dynamic runner.   He had a good day on the ground, but also hit a couple of chunk plays through the air to force the Page defense to respect every part of their offense.   The Kentucky baseball commit had over 200 total yards and three touchdowns.   <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/11/Photo-Nov-18-2025-10-34-13-PM.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2058221" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Page RB [player_tooltip player_id='1571091' first='Isaac' last='Otey']. Photo by Page Athletics.</figcaption></figure>   2028 RB [player_tooltip player_id='1571091' first='Isaac' last='Otey'] – Page   Most underclassmen would not have been able to deliver the way that Otey did, but he found a way to help his team win. The sophomore had a big day, rushing for over 100 yards in a high-pressure game.   Otey looks to be the next great running back to emerge from Tennessee and possesses numerous traits that college coaches covet. Whether you talk about his burst, elusiveness, vision, etc., the talented 2028 running back has it all.   2028 ATH [player_tooltip player_id='1028041' first='Jeramy' last='Laster'] Jr. – Beech   2028 athlete [player_tooltip player_id='1028041' first='Jeramy' last='Laster'] Jr. didn't pop for many explosive plays. Still, he was reliable and quietly racked up a significant number of yards against one of the best defenses in Tennessee.   Beech used him all over the field at wide receiver, while he was also their return man. Laster Jr. showed why he's quickly becoming one of the most sought-after recruits in the state.   2026 LB [player_tooltip player_id='1178947' first='Cohen' last='Grissom'] – Page   The entire linebacker room for Page was terrific tonight, so it was hard to pick somebody. But [player_tooltip player_id='1178947' first='Cohen' last='Grissom'] made multiple big-time plays, including the game-sealing interception, so he's that guy.   The Air Force commit racked up a plethora of tackles, while playing good coverage and containing his side of the field all night.   He's built exceptionally well, is a fluid mover and is very physical.

Franklin, Tenn. – No. 7 Page hosted No. 16 Beech on Friday night in a matchup of two elite 5A schools trying to make the state semifinals. Both teams went back and forth in one of the best games of the 2025 season.