TENNESSEE HIGH SCHOOL PLAYOFFS
Friday games (all times EDT)
CLASS 6A
Coffee County (3-7) at Bradley Central (8-2), 7
* Their monikers: Coffee County Raiders; Bradley Central Bears.
* Their coaches: Coffee's Eddie Nunley; Bradley's Damon Floyd.
* Best showing: Coffee County won District 6-AAA by knocking off Cookeville on Friday, 12-7; the Bears' only shutout and their largest margin of victory (35-0) came at home against the Raiders.
* Worst offering: The Raiders gave up 48 points to Lincoln County (5-5) in Week 7; Bradley lost to Loudon (8-2) by a field goal (17-14) in Week 5.
* In the playoffs: Coffee was last in the playoffs in 2007, but in five postseason showings the Raiders have yet to win a game; Bradley makes its first playoff appearance since going 2-1 in 2000.
* The winner gets: Cookeville/Oak Ridge winner.
* Some things you might want to know: Coffee County is actually Coffee County Central. ... Its colors are red and black and Bradley's are black and gold. ... Coach Nunley was an assistant to Bill Price at Bradley and later at Coffee County. ... Bradley earned a No. 1 seed for its eight-team quadrant. ... The Bears played six teams that are in the playoffs and beat four of the six. ... Their losses were to Cleveland (5A) and Loudon (3A). ... Since that loss to Loudon, the Bears have run off four straight wins. Coffee, which endured a midseason four-game losing streak, won two of its last three games.
Lincoln County (5-5) at Soddy-Daisy (6-4), 7
* Their monikers: Lincoln County Falcons; Soddy-Daisy Trojans.
* Their coaches: Lincoln's veteran Louis Thompson; Soddy-Daisy's Kevin Orr.
* Best showing: The Falcons scored 90 points in a two-week span that covered victories over Coffee County and Franklin County; Soddy-Daisy knocked off District 5-AAA winner Cleveland 42-21 last week.
* Worst offering: Lincoln County lost its open to Blackman 55-14; the Trojans scored fewer than 10 points just once - in a season-opening 10-7 loss to Science Hill.
* In the playoffs: The Falcons have won three state titles, the most recent in 1993. The teams have played once in the postseason with Soddy-Daisy winning 33-6 in 1997. Both teams missed the playoffs last year.
* The winner gets: Franklin County/Riverdale winner.
* Some things you might want to know: The Falcons' colors are red, white and blue; the Trojans' are navy and Vegas gold. ... Lincoln County has won five straight after opening the year 0-5. ... Soddy-Daisy lost three of its last five, but a couple of those losses came while quarterback Trevor Card was out with a knee injury. ... Trojans tailback Cedric Edwards ran for 312 yards and two TDs last week. ... Lincoln County likes to throw the ball with quarterback Evan Pittenger, who is averaging 194.5 yards per game. He's one of 23 seniors.
CLASS 5A
Cleveland (6-4) at Lawrence County (7-3), 8
* Their monikers: Cleveland Blue Raiders; Lawrence County Wildcats.
* Their coaches: Cleveland's E.K. Slaughter; Lawrence County's David Marston.
* Best showing: The Wildcats had one shutout, clubbing 3A Loretto 48-0; the Blue Raiders beat Bradley Central, a No. 1 quadrant seed in the 6A bracket, 33-15.
* Worst offering: A 27-7 loss to Tullahoma last week marked the most points Lawrence had given up all season; Cleveland was blistered 31-7 by 4A playoff team Red Bank.
* In the playoffs: Cleveland lost to state finalist Columbia in the first round last year, 28-27, after having three touchdowns called back by penalty; Lawrence County was 1-1 in last year's playoffs. The Blue Raiders have gone one and out the last six years and eight of the last nine seasons.
* The winner gets: White County/Tullahoma winner.
* Some things you might want to know: The Wildcats' colors are purple and gold; Cleveland's are blue, white and red. ... Blue Raiders quarterback Chad Voytik was thought to be lost for the season after suffering an ugly injury to a finger on his passing hand. He was back, however, two weeks after the injury. ... Lawrence County's top player is running back Trent Garland, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound senior who's averaging 130.4 yards per game.
CLASS 4A
East Ridge (4-6) at Greeneville (10-0), 7
* Their monikers: East Ridge Pioneers; Greene Devils
* Their coaches: East Ridge's Mike Martin; Greeneville's Caine Ballard.
* Best showing: The Pioneers opened the season with a 40-14 win; Greeneville scored 50 or more points in eight straight games, including a 70-0 shutout of Cumberland Gap and a 72-13 win over Grainger.
* Worst offering: The Pioneers got smoked 35-7 by district rival Hixson (2-8); Greene had a 15-point win over Sullivan South in Week 2.
* In the playoffs: East Ridge lost last year in the opening round to Knoxville Fulton; Greeneville made hay of Chattanooga teams, beating Central, Brainerd and Red Bank on the way to the state final.
* The winner gets: Central/Fulton winner.
* Some things you might want to know: The Pioneers have been hampered by injuries all season and are without their top defensive lineman (O'Shea Caslin) and top power back (Brevante King). Quarterback Demetrius Bumpass did not play last week and is through for the season after sustaining torn ligaments in the thumb of his throwing hand. ... East Ridge has lost four of its last five games, and none of its wins came against teams with winning records. The closest was 5-5 Sweetwater. ... Greeneville averaged 64 points in its last four games. Eight of its opponents had winning records. ... Greeneville's colors are green and white, and East Ridge's are orange and white. ... Pioneers linebacker Stefan Nelson has averaged 15.6 tackles per game.
Central (6-4) at Knoxville Fulton (6-4), 7
* Their monikers: Central Purple Pounders; Fulton Falcons.
* Their coaches: Central's Sam Montgomery; Fulton's Buck Coatney.
* Best showing: The Purple Pounders beat Red Bank 16-11 in Week 6; Fulton threw up 62 points on Knoxville Carter in Week 8.
* Worst offering: Central lost 6-3 to Brainerd (3-7) in Week 7; Fulton got shut out by Alcoa 49-0 in Week 3.
* In the playoffs: The Pounders lost in last year's first round to Greeneville, 42-6; Fulton beat East Ridge before falling 55-22 to Red Bank.
* The winner gets: Greeneville/East Ridge winner.
* Some things you might want to know: Five of Central's opponents had winning records, and all five are in the playoffs. Central beat two of the five (Sequatchie County, Red Bank). ... Central has won two straight since a shutout loss to District 6-AA champ Tyner. ... Before last season the Pounders' last trip to the playoffs was 2003, when they went 1-1. That also was their last previous winning season. ... The Falcons have a 32-16 postseason record. Their worst playoff loss was by 57 points to Marion County in 1995. ... The Falcons' colors are maroon and white, and the Pounders' are purple and gold. ... Fulton started the year 1-4 but won five of its last six, including the last four. ... Only two of the Falcons' opponents had losing records, and two of the teams that beat them (Powell, Alcoa) went undefeated in the regular season. ... Through nine games, Fulton quarterback Ben Winters had thrown for 1,445 yards while completing 60 percent of his passes.
Page (6-4) at Red Bank (6-4), 7
* Their monikers: Page Patriots; Red Bank Lions.
* Their coaches: Page's Jack Daniels; Red Bank's Tim Daniels.
* Best showing: Page had back-to-back shutouts in Weeks 6 and 7, 37-0 over East Hickman and 25-0 over Hickman County; Red Bank knocked off District 5-AAA winner Cleveland 31-7.
* Worst offering: The Patriots lost 5-3 in Week 2 to Eagleville; the Lions lost 16-11 to Central.
* In the playoffs: Page went 1-1 last year; this is Red Bank's seventh straight postseason. The Lions won two playoff games last year before losing to eventual finalist Greeneville.
* The winner gets: Maplewood/Marshall County winner.
* Some things you might want to know: Page coach Jack Daniels is familiar with the Chattanooga area. He was head coach at Soddy-Daisy from 1988 to '91. ... Of Page's four losses, three came to teams with non-winning records, and in the first four weeks of the season. The Patriots have won five of their last six although only one of those wins came against a team with a winning record. ... Red Bank has won three in a row. ... The Lions' four losses came in two-game streaks. ... Lions have used two quarterbacks - junior Niquia McDuffie and sophomore Hagen Wilkey - and they have provided a balanced offense. ... Although quarterback Zach Mizell had thrown for 760 yards in eight games, Page prefers the running game with the likes of Stephen White and Markeise Lockridge. ... Page's colors are blue, white and red, and Red Bank's are royal blue and white.
CLASS 3A
Howard (8-2) at Loudon (8-2), 7
* Their monikers: Howard Hustlin' Tigers; Loudon Redskins.
* Their coaches: Howard's Alvin Tarver; Loudon's Jeff Harig.
* Best showing: The Tigers had back-to-back 40-point games in Weeks 6 and 7; Loudon beat Class 6A quadrant top seed Bradley Central 17-14.
* Worst offering: Howard was shut out once this season, 35-0 by top-ranked Alcoa; Loudon didn't fare much better, losing 42-3 to the defending state champion.
* In the playoffs: Howard last went to the playoffs in 2008, losing to Sycamore in its only game; Loudon went 2-1 last year, beating Bledsoe County and Polk County before falling to Alcoa. The Redskins haven't missed the playoffs since 2005 and have won at least one game each of those years except 2007.
* The winner gets: Alcoa/Sweetwater winner.
* Some things you might want to know: The Hustlin' Tigers are on their second quarterback in the Tiger-bone offense. Thomas McCauley broke an ankle and was replaced by Darrion Roshell, who ran for 135 yards on just five carries last week. ... Six of the Tigers' opponents are in the playoffs, and the Tigers beat four of them. ... Five of Loudon's opponents had winning records. ... Loudon enters the playoffs on a six-game win streak while Howard, which opened the season 4-0, won four of its last five. ... Loudon quarterback Wade Plemons has completed 63 percent of his passes but through nine games had thrown for just 565 yards. Plemons and Trey Townsand are the Redskins' leading rushers, each with close to a 6-yard average. ... Howard last won a playoff game in 2001, beating York Institute. Since that win the Hustlin' Tigers have lost seven postseason games. ... The Redskins' colors are red and white, while Howard's are maroon and gold.
Tyner (8-2) at Polk County (9-1), 7
* Their monikers: Tyner Rams; Polk County Wildcats.
* Their coaches: Tyner's Wayne Turner; Polk's Derrick Davis.
* Best showing: The Rams shut out Hixson 56-0 in their first win of the season (Week 3); Polk mercy-ruled Class 1A power South Pittsburg 42-7 in Week 9.
* Worst offering: The Rams gave up 49 points to Ooltewah in their season opener after leading 18-0; the Wildcats surrendered 27 points in a 22-point win over Chattanooga Christian.
* In the playoffs: The Rams haven't missed the postseason since 1993. They lost their only 2009 playoff game to Alcoa; Polk County was 1-1, beating Kingston and then falling to Loudon.
* The winner gets: Kingston/Christian Academy of Knoxville winner.
* Some things you might want to know: Tyner and Polk are old acquaintances, having formerly played in the same Class 2A region. ... The Rams have won eight straight games since opening with back-to-back losses to 6A member Ooltewah and Division II-AA power Baylor, while the Wildcats have won nine straight since a season-opening loss to 6A playoff team Bradley Central. ... Tyner, known for its solid run defense, won two regular-season shutouts, including 14-0 over playoff-bound Central. ... Polk allowed one touchdown in its last five games. ... Tyner leaders are quarterback Travis Jones and Sean Neal, the latter having played quarterback, running back, receiver and defensive back. ... Polk is loaded with seniors but its key player is quarterback Jared Allen, who's expected to sign a University of Tennessee baseball scholarship this month. Others to watch are linebacker Michael Hargrove and wingback Tyler Lee. ... Tyner owns an eight-game win streak over Polk, and the Rams are one of the few teams a Davis-coached team has never beat.
Sequatchie County (7-3) at Bledsoe County (7-3), 8
* Their monikers: Sequatchie County Indians;Bledsoe County Warriors.
* Their coaches: Sequatchie's Chad Barger; Bledsoe's Jason Reel.
* Best showing: Sequatchie opened up for 49 points in a 35-point win over Whitwell; Bledsoe scored a season-high 47 points in a 25-point victory over Marion County.
* Worst offering: Sequatchie scored in double figures in every game except a 42-7 loss to unbeaten Signal Mountain; Bledsoe fell 21-13 to 5-5 Harriman for its first loss of the season.
* In the playoffs: This will be the Indians' third straight year in the playoffs, and they're still looking for their first win; returning to the playoffs after a one-year absence, the Warriors fell to Loudon in a 2009 first-round game.
* The winner gets: Christ Presbyterian/Goodpasture winner.
* Some things you might want to know: The two met in Week 6 and Bledsoe County extended its season-opening win streak to six with a 34-28 victory. The Warriors lost the next week to Harriman and suffered through a three-game losing streak before rallying late to beat Chattanooga Christian in Week 10 to earn a host spot. ... This could be another head-knocker. Sequatchie coaches felt their team let one get away in the previous meeting. ... Sequatchie is one of four teams with winning records that Bledsoe played this year. Sequatchie played one team with two wins, two teams with just one win and another with no wins. ... The Indians have three 1,000-yard rushers in Hunter Lewis, Jerry Fain and Justin Stewart. ... Bledsoe is led by quarterback Cody Holloway and running backs Brandon Smith and Holden Boynton.
Grundy County (6-4) at Pearl-Cohn, 8
* Their monikers: Grundy County Yellow Jackets; Pearl-Cohn Firebirds.
* Their coaches: Grundy's Nick Bryant; Pearl-Cohn's Tony Brunetti.
* Best showing: The Yellow Jackets beat Bledsoe County 34-13; Pearl-Cohn nipped Lipscomb 28-24 in Week 9.
* Worst offering: Grundy struggled to beat 1-9 Notre Dame 15-13 last week; the Firebirds were shut out by Division II-AA members Montgomery Bell Academy and Battle Ground Academy.
* In the playoffs: Grundy gave Goodpasture a 2009 first-round scare before falling 38-27; the Firebirds, consistent postseason performers, dropped a first-round game to Smith County.
* The winner gets: East Literature/Smith County winner.
* Some things you might want to know: The Firebirds have been in the playoffs seven of the last nine seasons, getting as far as the semifinals in 2006 and 2007. ... Bryant is the first coach to spend more than a season as the Jackets' coach since 2005-06 (Greg Brewer). ... This is the first time for Grundy to make the playoffs in back-to-back seasons since Ken Colquette's 2003 and '04 squads. ... Pearl-Cohn has won four straight. ... Firebirds quarterback Jawaun Wilson has thrown for 1,118 yards while completing 83 of 149 passes. ... Their leading rusher is D'anthony Hall (9 games/780 yards). ... Pearl-Cohn's colors are red, white and black, and Grundy's are purple and Vegas gold.
Class 2A
Unaka (6-4) at Boyd-Buchanan (6-4), 7
* Their monikers: Unaka Rangers; Boyd-Buchanan Buccaneers.
* Their coaches: Unaka's Steve McKinney; Boyd-Buchanan's Grant Reynolds.
* Best showing: The Rangers posted a season-high 57 points last Friday against Cosby; the Buccaneers shut out fellow district member Silverdale Baptist 40-0.
* Worst offering: Unaka lost 8-22 to Chuckey-Doak in its season opener; Boyd-Buchanan lost at former rival South Pittsburg 41-6 in Week 7.
* In the playoffs: Unaka never has won a playoff game; Boyd-Buchanan was a state finalist last year.
* The winner gets: Hampton (9-1) at Hampton.
* Some things you might want to know: Five of the Rangers' opponents had winning records, including Hampton. ... Unaka played four Class 2A teams and the rest were 1A teams. Boyd-Buchanan played five higher-classification teams, including Red Bank, Howard and Pope John Paul II. Red Bank is in the Class 4A playoffs, Howard in 3A. ... The Buccaneers' longest win streak (twice) was two games, including their final two. ... They had six games when the defense allowed seven or fewer points, and that included three shutouts. ... The Rangers, who won four of their last five games, had one shutout win (28-0 over North Greene). ... Unaka's colors are maroon and white, while Boyd-Buchanan's are royal blue and gold.
Marion County (5-5) at Friendship Christian (8-2), 8
* Their monikers: Marion County Warriors; Friendship Christian Commanders.
* Their coaches: Marion's Troy Boeck; Friendship's John McNeal.
* Best showing: Marion pounded rival Whitwell 57-7 in Week 8; Friendship pounded Red Boiling Springs 62-0 in Week 9.
* Worst offering: The Warriors lost to rival South Pittsburg 64-0 in Week 2; Friendship lost 28-7 to Gordonsville in Week 3.
* In the playoffs: Marion pulled a major first-round upset last year, beating 9-1 Forrest 20-17; Friendship won two 2009 games before losing to eventual state champ Trousdale County.
* The winner gets: Signal Mountain (10-0) at Signal.
* Some things you might want to know: Marion lost several seniors around the middle of the season and is playing numerous underclassmen. ... Of the five teams the Warriors beat, only one (Grundy County) had a winning record. ... The Warriors have won three of their last four games. ... Friendship scored 109 points the last two weeks in shutouts over Red Boiling Springs and Monterey. ... One of the Commanders' losses was 10-6 to unbeaten Trousdale County. ... Friendship's colors are green, white and gold, and Marion's are purple and white.
* Signal Mountain (10-0) received a first-round bye and will host the Marion/Friendship winner on Nov. 12.
CLASS 1A
Harriman (5-5) at Copper Basin (8-1), 7
* Their monikers: Harriman Blue Devils; Copper Basin Cougars.
* Their coaches: Harriman's Travis Tapp; Copper Basin's Patrick Daly.
* Best showing: The Blue Devils handed Bledsoe County its first loss (21-13) in Week 7; Copper Basin beat Lookout Valley 63-7 in Week 9.
* Worst offering: The Blue Devils got shut out by Knoxville Grace 21-0 in Week 8; the Cougars dropped their season finale to Boyd-Buchanan, 22-7.
* In the playoffs: Its postseason win last year was the first for Copper Basin since 2000; Harriman is the team that put Copper Basin out of the 2009 playoffs (28-13).
* The winner gets: Sunbright (8-2) at Sunbright.
* Some things you might want to know: Copper Basin had a string of four shutouts and finished the season with five. The Cougars allowed double-digit scoring twice - 22 to Boyd-Buchanan and 12 to Andrews, N.C. ... Before the 56-point win over Lookout Valley, the Cougars had back-to-back open dates. ... Since its win over Bledsoe County, Harriman has lost three in a row, including a Week 9 loss (43-42) to Coalfield. ... Seven of Harriman's opponents finished the year with winning records, and six of those had at least seven wins. ... Dimitrique Inman is the Blue Devils' big offensive gun, rushing for more than 1,000 yards. They average eight passes per game. ... Harriman's colors are royal blue and white, and Copper Basin's are red and gray.
South Pittsburg (8-2) received a first-round bye and will host the Moore County/Eagleville winner on Nov. 12.
DIVISION II-AA
McCallie (3-6) at Briarcrest Christian (8-2), 8
* Their monikers: McCallie Blue Tornado; Briarcrest Saints.
* Their coaches: McCallie's Rick Whitt; Briarcrest's Major Wright.
* Best showing: McCallie beat BGA 44-26; the Saints shut out winless Carver 38-0.
* Worst offering: McCallie lost 51-21 last week to Brentwood Academy; Briarcrest lost its season finale to Memphis University School, 45-14.
* In the playoffs: McCallie has a record of 11-21, including a 2009 loss to Briarcrest; the Saints are 23-14 in playoff games and won state titles in 2002 and 2004.
* The winner gets: Baylor (8-1) at Baylor.
* Some things you might want to know: Briarcrest was cruising with a 7-0 record until quarterback Michael Johnson, the school's career passing leader, suffered a broken collarbone. ... McCallie is nine years removed from its last state championship. ... The Blue Tornado's last playoff win was in a 2006 semifinal, 45-16 over Christian Brothers. ... The Blue Tornado are faced with their second straight losing season. ... McCallie's colors are blue and white, and Briarcrest's are green and gold.
Baylor (8-1) received a bye and will host the Briarcrest/McCallie winner on Nov. 12.