Cecil Joyce’s five takeaways from Week 4 of the high school football season:
Up for grabs: The Division II-AA East/Middle division appears headed for a fantastic finish, and five teams are still very much alive for the top spot.
McCallie, Ensworth and Baylor are unbeaten, and Baylor and Ensworth are slated for an Oct. 24 showdown — one week before Ensworth takes on Brentwood Academy.Brentwood Academy (which lost to MBA) and MBA (which lost to Baylor) each have one loss.
Ensworth and McCallie meet Friday, while McCallie will face Baylor on Oct. 3.
Offense not a problem: Offense has been rampant for several Midstate squads this season, particularly during Week 4. Two Sumner County teams broke school scoring records in their 9-AAA victories. Beech put 70 points on the board in a win over Portland, while Station Camp scored 62 in a win over Lebanon. Brentwood Academy and MBA combined for 96 points in the Big Red’s 52-44 triumph.
Pearl-Cohn continues to put up gaudy offensive numbers. The Firebirds have scored at least 40 points in each of their five games and are averaging 54.5 points. Pearl-Cohn’s only loss was a 49-40 setback to MBA.
Hendersonville is averaging 51 points a game and has brought out the TSSAA mercy rule in four of its five wins. The closest game thus far for the Commandos is a 54-33 win over Brentwood. Hendersonville gets its first true test Friday at Riverdale.
Yellow Jackets packing sting: When mentioning the Yellow Jackets, traditional power Trousdale County usually comes to mind. In 2014, it has been Springfield, which has raced out to a 5-0 start.
Springfield hasn’t won a playoff game since 2006 but has found its stride this year. After close wins to start the season over rival Greenbrier and Gallatin, Springfield has cruised through three straight District 10-AAA victories, winning those three by an average of 23 points. After a nondistrict game against White House this week, a huge 10-AAA contest against Henry County looms.
As for Trousdale County, it struggled without standout running back Kenyan Harper two weeks ago, getting shut out by Friendship Christian. The Yellow Jackets bounced back with a 29-7 win over Goodpasture on Friday and are currently 3-2.
Pass-happy: Four Midstate quarterbacks passed for more than 250 yards Friday night (two for more than 300), led by Giles County’s Trevor Holder.
Holder completed 19 of 33 passes for 422 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-24 win over Cascade, snapping a two-game skid for the Class 4A state runners-up. Holder also rushed for a team-high 121 yards on 11 carries, giving him 543 yards of total offense.
Giles County receivers Lucas Harrison (10 catches, 295 yards, 3 TDs) and Cameron Ordway (7-109-0) also played huge roles.
Other quarterbacks who had big nights included Independence’s Andrew Bunch (25-of-42, 320 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT), Shelbyville Central’s Mason Cunningham (30-of-41, 282, 2, 1) and Dickson County’s Jacob Murphree (21-of-31, 251, 3, 2).
Pivotal stretch: Williamson County frontrunners Centennial and Ravenwood are headed for a collision and the upper hand in District 11-AAA in two weeks. But first, both will have tough nondistrict tests. Centennial will be at Mt. Juliet this week, while Ravenwood takes on Overton. Both Centennial and Ravenwood are unbeaten, and regardless of this week’s results, the Oct. 3 showdown at Ravenwood will be a good one to watch.
