Oakland football completes 2021 schedule with game at 1A power South Pittsburg

UPDATE: Saint Paul II Academy out of Boca Raton, Fla., has withdrawn from a Sept. 10 game at Oakland because of the school's COVID-19 travel restrictions. The Patriots are now looking to fill the Week 4 date.

Oakland's football team has found a 10th game to complete the 2021 schedule, and it's against one of the perennial top programs in Class 1A.

The Patriots will travel to South Pittsburg on Oct. 21, giving Oakland 10 games for the 2021 season.

The Pirates are one of the most tradition-rich programs in 1A, having won four state titles since 1994 (1994, 1999, 2007, 2010) and having reached the state title game 10 times since 1985.

"We're excited to get a chance to go play in one of the greatest environments for a high school game in Tennessee," Oakland coach Kevin Creasy said.

Last season South Pitt (13-2) finished state runner-up to Fayetteville, falling 20-14. The Chattanooga area team was also runner up in 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013.

SCHEDULE TIME:Oakland football: Defending 6A state champions go out of state to help fill 2021 schedule

South Pitt boasts one of the top defensive linemen in the state in Giovanni Davis, a 6-foot-4, 280-pound tackle who is rated by 247Sports as a three-star prospect in the 2022 class. He has offers from SEC schools Tennessee, Ole Miss and Arkansas.

"I think it's important to give our players — especially seniors — a chance to play 10 regular-season games like everyone else," Creasy said.

The Patriots have gone out of state to fill two of its contests for 2021, traveling to Mississippi to face Madison-Ridgeland Academy Aug. 28 and playing host to St. John Paul II Academy of Boca Raton, Florida, Florida, on Sept. 10.

TSSAA region realignment for 2021-22 moved Oakland, Blackman, Riverdale, Rockvale and Siegel from Region 3-6A into 4-6A along with Stewarts Creek, which was in 5-6A last season.

Moved out of the region are Warren County, Coffee County and Cookeville, which left area teams needing to find two more non-region contests than the past few years.

Oakland captured its second 6A state title in three years in 2020, defeating Brentwood to complete the program's first 15-0 season.

2021 Oakland football schedule

Aug. 20 at Hendersonville

Aug. 28 at Madison-Ridgeland Academy

Sept. 3 at Stewarts Creek*

Sept. 17 vs. Siegel*

Oct. 1 vs. Blackman*

Oct. 7 vs. CPA

Oct. 15 vs. Riverdale*

Oct. 21 at South Pittsburg

Oct. 29 at Rockvale*

* - Region 4-6A contest.