FRIDAY MORNING BLITZ
All playoff games kick off at 7 p.m.
Class 1A Semifinal
Peabody (11-2) at Nashville Christian (12-1)
How Peabody got here: Won at KIPP Academy 48-18; Won at Union City 28-24; Won at Dresden 35-14
How Nashville Christian got here: Beat Clarksville Aca. 64-8; Beat Huntingdon 34-7; Beat Wayne Co. 34-21
Common opponents: None
Peabody average score: 36.8-16.5
Nashville Christian average score: 43.1-10.6
Players to watch for Peabody
Average rushes per game: 33
Average rushing yards per game: 249.4
Total completions-attempts-INT-TD: 109-202-8-21
Average passing yards per game: 115.8
Average total yards per game: 365.2
Leading rushers: Brandon Johnson – 160 rushes for 1,330 yards and 25 touchdowns; Kendrick Malone – 133 rushes for 1,106 yards and 13 touchdowns
Leading passer: Kendrick Malone – Completed 61 of 117 passes with 3 interceptions and 14 touchdowns
Leading receivers: Keyvon Goodwin – 33 catches for 584 yards and 7 touchdowns
Leading tacklers: Reco Buchanan – 62 solo, 20 assists for 82 total including 7 tackles for loss (he won’t play due to injury); Hunter Hudson – 53 solo tackles and 32 assists for 85 total including seven tackles for loss
Defensive takeaway leaders: Hayden Baugus has 5 with 3 fumble recoveries and 2 interceptions. Hunter Hudson (3 fumble recoveries and an interception) and Brian Banks (2 fumble recoveries and 2 interceptions) have 4 apiece.
Kicker: Austin Smith has converted 57 of 64 PATs and is 2-for-2 on field goals.
Players to watch for Nashville Christian
Average rushes per game: 30.3
Average rushing yards per game: 267.1
Total completions-attempts-INT-TD: 67-121-8-15
Average passing yards per game: 90.6
Average total yards per game: 357.7
Number of punts-average yardage: 19-37.1
Leading rushers: Blake Barfield – 115 carries for 812 yards and 11 touchdowns; Mareio McGraw – 65 carries for 807 yards and 11 touchdowns
Leading passer: Kyle Tidwell – Completed 63 of 114 passes with 7 interceptions and 15 touchdowns and 1,096 yards
Leading receivers: Jaylon Jackson – 17 receptions for 342 yards and 2 touchdowns; Mareio McGraw – 15 receptions for 308 yards and 6 touchdowns
Leading tacklers: Daniel Bituli – 41 solo tackles and 39 assists for a total of 80 with 20 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks; Andrew Sullivan -- 35 solo tackles and 23 assists for 58 total tackles with 10.5 tackles for loss and 3 sacks
Defensive takeaway leaders: Slater Howard has 3 interceptions, and Jesse Watson has 2 interceptions and a fumble recovery.
Kicker: Stetson Marlin has converted 36 of 48 PATs and hasn’t attempted any field goals.
Significant returners: Lelan Wilhoite has returned 7 kickoffs for 187 yards and a touchdown and 13 punts for 253 yards and 2 touchdowns. Mareio McGray has returned 9 punts for 344 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Stat of note: In 13 games, the Peabody defense has allowed more than 2 scores 4 times – Milan, the loss to Dresden and both games against Union City.
What to know: The Golden Tide have been in this situation before – a road trip to a foe they’re not sure if they can beat. Peabody’s only playoff opponent that didn’t have double-digit wins when they played was in the first round, and KIPP was 8-2 going in. Peabody is battle tested after vanquishing a couple of top-tier foes at Union City and Dresden the last two weeks. A win in this game would be the third playoff victory for the Golden Tide over a team that had been ranked in the state’s top five all season. Nashville Christian has the size advantage, but Peabody has the speed advantage.
Class 2A Semifinal
Trezevant (10-3) at TCA (8-5)
How Trezevant got here: Beat Oakhaven 54-0; Beat Douglass 54-0; Beat Manassas 22-20
How TCA got here: Won at Scotts Hill 53-20; Won at Adamsville 35-21; Won at McKenzie 28-12
Common opponents: None
Trezevant average score: 30.2-11.8
TCA average score: 37.9-25.9
Players to watch for Trezevant
Average rushes per game: 24.1
Average rushing yards per game: 192.6
Total completions-attempts-INT-TD: 35-76-2-6
Average passing yards per game: 60.4
Average total yards per game: 253
Number of punts-average yardage: 4-39.8
Leading rusher: Cordarrian Richardson – 181 carries for 1,586 yards and 12 touchdowns
Leading passer: Tywon Johnson – 27-for-64 passing with 2 interceptions for 637 yards and 6 touchdowns Completions, attempts, INT, TD, yardage
Leading receiver: Jonathan Gatewood – 16 receptions for 495 yards and 4 touchdowns
Leading tacklers: Justin Swift – 82 solo tackles and 33 assists for 120 tackles with seven for loss
Defensive takeaway leaders: Jutarin Malone has 4 interceptions, 3 fumble recoveries and 1 fumble caused. Justin Swift has an interception and 4 fumbles recovered.
Kicker: Sammy Swing has converted 4 of 6 PATs and was good on his only field goal attempt.
Significant returner: Cordarrian Richardson returned 2 kickoffs for 10 yards and 8 punts for 246 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Players to watch for TCA
Average rushes per game: 38
Average rushing yards per game: 328.4
Total completions-attempts-INT-TD: 88-161-5-18
Average passing yards per game: 85.8
Average total yards per game: 414.2
Number of punts-average yardage: 29-34.3
Leading rusher: Andrew Goldsmith – 287 carries for 3,139 yards and 33 touchdowns
Leading passer: Andrew Goldsmith – 51-for-89 with an interception for 792 yards and 13 touchdowns
Leading receiver: Eli Parker – 40 catches for 507 yards and 8 touchdowns
Leading tacklers: Andrew Goldsmith – 77 solo tackles and 43 assists for a total of 120 tackles with 12 tackles for loss and a sack
Defensive takeaway leaders: Sergio Pagoaga has an interception, 5 fumble recoveries and 3 fumbles caused. Andrew Goldsmith has 3 interceptions and fumbles caused with 2 fumbles recovered. Eli Parker has 6 interceptions. Ty Layman has 3 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries.
Kicker: Noah Holsinger has converted 56 of 62 PATs and 3 of 4 field goals.
Significant returners: Eli Parker has 17 kickoff returns for 457 yards and a touchdown and 8 punt returns for 70 yards.
Stat of note: TCA’s defense had a total of 6 interceptions in 2014. The Lions have 22 so far this season.
What to know: This will be TCA’s first playoff game at home. It will also be Trezevant’s first playoff game on the road. Both teams rely heavily on the run, but they each have the athletes to be dangerous with the passing game when needed. Trezevant running back Cordarrian Richardson is a junior with multiple NCAA offers including a few from the Southeastern Conference. The Lions have four players who have at least five takeaways so far. They will need that kind of play tonight to get Trezevant off the field quickly before it scores as often as possible.
Class 3A Semifinal
Liberty (13-0) at CPA (12-1)
How Liberty got here: Beat Raleigh-Egypt 21-0; Beat Melrose 47-0; Beat Milan 32-7
How CPA got here: Beat Cheatham Co. 41-0; Beat Stratford 31-12; Beat White House-Heritage 55-21
Common opponents: None
Liberty average score: 38.2-10.4
CPA average score: 38.2-15.7
Players to watch for Liberty
Average rushes per game: 39
Average rushing yards per game: 226.1
Total completions-attempts-INT-TD: 132-230-6-20
Average passing yards per game: 156.8
Average total yards per game: 382.9
Number of punts-average yardage: 38-37.6
Leading rusher: Chris Johnson – 226 carries for 1,386 yards and 16 touchdowns
Leading passer: Corey Newble – 129 for 227 with 6 interceptions for 1,967 yards and 18 touchdowns
Leading receivers: Rodney Castille – 70 receptions for 982 yards and 13 touchdowns; Draven Coley – 27 catches for 610 yards and 6 touchdowns
Leading tacklers: Hunter Brown – 43 solo tackles with 18 assists for a total of 61 with 8 for loss and 4 sacks; Malique Bowen – 43 solo tackles and 17 assists for 60 total tackles with 10 for loss and 9 sacks; Elijah Harris – 37 solo tackles and 20 assists for a total of 57 with 6 sacks; Trae Dunlap – 39 solo tackles and 16 assists for 55 total tackles with 2 for loss
Defensive takeaway leader: Alec Long has 5 interceptions and a fumble forced.
Kicker: Luis Perez has converted 40 of 53 PATs and attempted no field goals.
Significant returner: Alec Long has returned 16 kickoffs for 324 yards and a touchdown and 13 punts for 365 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Players to watch for CPA
Average rushes per game: 29
Average rushing yards per game: 177.8
Total completions-attempts-INT-TD: 146-226-10-25
Average passing yards per game: 171.4
Average total yards per game: 349.2
Number of punts-average yardage: 24-37.3
Leading rusher: Chip Omer – 162 carries for 1,284 yards and 13 touchdowns
Leading passer: Zack Weatherly – 127 for 196 passing with 6 interceptions for 1,989 yards and 23 touchdowns
Leading receiver: Price Perdue – 36 receptions for 767 yards and 9 touchdowns
Leading tacklers: John Orr – 84 solo tackles with 12 assists for a total of 96 with 4 for loss and 2 sacks; Cole Smith – 64 solo tackles with 13 assists for a total of 77 with 10 tackles for loss and a sack; Chip Omer – 68 solo tackles with 7 assists for a total of 75 tackles with 9 for loss and 2 sacks
Defensive takeaway leaders: Price Perdue has 7 interceptions and a fumble caused. Chip Omer has 2 interceptions, 3 fumble recoveries and 3 caused fumbles. Wallace Barrett has 2 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries and 4 fumbles caused.
Kicker: Harrison Myers has converted 44 of 49 PAT attempts and 4 of 9 field goals.
Significant returners: Wallace Barrett has returned 8 kickoffs for 298 yards and 2 touchdowns and 7 punts for 79 yards. Andrew Howard has returned 5 punts for 223 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Stat of note: Liberty has allowed a total of 137 points. The Crusaders allowed 113 of them to be scored in a four-week period of time against Wooddale, Dyersburg, JCM and Westview. They’ve allowed 24 points in the other nine games.
What to know: This matchup pits a pair of teams who are close to being balanced on offense. CPA’s production on the ground and in the air per game is six yards apart. There’s about 50 yards’ difference between Liberty’s rushing yardage per game and passing average. Both teams have been stingy on defense as well. Both teams have beaten some impressive opponents as well. If there is one advantage for either team, it might be CPA’s experience on this stage as the Lions won the 3A championship last year.
Liberty stats courtesy of Crusaders’ stat keeper Lawrence Stewart.
Peabody stats courtesy of Peabody’s coaching staff.
Other teams’ stats courtesy of MaxPreps.com.
Compiled by Brandon Shields