Last week: Fayetteville defeated Monterey 39-14. Smith County defeated Forrest 40-14.
Overview: The Tigers handily took care of the team from Monterey last week as was predicted here. Fayetteville advances to the Sweet 16 in the 2A TSSAA Playoffs. The biggest test of the year awaits Fayetteville — a 9-2 Smith County team that has dropped down from 3A to 2A this season. The Owls are a big, strong running team that will throw the ball when they must. They prefer to try to run you over as their first choice. Defensively, Smith County will play man to man and try to pressure you into a bad throw with their pass rush. Last week, Forrest couldn’t handle the Owls up front and didn’t have the passing game to test the Smith County boys. This may be the time for Fayetteville’s Sam Willoughby to make his presence known. Yes, Willoughby is a great athlete, that’s obvious from his attention from college coaches. He stands out with his 6-foot, 7-inches height. He has speed as well. If the Fayetteville Tigers are to advance to the Elite 8 it must be on the arm and skills of their junior quarterback. I think he does rise to the occasion and takes a big step in leading the Tigers to the upset win on the road. Smith County will see the Tigers record and expect to have an easy win. This is where those six straight road games against mostly higher level competition earlier this year are going to pay off. Look for Fayetteville to rally late and edge the powerful team from Carthage, Tennessee. Tigers in a close one, 32-31.
