Kreager: Playoff watch begins for football teams

MURFREESBORO – Six weeks into the high school football season, the playoff watch has officially begun.

Two Rutherford County teams — second-ranked Blackman (6-0) in Class 6A and MTCS (6-0) in Class 2A — have likely clinched at least wild-card berths if history from the past five years continues. No 6A or 2A team with six wins has never not made the playoffs under the current TSSAA Z-plan.

That would place three other District 7-AAA teams — third-ranked Oakland, ninth-ranked Riverdale and Smyrna — on the verge of the playoffs at 5-1.

Here are five things to know regarding the aforementioned five teams.

Blackman needed wake-up call

Some say there are times a loss is the best thing that can happen to a team. For Blackman, a near-loss may have been the wake-up call it needed.

Blackman scored 29 unanswered points in the final 11 minutes to defeat Independence 43-42 last week.

It doesn't take a genius to see that a trap game like this was coming.

Blackman coach Philip Shadowens said recently that his team needed to stop looking at the scoreboard and continue to play.

Independence showed that anything can, or at least almost, happen on a Friday night.

Cougars cruising

First-year coach Fred Shambaugh has MTCS in unfamiliar territory.

No MTCS team has ever gone 6-0. And these Cougars don't appear to be letting up anytime soon.

Quarterback Justin Winn continues to impress each week, either via his arm or his legs. Against Whitwell on Friday night it was his passing. He threw for 283 yards in the 36-30 overtime win.

MTCS can't look past Moore County (3-3), which comes to Throneberry Stadium on Friday. But it appears that the Cougars' Oct. 24 game at Forrest may determine the District 9-A championship.

Time to decide on QB

Oakland football coach Thomas McDaniel played three quarterbacks for the second consecutive week with JaCorey Smith, Christian Haffner and Cody Miller all taking snaps in the Patriots' 49-7 rout of non-district foe Brentwood.

However, McDaniel said he hoped to have a decision at quarterback by fall break, when the Patriots host Baylor. With a week between games, the next few days may be the best time to give all three a look before deciding on a signal caller for the final push of the regular season.

One could argue that a one-loss team averaging 36.7 points a game can play as many quarterbacks as it wants. But reality is two-quarterback, or now, three-quarterback systems rarely work. Someone needs to be the go-to person when the Patriots need a touchdown drive late in a game.

Warriors' offense continues to click

A change to a new offense hasn't slowed down Riverdale.

On the contrary, the Warriors has put up 33.7 points a game in the spread offense thanks in part to newcomer quarterback Cortland Owens and the emergence of running back Austin Bryant and receiver Marquise Cantrell.

Riverdale has two big tests remaining with games at Oakland (Oct. 24) and at Smyrna (Oct. 31).

Bulldogs back on track

Smyrna's defense leads District 7-AAA teams on defense, giving up just 55 points (9.2 ppg) this season. However, that defense will be tested the next four games.

Smyrna plays at Siegel on Friday, which scored 49 points in its first win of the season over Beech on Friday. The Bulldogs also play at Blackman (Oct. 17) and Riverdale.

It will be hard to keep all three teams to under 10 points.

Contact Tom Kreager at 615-278-5168 or tkreager@dnj.com. Follow him on Twitter @Kreager.

FRIDAY'S GAMES

(All games at 7 p.m.)

Blackman at La Vergne

Macon Co. at Cannon Co.*

Fayetteville at Eagleville

Moore Co. at MTCS

Stewarts Creek at Riverdale

Smyrna at Siegel**

*WBRY (1540-AM, 96.7-FM)

**WGNS (1450-AM, 100.5-FM)