Two of the area's top four offensive units will square off at Boyd-Buchanan tonight when the unbeaten Buccaneers host undefeated Marion County in a pivotal Region 3-2A game. The Warriors are ranked first and Boyd-Buchanan is second in the latest Tennessee Class 2A poll.
At an average of 47.8 points per game, Marion County is the area's top scoring team, two notches better than Boyd-Buchanan's 41.3. Soddy-Daisy (44.0) is second and Stone Memorial (41.4) is third.
Ooltewah, coming off a 16-0 shutout of Rhea County, is the area's top defensive unit by giving up an average of 5.2 points per game. Three other teams are giving up fewer than 10 points per game - Sonoraville, Fort Payne and East Ridge.
Two teams have a scoring differential better than 30 points - Marion County (32.0) and Soddy-Daisy (30.3). Boyd-Buchanan (29.5) is third.
Rhea will miss out on NFL experience
The Indianapolis Colts' Lucas Oil Field wasn't exactly where Rhea County coach Mark Pemberton began his search for a game tonight, and as it turns out, the Eagles won't get to play there as originally expected.
Instead, they'll be at Arsenal Technical High School's field, which was refurbished by the NFL prior to Super Bowl XLVI, held in February 2012 in Indianapolis.
"We called about 120 schools in Tennessee and couldn't find anybody to play. For some reason, that was a difficult date," Pemberton recalled. "We then looked in Alabama but couldn't find anybody."
He found a team in Gainesville, Fla., initially willing to play, and that would've suited Pemberton - play Friday, then watch the University of Florida host Tennessee on Saturday, "but they backed out," he said.
Pemberton then searched Kentucky with no luck, but he found Indianapolis Cathedral with the same open date and the chance to play at the home of the Colts. While they won't be playing there, the Eagles expected to tour the facility either Thursday afternoon or this morning.
"It will be a good trip for the kids, but we have our hands full," Pemberton said. "They're a Brentwood Academy-type team."
The Eagles, who traveled from Evensville on charter buses, plan to return immediately after the game, although several players may stay with their parents in Indianapolis for the weekend. Those who return on the bus will probably get home around 5 a.m. Saturday.
Raiders won't get QB Swantic back
The GHSA denied the hardship appeal of Southeast Whitfield on behalf of senior Will Swantic this week. The former Raiders quarterback transferred to North Murray in the summer after his father, Scott, was hired as an assistant coach.
However, after playing just a half, he left the team and enrolled back at Southeast. Despite the support of the North Murray coaching staff, the GHSA ruled against his eligibility for varsity athletics. Southeast coach Sean Gray said Swantic has been working with the scout team and could continue in that role if he chooses.
Last year, Swantic helped Southeast end a drought of nearly three decades without a winning record or postseason appearance. The Raiders are 3-1 overall this season and opened Region 7-4A play two weeks ago with their first win over rival Northwest Whitfield since 1992. Southeast hosts Heritage tonight.
Calhoun's Dennis among area leaders
While McMinn County's D.J. Kimpson has the area's top rushing effort to date this season with 302 yards on 40 carries against Cleveland, the best yards-per-carry effort of 2015 belongs to Calhoun's Olicio Dennis, who averaged 35 yards (105 on three carries) against North Murray.
Rhea County's Dylan Smith averaged 29.2 yards against Clinton and Grundy County's James McDaniel averaged 24.0 yards against Whitwell.
North Jackson quarterback Trey Harris, has the best yards-per-completion average - 38.0 on a five completions against Locust Fork. McCallie's Robert Riddle has the most completions in a game with 24 (on 29 attempts against Blackman). The best night on the books for completion percentage and efficiency belongs to Soddy-Daisy's Justin Cooke, who was 8-of-8 for 224 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions against Red Bank.
The top yards-per-catch leader is Northwest Whitfield's Will Blanchard at 48.7 yards (146 yards on three catches). Not far behind is Soddy-Daisy's Tre Carter, who has the area's best single-game showing. The senior had four catches for 194 yards (48.5 average) against Red Bank, all of them for touchdowns.
Irish playing in Mississippi
Notre Dame was looking for a game the same date as Rhea County, but a team with 50 players on the roster going against a team with more than 100 didn't suit Fighting Irish athletic director Matt Pobieglo.
"We were originally supposed to play PJP (Pope John Paul) II in Nashville. They got a new coach and backed out of (the game), Pobieglo said. "I didn't really like the idea of playing a school with twice as many players."
A friend of Notre Dame football coach Charles Fant called and said Calhoun City in Mississippi was looking for a game.
"We looked them up and thought it would be a pretty good game against a team more our size," Pobieglo said.
Calhoun City - which is about 30 minutes south of Oxford - has been to Mississippi's Class 2A championship game 10 times, including each of the past two seasons, so Pobieglo expects a challenge.
Wildcats enjoy off week
Polk County coach Derrick Davis said a week without a game came at just the right point of the season.
The Wildcats are 0-5 and haven't won a game since Nov. 8, 2013. Earlier this season, Davis lost two linemen on the same day and recently had another quit.
"It's not the results we want on the field," Davis said. "But I take my hat off to the guys who show up and play their hearts out."
The Wildcats are playing as many as five freshmen at a time, including their quarterback.
They return to competition next Friday at Silverdale Academy.
"We haven't talked about our next opponent," Davis said. "We're working on ourselves. This week we're going a little bit longer each day to get the guys ready."