Football preview: Plenty at stake in final week
Beech-Hillsboro tilt to help determine four teams’ playoff fate; Portland still alive as well
The final Friday of the high school football season brings plenty of drama if you’re a fan of a Region 6-5A team.
One game holds more weight than any on the schedule, as Beech visits Hillsboro to determine second place in the region.
That game will determine the finishing position of four teams – the two combatants involved, plus current fourth-place Gallatin and Hendersonville (sitting in fifth and out of the playoffs before Friday’s game).
Hillsboro could finish anywhere from second to fifth, while Gallatin and Hendersonville could be third, fourth or fifth depending on Friday’s results.
How teams can get in, and who potential playoff opponents might be:
Second at stake
Beech’s visit to Hillsboro holds the key to the remainder of the Region 6-5A pecking order behind champion Cane Ridge.
The winner will finish second and host a first-round playoff game. The loser will be third and on the road in the opening round of the Class 5A postseason.
If Hillsboro wins, it puts Gallatin in the playoffs regardless of the Green Wave’s result against visiting Cane Ridge. It also keeps Hendersonville out of the playoffs for the first time since 2012.
If the other shoe drops…
If Beech defeats Hillsboro, the Buccaneers finish second and open the door for the Commandos to make their way into the playoffs.
Hendersonville visits Hunters Lane, and if that game goes similar to last week’s 63-8 drubbing of Glencliff, the Commandos will have their eyes on the Beech-Hillsboro game rather quickly.
A Beech victory also exposes Gallatin, and the Green Wave would have to defeat Cane Ridge in order to make the postseason.
Hendersonville would win a three-team tiebreaker for third place (based on total victories) should Gallatin lose, which means the Green Wave could miss the postseason with the combination of a Gallatin loss, Beech victory and Hendersonville victory.
>> Whichever team finishes fourth will travel to Independence next week, while the second and third-place teams will face one of Shelbyville, Stewarts Creek or Summit depending on how Region 5-5A shakes out.
Shelbyville has the most ways to finish second, but has to defeat Summit to do so. Stewarts Creek would finish second with a win at Lincoln County and a Shelbyville loss. Summit could also finish second, but would need a win and a Stewarts Creek loss to do so.
Meanwhile, for the other teams already in…
Pope John Paul II hosts South Warren (Ky.) for homecoming/senior night on Friday, and while the Knights already know they’ll be hosting a first-round Division II playoff game next week, PJP II does not know its opponent.
The Knights’ first-round foe will be determined from the winner of the Baylor-Father Ryan contest. PJP II has defeated both teams on the road this season.
>> Westmoreland is also in for a Class 2A playoff spot, and the Eagles host Watertown in their regular season finale.
A Westmoreland win, coupled with a Forrest loss to Jackson County, would place the Eagles third in Region 4-2A, sending them to Meigs County for the first round of the playoffs. Any other result means Westmoreland would return to Region 3-2A champion Marion County for a rematch of last year’s opening-round game.
Glimmer of hope
Portland is still mathematically alive for a Class 4A playoff spot, but there’s only one way for the Panthers to get in.
Portland must win at Macon County on Friday, and Springfield must defeat Pearl-Cohn to avoid a three-way tiebreaker for third place.
In a three-way tie, Macon County would finish third based on overall wins, with Springfield claiming fourth on the head-to-head tiebreaker with Portland.
If Portland was to make the postseason, the Panthers would travel to Lipscomb Academy to begin the Class 4A playoffs next week.
One last chance
White House hit the 20-point mark for just the second time this season in last week’s 38-20 loss at Page, but those points didn’t come until the Blue Devils found themselves against a running clock.
Friday’s game against visiting Maplewood won’t have any playoff implications for either team, but White House will be playing for pride on senior night.
The Blue Devils will also be playing to avoid becoming the first team in school history to finish 0-10 in the regular season. Four other squads have finished winless: 1955 (0-9), 1945 (0-6), 1944 (0-7) and 1943 (0-3).
Seven seniors will play their final home game in a Blue Devil uniform on Friday: Connor Holder, Dalton Hornal, Hunter Brown, Preston Long, Austin Hoffman, Danny Stoutt and Austin Rutherford.
>> Station Camp will also try to close out the season on a high note, sending off 26 seniors in the Bison’s final home game against Glencliff.
Reach Chris Brooks at cbrooks@tennessean.com or at 615-575-7118. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @CB_SumnerSports, and on Snapchat @cbrooksgne.
Region 4-2A | Region Record | Overall Record | Points Scored | Points Allowed |
Forrest | 6-0 | 9-0 | 270 | 75 |
Watertown | 5-1 | 8-1 | 426 | 142 |
Jackson County | 5-1 | 7-2 | 270 | 151 |
Westmoreland | 4-2 | 4-5 | 139 | 178 |
Cascade | 1-5 | 3-6 | 117 | 237 |
Community | 1-5 | 2-7 | 176 | 289 |
East Robertson | 1-5 | 2-7 | 141 | 285 |
Eagleville | 1-5 | 2-6 | 160 | 257 |
Friday’s games
Watertown at Westmoreland
Forrest at Jackson County
Cascade at East Robertson
Eagleville at Community
Region 5-4A | Region Record | Overall Record | Points Scored | Points Allowed |
Pearl-Cohn | 4-0 | 8-1 | 368 | 104 |
Maplewood | 3-1 | 6-3 | 221 | 201 |
Macon County | 2-2 | 7-2 | 260 | 198 |
Springfield | 2-2 | 5-4 | 271 | 174 |
Portland | 1-3 | 1-8 | 133 | 357 |
White House | 0-4 | 0-9 | 116 | 303 |
Friday’s games
Pearl-Cohn at Springfield
Maplewood at White House
Portland at Macon County
Region 6-5A | Region Record | Overall Record | Points Scored | Points Allowed |
Cane Ridge | 6-0 | 9-0 | 337 | 127 |
Beech | 5-1 | 7-2 | 291 | 150 |
Hillsboro | 4-2 | 5-4 | 229 | 138 |
Gallatin | 4-2 | 6-3 | 321 | 205 |
Hendersonville | 3-3 | 6-3 | 310 | 200 |
Station Camp | 1-5 | 3-6 | 175 | 230 |
Hunters Lane | 1-5 | 1-8 | 39 | 305 |
Glencliff | 0-6 | 0-9 | 72 | 442 |
Friday’s games
Cane Ridge at Gallatin
Beech at Hillsboro
Hendersonville at Hunters Lane
Glencliff at Station Camp
Division II-Class AA East/Middle | Region Record | Overall Record | Points Scored | Points Allowed |
Montgomery Bell Academy | 5-0 | 8-1 | 336 | 138 |
Brentwood Academy | 4-1 | 6-2 | 315 | 136 |
Ensworth | 3-2 | 6-3 | 241 | 144 |
McCallie | 3-2 | 6-3 | 355 | 169 |
Pope John Paul II | 2-4 | 5-4 | 229 | 283 |
Baylor | 1-4 | 5-4 | 228 | 149 |
Father Ryan | 0-5 | 4-5 | 205 | 189 |
Friday’s games
Montgomery Bell Academy at Ensworth
Brentwood Academy at McCallie
Father Ryan at Baylor
South Warren (Ky.) at Pope John Paul II