A number of the teams in the area are meeting for the first time ever while some have been playing for quite a while. Here are the matchups for this week:
Tennessee D2AAA
Brentwood Academy (8-2) at CBHS (8-2)
The Purple Wave face the 3 time defending state champs in their playoff opener. The two teams haven't played since 2011 & CBHS leads the series 6-3. The Eagles had their 24 game winning streak stopped by McCallie back on October 5 & then lost to MBA the very next week. BA averages over 35 pts a gm & is stingy on D only allowing 9.9. CBHS is averaging over 30 pts a gm & allows only 12.7. They are led by Mr Football semifinalist & Georgia commit Bill Norton. Norton was the 2017 Mr Football winner for D2AAA. Raymond Fracchia has 6 interceptions on the year. If it's a close game, you have to like the Brothers' chances in the kicking game. Ethan Fitschen is a perfect 31-31 in XP & 5-5 in FG. The winner will play the winner of the Briarcrest-MBA game next.
Briarcrest (8-3) at MBA (9-1)
These two schools have only met once previously and that was back in 2011. MBA won that game 40-14. The only loss on the year for MBA was to MUS. This is a team that has played in 4 consecutive state championship games, last winning the title back in 2014. MBA is a great defensive team, holding their opponents to just 10 pts/gm. Ian Hall has 62 tackles on the year including 25 TFL & 12 sacks, Mr Football semifinalist Jackson Hannah has 48 tackles, 13 TFL & 5 sacks and Dominic Fisher has 28 tackles, 12 TFL & 6 sacks. The Eagles have 10 interceptions, 9 fumble recoveries, 3 blocked punts & 3 blocked field goals on the year.
Briarcrest will have to put some points on the board to win this one and they have the weapons in Jabari Small, Jackson Walker & Reggie Neely to do so. Small has 1,000 yds rushing (8.2/carry) & 12 TD and had 3 TD in their first round playoff win over St Benedict. Walker has thrown for 1,300 yds & 18 TD and Neely averages over 20 yd/catch with 9 TD. Briarcrest also has a Mr Football semifinalist as well in Omari Thomas. The winner will play the winner of the Brentwood Academy-CBHS game next.
Pope John Paul (5-5) at MUS (9-0)
This is the first meeting ever between the two schools. PJP got their first ever playoff win last week (they were 0-13 before that) vs Baylor behind sophomore RB Antwan Roberts who rushed for 253 yds & 2 TD's.
MUS has been outstanding in all phases of the game. QB Sellers Shy has had an outstanding year, throwing for over 2,000 yds and 22 TD with only 5 interceptions. They have a Mr Football semifinalist in Maurice Hampton who has 42 catches for almost 1,000 yds (23.5/catch) & 12 TD. He also has returned 2 punts & 1 kickoff for touchdowns as well. Ben Skahan averages 40 yds/punt & George Howard is 40-43 on XP & 11-17 on FG with a long of 47.
Defensively, MUS allows 67.6 yds/gm rushing & 77.7 yds/gm passing. They are led by LB Matthew Rhodes & Dorian Hopkins & DB Jack Dabov. Rhodes had 56 tackles & 15 TFL, Hopkins has 56 tackles, 12 TFL & 4 sacks and Dabov has 43 tackles, 11 TFL & 5 sacks. The Owls have given up 14 pts or less in 8 of their 9 games including 5 shutouts. The winner will play the winner of the McCallie-Ensworth game next.
Tennessee D2AA
ECS (8-3) at Lausanne (10-0)
The two teams met back on Sept 28 with Lausanne coming out ahead 42-34. The Lynx have won 37 in a row and are trying for their 3rd consecutive state title. Of course, they are led by 2 time Mr Football winner & current semifinalist for 2018 Eric Gray. Gray broke the state career record for touchdowns in the opening round win over Goodpasture. He has rushed for more than 2100 yds (12.1/carry) with 37 TD's. QB Sky Forrest has almost 1200 yds passing and 13 TD with only 2 interceptions. The crazy thing about last week's win was that the Lynx only had the ball for 19 plays in the first half and scored 41 points. Defensively, Richard Kinley has 49 tackles & 10.5 sacks while Yusef Thomas has 69 tackles & 4 sacks. Cameron Sims has 5 interceptions & 2 TD and one of those came last week in the playoff win.
ECS advanced to this game with a 29-13 win over Lipscomb. Matthew McMeans was solid with 260 yds and 2 TD and has over 1100 yds rushing for the year. Jacob Hatcher was 7-11 for 113 yds and 2 TD. The Eagles have weapons of their own in WR Dawson Williams & WR/DB Carson Gagnon. Williams has 38 catches for 846 yds (22.3/catch) and 12 TD. Gagnon averaged 25 yds/catch, 24 yds/PR, 35 yds/KR & has 3 interceptions on the year. The winner will play the winner of the St George's-CPA game next.
St George's (5-6) at CPA (11-0)
This is the first meeting ever between the two teams. The Gryphons are coming off a thrilling 49-48 victory over Harding Academy in the opening round and will have their hands full with the Lions. CPA features 2 Mr. Football semifinalists in Noah Henderson (63 catches, 1061 yds 9 TD) & Kane Patterson (12 rushing TD, 40 tackles, 7 TFL, 3 sacks). They have dominated their opponents this year averaging 40 pts/gm. Their closest game was a victory over Pearl Cohn 18-14. No other team has come within 10 pts of them.
If the Gryphons want to advance to the semifinals, they are going to need a repeat performance from Timber King. King rushed for 212 yds & 2 TD & caught a TD pass as well in the opening round victory. QB Spencer Smith has had an exceptional year, throwing for over 2200 yds with 23 TD & only 3 interceptions. The winner will play the winner of the ECS-Lausanne game next.
Tennessee D2A
MTCS (9-2) at Fayette Academy (9-1)
This is the first meeting ever for the two teams and it could be a high scoring shootout. The Cougars are averaging 32 pts a game & scored 52 in their opening round win over Jackson Christian. MTCS features a Mr. Football semifinalist in Kemari McGowan. The junior has rushed for 1740 yds & 17 TD's on the year (9.4/carry). He had 197 yds & 2 TD's in their win last week. QB Drew Berry has to be accounted for as well. He had 353 yds rushing and 6 TD's in the opening round victory.
Of course Fayette Academy isn't a slouch when it comes to putting up points. The Vikings averaged 41 pts /gm this year and were led by a Mr. Football semifinalist of their own in junior QB Rube Scott Rhea. Rhea is one of the top dual threat QB in the state with over 1,000 yds rushing (12.8/carry & 14 TD) and passing (14 TD & only 3 INT). He's not the only weapon though as standout RB Reid Holland can do it all. Holland has almost 900 yds rushing & has scored 16 TD's of his own. The winner will play the winner of the Friendship Christian-Clarksville Academy game next.
Tennessee 6A
Central (8-2) at Germantown (11-0)
Germantown won their previous matchup this season back on October 19, 28-7. Central is coming off a come from behind 21-20 win over Cordova when Sylvester Donerson hit Darin Turner with a 21 yd TD pass with 1:26 remaining in the game. The Warriors like to pound the rock averaging over 235 yds/gm. They are led by Dylan Ingram with over 1,000 yds (7.6/carry) & 15 TD & Alan Thornton has over 900 yds (9.1/carry) & 9 TD. Defensively, the Warriors only allow 142 yds/gm led by former Mr Football winner Trevis Hopper & Kevin Shaw who has 4 interceptions on the year.
Germantown is in the playoffs for the fourth straight year and have won 21 consecutive regular season games. The Red Devils overcame a slow start in their playoff win over Arlington last week. The game was tied at 14 at the half before Germantown exploded for 37 pts en route to a 51-14 win. QB Ethan Payne threw for 2 TD & ran for another. He has 1650 yds passing and 16 TD on the year. RB BJ Gardner has over 900 yds rushing and 19 TD. Memphis commit WR Cameron Baker has 74 catches for 955 yds & 9 TD. Mr Football Kicker of the Year semifinalist Marshall Ware is solid in all phases of special teams. Those numbers are impressive but this Germantown team is a beast defensively. 8 of the 11 teams they have faced have scored 14 pts or less. The Red Devils allow 124.6 yds/per game which is 2nd in the Shelby Metro area
Whitehaven (8-3) at Houston (10-1)
The last time these two teams met in the playoffs was all the way back in 2000 as the Tigers won 29-0. They have played in the regular season in 2015 & 2016 and both of those were won by Whitehaven. You take a look at Whitehaven's record and think that it was a down year by their standards. However, when you dig a little closer, you will see that the combined record of the three teams that Whitehaven lost to (Lausanne, North Little Rock, Germantown) is 31-0. 11 of the 12 teams they have played this year have/are still playing in the playoffs.
RB Cameron Sneed had 3 TD in the opening round victory over Collierville and has over 1,000 yds rushing and 12 TD on the year. QB Vincent Guy, a UT Martin commit, has over 1400 yds passing with 25 TD and only 3 interceptions. South Carolina commit WR Keveon Mullins, has 32 catches for 656 yds (20.5/catch) with 10 TD while Vandy commit Devin Boddie averages almost 15 yds a catch with 6 TD. The Tigers have always been outstanding on defense and last week vs Collierville, they had 4 interceptions including a 100 yd pick 6 for Ariyon Paige. Whitehaven allowed 187 yds on 74 plays (2.5 yds per play). I think Coach Saulsberry would be happy with that again this week.
Houston's only loss on the year came to Germantown back in week 2 and the Mustangs have been rolling ever since. Standout RB Lincoln Pare led the way in their playoff win over White Station with 191 yds rushing and 4 TD. Pare has 1870 yds rushing on the year (8.2/carry) & 25 TD. QB Ethan Burns has had a good year throwing for over 1500 yds & 18 TD. WR Grayson Hitt has 9 of those TD & is averaging over 20 yds/catch. Nick Anewalt has been solid in all phases of the kicking game for the Mustangs. Houston is 5th in the Shelby Metro area at 376 yds/gm on offense.
Tennessee 5A
Southwind (7-4) at Kirby (10-1)
This is the first time the two schools have met in the playoffs but they have plenty of history over the last 10 years. Southwind leads the overall series 6-4 however Kirby has won 3 of the last 5 including a 39-14 victory just a couple of weeks ago. Marshun Douglas & Louisville commit Jaden Johnson lead the way for the Cougars. Douglas had 183 yds rushing & 2 TD's last week in the win over Kenwood and has over 1,200 yds rushing on the year (12.6/carry) & 20 TD's on the year. Johnson threw for 160 yds & 2 TD & ran for a TD. He has over 1,200 yds passing with 19 TD & only 3 INT. His favorite target is Chrisshun Robinson who averages over 20 yds/catch & has 11 TD's. The Cougars are averaging 43.3 pts/gm. Their defense gets overlooked with all of that offense but it shouldn't. Kirby only allows 186 yds/gm & 13.2/pts/gm.
Southwind relied on their defense last week in their thrilling OT win vs Clarksville. The Jaguars forced 4 turnovers & returned a fumble for a TD in the win. Southwind has only been giving up 199 yds/gm. Steve Guy had a 77 yd TD pass in the win & has over 1200 yds rushing on the year (8.5/carry) & 12 TD's. RB Geoffrey Williams has over 900 yds rushing (9.6/carry) & 7 TD. The winner will play the winner of the Ridgeway-Henry Co game next.
Ridgeway (7-4) at Henry Co (10-1)
This is the 9th matchup between the two teams and fifth time they have met in the playoffs. The Patriots have a 3-1 edge in the post season including last year's 42-24 first round victory. Ridgeway is on fire, having won 7 in a row after a 0-4 start. Those 4 losses came to MUS, Whitehaven, Kirby & Pulaski Academy who have a combined record of 36-5. During the 7 game winning streak, the Roadrunners have outscored their opponents 305-53. QB Quincy Casey leads the way with over 1700 yds & 24 TD's. Casey threw for 373 yds and 3 TD in the opening round victory over Dyer Co. The Roadrunners have a pretty good pair at WR in Jaylon Monger and Robert King.
Henry County's only loss this season was to Germantown. The Patriots are always in the mix for a state title and have a number of weapons. Junior RB Jaylin Foster had over 1,000 yds rushing in the regular season & added 211 yds & 3 TD in the opening round victory last week over Munford. RB Joseph Travis has scored 13 TD. QB Will Parrish has over 1500 yds passing & 18 TD while WR Ethan Thompson is the all time leading receiver in school history with almost 100 catches, over 1900 yds & 9 TD. The winner will play the winner of the Kirby-Southwind game next.
Tennessee 3A
McNairy Central (9-2) at Covington (11-0)
This is the first ever meeting in the playoffs for these teams although Covington has won each of the last two years in the regular season, 48-10 & 42-7 this year. McNairy Central junior LB Dru Yopp has 108 tackles with 20.5 TFL, 3 sacks, 2 FF, 2 FR & 1 INT to lead the defense which will have its hands full trying to stop one of the top offenses in the state.
The Chargers are led by Mr. Football semifinalist Marcus Hayes, Codarries Page & Brock Lomax & Ke'Shun Gant. The four combined for 250 yds rushing & 6 TD in the opening round win vs Melrose. Hayes averages 12.1/carry with 20 TD, Page 11.9 with 11 TD & Lomax has 16 rushing TD to go along with his 12 TD passes. Gant is the wild card in all of this. He rushed for over 2,000 yds last year and has missed significant time this year due to a high ankle sprain and is getting back to 100% for the playoff run. The winner will play the winner of the Milan-South Gibson game next.
Tennessee 2A
Union City (6-5) vs Fairley (9-2) at Whitehaven
These teams are meeting for the first time ever. The Bulldogs have won 5 in a row and their only two losses this season have been to 6A schools (Whitehaven, Central). Fairley is led by Mr. Football semifinalist RB Terry Wilkins who had 176 yds & a TD last week in their opening round win. Wilkins has over 1700 yds & 26 TD's on the year. Jalen Harris had a outstanding game on defense with 3 interceptions (one was a pick 6) Fairley averages 39 pts/gm on offense but they hang their hat on the defense. Seven times this year the Bulldogs have held their opponent to 6 pts or less and are only allowing 12.6/gm and they are 3rd in the Shelby Metro area at 126 yds/gm. All they have to do is stop the defending state champion in Union City.
The Golden Tornadoes are in the playoffs for the 14th straight year and have won 4 state titles since 2009 including last year. Union City has won 5 of their last 6 and is averaging 26.5/gm on offense and allowing 21.1/gm on defense. The winner will play the winner of the Peabody-Trinity Christian game next.
Tennessee 1A
Greenfield (8-3) vs Freedom Prep (8-3) at Melrose
This is the first meeting ever for the two teams. The Eagles have been a school for two years now and have made the playoffs both years. They earned their first ever playoff win last week with a 67-14 win over South Fulton. Courtney Tate & Tevin Carter lead the way for Freedom Prep. Tate had 226 yds rushing with 4 TD's on only 9 carries (25.1/carry) in the win over South Fulton while Carter threw for 204 yds & 5 TD's. Quincy Briggs (6 INT), Tyler Woodard (5 INT), Anthony Walker (4 INT) lead the defense. The Eagles have won 7 in a row overall and are averaging 33.4/gm on offense while allowing 17.8/gm on defense.
Greenfield is in the playoffs for the second straight year as well and earned their first playoff win since 2001 when they knocked off MASE 43-6 last week. Grant Huffstetler leads the way for Greenfield as he had 215 yds rushing with 5 TD's in the victory. They have won 6 of their last 7 and are averaging 24.8/gm on offense & allowing 14.4/gm on defense on the year. The winner will play the winner of the Lake Co-West Carroll game next. Lake Co is the last team to defeat both of these teams this year.
Mississippi 5A
Lake Cormorant (6-5) at Holmes Co Central (10-1)
They are meeting for the first time ever. The Gators are averaging 18.4/gm on offense & allowing 22.2/gm on defense and in the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year. Jalen Jordan has 7 interceptions & returned 3 of those for TD for Lake Cormorant. JJ Daniels has 9 TD on the year- 4 rushing, 4 receiving and 1 KR.
Holmes Co Central was 2-9 last year. The Jaguars are averaging 39.8/gm on offense & allowing 20.1/gm on defense and have not lost to an in-state team this season. The winner will play the winner of the Neshoba Central-Olive Branch game next.
Neshoba Central (10-2) at Olive Branch (10-1)
The two teams have only met twice before & Neshoba Central has won both, 14-6 in 1990 & 25-7 in 1992. This is the first time in the playoffs for Neshoba Central since 2011 and only the third time since 1997. The Rockets were 4-8 last year. They are averaging 33.1/gm on offense & allowing 20.2/gm on defense. The Conquistadors are in the playoffs for the 3rd time in the last 4 years. They are 22-3 over the last 2 years under head coach Tyler Turner with their only losses coming to West Point. Olive Branch is averaging 28.8/gm on offense & allowing 12.6/gm on defense. The winner will play the winner of the Lake Cormorant-Holmes Co Central game next.
Mississippi 6A
Warren Central (5-5) at Horn Lake (11-0)
This is only the second time ever the two teams will play. Horn Lake won the only other meeting 22-0 back in 2003. The Eagles have won 29 of their last 35 games over the last 3 years. Horn Lake is averaging 43/gm on offense & only giving up 10.9/gm on defense. That defense is outstanding and they are led by the Mr Football winner for 6A in Mississippi, LB Nakobe Dean. He has 134 tackles, 22 TFL, 6 sacks & 3 interceptions and is one of the most highly recruited players in the nation. Horn Lake has the #1 defense in the Shelby Metro area and is only allowing 115 yds/gm (29.9 yds-rushing & 85.2 yds-passing) as they have totally dominated their opponents this year. QB Raydarious Jones & RB Patrick Gilliam & Jamario Harris pace the offense. The three have combined for almost 2,000 yds rushing & 26 TD while Jones adds in an extra 1,200 yds passing & 10 TD.
The Vikings are in the playoffs for the sixth consecutive year and have knocked off a Region 1 team each of the last 3 years in the first round of the playoffs. They are averaging 27.8/gm on offense & allowing 22.7/gm on defense. The winner will play the winner of the South Panola-Starkville game next.
MAIS
West Memphis Christian (8-3) at Tunica Academy (10-0)
The two teams have met 17 times since 2003 with Tunica Academy leading 9-8. Tunica Academy won their matchup during the regular season 50-22. Last year WMC knocked off TA twice en route to winning the state championship. The Black Knights are averaging 33.9/gm on offense & allowing 22.8 & have won four in a row since that loss to TA. The Blue Devils have made the playoffs & had winning seasons in 9 of the last 10 years. They have won 20 of their last 22 with the only losses coming at the hands of the Black Knights. TA is averaging 38.4/gm on offense while allowing 9.7/gm on defense. West Memphis Christian defeated Deer Creek 34-14 in the first round last week. The winner advances to the state championship game next week vs the winner of the Union Christian Academy-Columbus Christian game.
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