The formula for surviving this past Friday's playoff round was simple, but few area teams were able to follow it successfully. While 14 area teams had their season ended, six others advanced because of suffocating defense.
Five of the area's six remaining teams -- Boyd-Buchanan, Red Bank and South Pittsburg in Tennessee, Calhoun in Georgia and North Jackson in Alabama -- are frequent title contenders. The other, Ider, is in Alabama's quarterfinals for the first time in program history.
Boyd-Buchanan and South Pittsburg both lost in the quarterfinals last year. The second-ranked Bucs (10-1), who have been at least this far six times this decade, held Marion County to 104 rushing yards and caused five turnovers Friday. Lance Headrick's interception set up Boyd-Buchanan's first touchdown, and a Seth Roy fumble recovery led to a short scoring run to help put the game away late.
"It sure makes it easier offensively when you play good defense this time of year," Bucs coach Grant Reynolds said. "Our kids are playing with a lot of emotion right now on defense.
"That takes a lot of pressure off our offense and figures into our play-calling."
The Bucs will host Cascade (9-3), which has won eight straight games since losing by 43 points to South Pittsburg. Cascade trailed Signal Mountain by 24 points in the second half before rallying for a one-point win Friday. The winner this week will play the winner of Rockwood (10-2) at Hampton (11-1). The Bucs would travel to seventh-ranked Hampton and host Rockwood.
"Obviously they're a team that doesn't give up," Reynolds said. "They played with a lot of heart to come back like that. That's one thing we did better ourselves, we never let up against Marion and we'll have to continue playing that way.
"Having a staff with a lot of playoff experience certainly helps us. We share things with our kids about memories of past playoff runs, and I think that helps them understand how important it is to stay focused."
Top-ranked Red Bank has also remained focused in its first two games in the Class 4A bracket and has invoked the mercy rule in its last five games. The Lions (12-0) held a dangerous Fulton team to 107 rushing yards, while tailback Keon Williams more than doubled that total by himself. After resting a sore shoulder last week, Williams returned and ran for 250 yards and six touchdowns.
This is the third time in the last four years the Lions have reached the quarterfinals, but they haven't gone further than this since their state-title year of 2000. Red Bank hosts seventh-ranked Greeneville (9-3), with the winner playing either Whites Creek (9-3) or 10th-ranked Maplewood (8-4). Red Bank would host regardless of the opponent.
South Pittsburg has also reached the quarterfinals three of the last four years, after stifling Eagleville. After gaining 400-plus yards in their first-round win, the Eagles managed just 75 total yards against the Pirates, averaging just 1.8 yards per play. Mr. Football finalist Terrell Robinson had 298 yards of offense and four touchdowns, leading a balanced offense which rolled up 259 yards rushing and 222 passing.
The Pirates now host familiar postseason rival Gordonsville, which they have faced five times this decade and eight times overall in the playoffs. The winner of that game will play the winner of Harriman (8-4) at Knoxville Grace (11-1) in the semifinals. The Pirates would travel to fourth-ranked Grace, but host Harriman.
"We're a pretty tough team to do business with on defense," Pirates coach Vic Grider said. "If we're clicking on both sides like we were (Friday), and playing with that type intensity, we're going to be pretty scary."
Calhoun is the only remaining northwest Georgia area team and looks good enough to return to the Class AA title game. The Yellow Jackets held Avondale to 184 yards and Da'Rick Rogers caught two TD passes and returned an interception 48 yards for a score. Calhoun hosts North Oconee this week.
In gaining revenge for a regular-season loss to Guntersville, North Jackson's defense allowed just 189 yards of total offense, created three turnovers and stopped a potential tying two-point conversion attempt in the fourth quarter. The Chiefs now host 4A's top-ranked Cherokee County (12-0). In Alabama's 2A bracket, Ider will travel to Lamar County.
Tennessee quarterfinals
Class 1A
Gordonsville at South Pittsburg, 8
Class 2A
Cascade at Boyd-Buchanan
Class 4A
Greeneville at Red Bank
Georgia 2nd round
Class AA
North Oconee at Calhoun
Alabama quarterfinals
Class 2A
Ider at Lamar County, 8
Class 4A
Cherokee County at North Jackson, 8
Stephen has covered high school sports in the tri-state area since the early 1990s, starting at the News-Free Press as a 19-year-old reporter. He has been with the Times Free Press since its inception and has been an assistant sports editor for more than seven years. Stephen is among the most decorated writers in the TFP’s newsroom, winning numerous state and regional awards for his writing on high school athletics. He has two children, Riley ...
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