All Tennessee kickoffs are at 7 local time; all Georgia kickoffs are at 7:30 EST.
TENNESSEE SEMIFINALS
Class 5A
RHEA COUNTY EAGLES (10-3) at SEVIER COUNTY SMOKY BEARS (11-2)
Stars: Sevier County QB Deuce Wallace has passed for 3,012 yards and 29 TDs, completing 64 percent of his passes. There's no 1,000-yard receiver, but three - Devante Matthews, Hunter Miniard and Conner Rytz - have at least 650 yards. Doriank Banks is the Smoky Bears' leading rusher with 1,209 yards. Their defense is keyed by J.D. Griffin, who has school records for total tackles (199) and solos (151). He also has 19 tackles for loss. When they pressure, Griffin and Hunter Cates, their second-leading tackler, lead the way. Rhea counters with three quality RBs in Mason Stephenson, Cody Bice and Dylan Smith, and QB Daniel Dotson has a solid receiver in Noel Patterson. Operating behind a good defensive line, LB Tyler Pendleton leads the Eagles with numbers quite similar to those of Griffin.
Storyline: The Smoky Bears are riding a seven-game win streak since a 44-34 loss to Oak Ridge. Their other loss was 49-41 to Class 6A Dobyns-Bennett. Rhea was 3-3 but also has put together a seven-game win streak. There is only one common opponent: Sevier defeated Cleveland 26-6 in Week 1; Rhea beat the Blue Raiders 41-7 in Week 7. While Sevier County has averaged 37.2 points per game, Rhea has scored 35.7. Rhea has allowed 17.3 ppg with two shutouts, Sevier 18.5 also with a pair of shutouts. A big problem for Rhea last week against Ooltewah was fumbles. The Eagles fumbled seven times, losing five in the 14-13 win. That was more fumbles than they'd had the entire season. The Eagles can be explosive, scoring 62 points twice, but they were shut out once (16-0 by Ooltewah). All three of their losses were to playoff teams (Baylor, Ooltewah, Indianapolis Cathedral); the Smoky Bears' two losses (Dobyns-Bennett, 49-41) and Oak Ridge (34-44) were also to playoff teams. Rhea County got this far a year ago but lost its semifinal to Knoxville West in the final minute. The winner will play the victor between Centennial and Independence on Dec. 4 at 8 p.m. EST in Cookeville.
Class 3A
NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH (10-3) at ALCOA TORNADOES (12-1)
Stars: Alcoa's Jaylen Myers is a dual-threat QB, passing for 1,009 yards and rushing for 364. The Tornadoes will use multiple RBs, but Kareem Shereef has the most carries and yards (86-674). Top receivers are Dustin Clabough, Tykee Kellog and Caleb Woody. But this team is built on defense and they are anchored by a stout front four: Ryan Clark, Tristan Woody, John Decker and Matthew McClurg. Notre Dame has expanded its offense with Akil Sledge stepping in for some running duties to spell two-way standout Ricky Ballard and QB Alex Darras now becoming more of a dual threat. The Irish have had no fewer than seven players contribute especially big plays in the last three weeks.
Storyline: The Irish had a slow start, overcoming the graduations of RB Auston Banks and WR/DB Kareem Orr plus five other players who earned college scholarships. The Irish were 2-2 but then won 10 of their next 11, including a six-game win streak. In their semifinal, they avenged a regular-season loss to East Ridge (14-9) with a 55-27 decision. Alcoa has won 12 state championships, and were state runners-up last year. The game is a rematch from 2014 when Alcoa downed Notre Dame 28-19 at Finley Stadium. Notre Dame scores 36.7 points per game while Alcoa, coming off a 24-0 shutout of CAK, is at 37.7. Alcoa has allowed opponents more than 20 points just twice, and one of those was 6A power Maryville, which handed the Tornadoes their only loss (20-14). Alcoa has won nine straight. The winner will play the CPA/Liberty Magnet winner at 4 p.m. EST Dec. 4 in Cookeville.
Class 2A
MARION COUNTY WARRIORS (12-1) at HAMPTON BULLDOGS (13-0)
Stars: Undefeated Hampton loves to run the ball, including with QB Coby Jones, who has 1,107 rushing yards in addition to 1,935 passing - and a combined 35 TDs. The RBs, each with more than 1,500 yards and with 25 scores apiece, are Jerry Lunsford and Adam McClain. Jared Wilkshire is the leading receiver with 835 yards and 12 TDs. They'll be facing the best defense they've seen to date, a group led by LBs Alex Kirkendoll (a Mr. Football semifinalist), Bryce Massengale, Hunter Zeman and Hunter McClain and DBs Jacob Saylors and Kane Hale. Marion QB Logan Walters, who missed a handful of midseason games due to a concussion, is also a dual-threat guy, and other threats on either side of the ball are Josh Henderson and Massengale. Henderson has run for more than 1,500 yards and returned three punts and six kickoffs for TDs. Massengale has played QB, RB, WR and LB, accumulating close to 1,000 yards rushing, passing or receiving to go with 60 tackles.
Storyline: Hampton has been a perennial playoff participant, but this is its first semifinal since a 35-0 loss to Trousdale County in 2005. Marion is seeking to return to its second straight state final after finishing runner-up in 2014. The Bulldogs are averaging 50.8 points per game and have scored no fewer than 41. Their defense also has been relatively strong, allowing 14 or few points 6 times. Their closest margin of victory came in a 48-38 win over Austin-East in the second round. Marion stubbed its toe only once this year, producing a season-low 14 points in a seven-point loss to Boyd-Buchanan, which won Region 3-2A with an undefeated regular season. The Warriors also have been explosive offensively with starters rarely playing a fourth quarter. They've averaged 43.4 points, scoring at least 38 points 10 times. Their defense has two shutouts and has held nine opponents to 15 or fewer points. Marion has allowed eight points per postseason game. The winner will play the Trinity Christian/Trezevant winner at noon EST Dec. 5 in Cookeville.
GEORGIA QUARTERFINALS
Class AAA
ELBERT COUNTY BLUE DEVILS (11-2) at CALHOUN YELLOW JACKETS (12-0)
Stars: With a quick look at Sid Fritts' Elbert County offense, Calhoun's task seems simple: Contain Mecole Hardman and the game's in the bag. That, however, is easier said than done. The elite senior prospect is the focus of every team that plays the Blue Devis, yet he still has 1,948 yards. In two playoff games the quarterback has 523 yards and five touchdowns. Hardman has offensive help from RB Tra Barnett, whom Calhoun remembers from last year's 83-yard touchdown catch in a 19-17 Jackets win. Calhoun has the more diverse offense, led by senior QB Kaelan Riley, who is closing in on 3,000 total yards and has more than 30 combined touchdowns. RB Olico Dennis is a 1,000-yard rusher who can break big plays, while TE Landon Rice has become a bigger part of the offense in the postseason. Defensively, senior LB Jireh Wilson will be tasked with shadowing Hardman's every move, meaning the Calhoun line must keep blockers off him.
Storyline: Elbert is hungry to avenge last year's heartbreaking quarterfinal loss and is banking on a healthy Hardman (he was not 100 percent last year) to make the difference. Elbert, however, has completed just 10 passes this season and few teams have had success being one-dimensional against Hal Lamb's defense.
Class A Public
TRION BULLDOGS (8-3) at IRWIN COUNTY INDIANS (8-2-1)
Stars: Trion has a variety of playmakers who have accumulated more than 4,000 yards, including backs Malik Martin (four touchdowns last week), Jarrett Pierce, Gabe Howell (188 total yards) and DeVonya Farmer. Sophomore QB Justin Gill is the difference-maker when defenses try to crowd the line to stop the run. Irwin runs the wing-T offense and is led by FB D.J. Pollard, who has run for 1,509 yards, including 231 with three touchdowns in last week's 30-13 win over Wilkinson County. Like Trion, Irwin is adept at hitting long play-action passes with QB Zach Tollar.
Storyline: Trion coach Justin Brown says containing Pollard is the key. The Bulldogs also have to handle a strong Irwin front eight, led by DEs Zyon Ross and Jared Johns. Pollard, Nathan Tucker, Carionte Benyard and William Lewis form a very strong linebacking corps, a group wingbacks Howell and Pierce will have to neutralize. This will be Trion's third visit in four years to Ocilla, so intimidation shouldn't be a factor.
Class A Private
CHRISTIAN HERITAGE LIONS (6-5) at AQUINAS FIGHTIN' IRISH (10-1)
Stars: Christian Heritage pulled one of the first round's upsets, using a physical run game to beat one-loss Athens Academy. The Lions piled up more than 300 yards rushing, led by QB Tyson Cooper's 118 yards and nearly 100 apiece from Ahmaad Tanner and Nasir Love-Porter. A key to the physical play was moving 300-pounder John Henry Whiteside to fullback and letting him clear out defenders. The Lions will use him again in what coach Preston Poag says will be "a variety of ways." Aquinas has a balanced offense that has produced 2,500 yards rushing and 1,500 passing, led by senior QB Liam Welch, a Samford recruit who has 1,477 yards passing, 468 rushing and 23 touchdowns. D'Angelo Durham (6-1, 200) is the leading rusher with 940 yards and has 12 touchdowns, and Chris Gates has 648 yards and 11 scores. George Welch and UGA recruit Justin Gibbs (6-2, 196) both average more than 22 yards per catch.
Storyline: Poag would love a repeat of last week's clock-eating offense, which ran 43 first-half plays to 15. However, he also feels the Lions can hit some big plays against a defense that often gambles.
This game could turn into a shootout, something Christian Heritage would not mind.