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Football preview: Plenty at stake in final week

Beech-Hillsboro tilt to help determine four teams’ playoff fate; Portland still alive as well

Chris Brooks
cbrooks@tennessean.com
Beech's Chaz Williamson hopes to help the Buccaneers secure a home playoff game by winning at Hillsboro on Friday.

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.

Gallatin hosts Cane Ridge on Friday, needing a victory, a Hillsboro victory or a Hendersonville loss to clinch a playoff spot.

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.

Portland can make the Class 4A playoffs with a victory at Macon County and a Springfield victory on Friday evening.

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