BOYD-BUCHANAN BUCCANEERS (6-2) at SOUTH PITTSBURG PIRATES (7-1)
Storyline: Although it's not a region game, and therefore carries no postseason implications, this has been one of the area's best rivalries for 20 years and always brings a playoff atmosphere. It will once again serve as a good measuring stick for both state-ranked teams - Boyd-Buchanan is No. 9 in 2A, South Pittsburg No. 4 in 1A - to show them where they'll need work headed into the postseason. The Bucs have won the past two meetings, but the Pirates have won eight straight home games and appear to be growing healthy after a rash of injuries that left them without seven two-way starters the past two games. Although four starters are still likely out until the playoffs, QB Hogan Holland has been steady and RB Joseph Lilly, the fastest player on the team, can create a big play on any offensive snap. For the Bucs, QBs Ross Wortman and Kohl Henke offer different challenges by rotating at the position and RB Jeremy Borders is solid. The deciding matchup will be Boyd-Buchanan's stingy defense - which hasn't allowed an opponent to score more than three touchdowns all season and is led by junior LB Will Watkins - facing South Pittsburg's explosive offense, which has averaged 52 points its past five games.
GRACE ACADEMY GOLDEN EAGLES (4-4) at CHATTANOOGA CHRISTIAN CHARGERS (4-4)
Storyline: It's a nonregion game but could serve as an important confidence booster for the Golden Eagles, who are already assured of a playoff spot, as they prepare for a league showdown with South Pittsburg next week. Sophomore RB Cade Tinsley is averaging 119 rushing yards per game for Grace and senior QB Jared Thompson is adding an average of 85 on the ground. The tough-luck Chargers, who have a one-point loss and a seven-point loss that cost them any postseason hopes, are young and building for the future. This is a likely preview of a future rivalry - both teams will move into Division II next season.
BAYLOR RED RAIDERS (5-3, 1-3) at MONTGOMERY BELL ACADEMY BIG RED (7-1, 4-0)
Storyline: Not even an off week could wash away the disappointment and hangover from the Red Raiders' loss to McCallie as they followed up with an error-prone loss to Pope John Paul II last week. Baylor's late attempt at a two-point conversion to tie the game was stopped, and now the Raiders must travel to top-ranked MBA for a Division II-AA East/Middle game that will help determine playoff seeding. MBA is led by senior RB Ty Chandler, a University of Tennessee commitment who is considered one of the top runners in the nation. He already has more than 1,500 rushing yards this season, including a career-high 341 against Brentwood Academy, and has scored 29 touchdowns. Baylor will counter with bruising runner Kalvin Watson and several playmakers at WR, including junior Brendon Harris, who's also expected to see action at RB.
MCCALLIE BLUE TORNADO (5-3, 2-2) at POPE JOHN PAUL II KNIGHTS (5-3, 2-3)
Storyline: Knights QB Ben Brooks threw for 219 yards on 24 completions in last week's upset of Baylor. That included two fourth-quarter scoring drives that proved to be the difference. McCallie is coming off a much-needed off week, which allowed the team to heal some bumps and bruises accumulated during the course of eight straight weeks of facing one of the state's toughest schedules. Blue Tornado senior QB Robert Riddle has no shortage of weapons to choose from at receiver, so this could turn into an aerial show between the talented QBs. This game could decide which team finishes fourth in Division II-AA East/Middle for playoff seeding.
GRUNDY COUNTY YELLOW JACKETS (1-7, 1-3) at SEQUATCHIE COUNTY INDIANS (8-0, 4-0)
Storyline: While the overall records would lead one to believe the Indians should be heavily favored, this is also a rivalry game and a key Region 4-3A matchup for the hosts, who are still in line for the league title. Sequatchie is led by dual-threat junior QB Ethan Barker, who led the team in rushing last week and is an accurate passer as well. Backfield mate Hunter Davenport is the team's leading rusher and also one of the area's top defenders at LB. The Indians' success starts up front, where both lines are entirely made up of seniors, and they have been a dominant group. Led by those linemen, the Indians rushed for nearly 400 yards last week and held Cannon County to zero or negative yards on half of its 49 snaps.
SILVERDALE BAPTIST ACADEMY SEAHAWKS (6-2, 3-2) at TYNER RAMS (2-6, 2-3)
Storyline: Both teams view this Region 3-2A game as one where a berth in the state playoffs is at stake. Tyner has speed. Silverdale must contain it. Blocking well is quintessential for both teams. The Seahawks and QB Alex Gonzalez want to protect and possess the ball. Their chances of rushing the ball against Tyner would be greatly enhanced by maintaining blocks throughout each play. The Rams have athletes such as Ke'un Webb, Keiontae Halfacre and Jaylen Bowens, who can do some damage to the second level of a defense, if the blocking up front can get them there. The Seahawks will need big performances from players such as LBs Christian Rogers and Hayden Spencer.
WALKER VALLEY MUSTANGS (6-2, 3-1) at RHEA COUNTY EAGLES (6-2, 4-0)
Storyline: These Region 4-5A teams will be in the state playoffs. But where? A victory increases the chances of having a first-round home game. With an offense led by QB Kolten Gibson, Walker Valley is averaging 47 points per game. Three WRs have more than 400 receiving yards, led by Cooper Melton's 588, but RB Alex King may get more of the spotlight tonight. Typically the Mustangs feature a quick-strike offense, but tonight they wouldn't mind gaining some first downs and giving their defense some rest. But still, they must score. If the Eagles have their way, they'll play keep-away and reduce the Mustangs' offensive players to spectators. Rhea RBs Christian Simon, Mason Stephenson and Cody Bice had all surpassed the 500-yard rushing mark before last week's game.
SEQUOYAH CHIEFS (2-6, 1-3) at CENTRAL PURPLE POUNDERS (2-6, 2-2)
Storyline: As Central coach Cortney Braswell put it, his Purple Pounders are fighting for the their playoff lives. Central's DBs will get tested in this Region 3-4A game by the passing combination of QB John Douglas Wiggins and WR Chris Johnson. Taking away big plays in the passing game will be essential for the Pounders to have success. D.J. Baxter is a member of the Central secondary but also someone the Pounders want to get the ball to periodically. He got 15 touches last week in addition to intercepting two passes. RB Mike McGhee remains the Pounders' go-to offensive player and will likely need a productive game tonight for them to win.
CLEVELAND BLUE RAIDERS (4-4, 1-3) at OOLTEWAH OWLS (6-2, 3-1)
Storyline: Cleveland has had one of the most-injury plagued seasons for an area prep football team in recent memory. Romeo Wykle, a free safety, is the only DB who started the season and is still active. Joseph Osterland is the Blue Raiders' fifth QB used this year. Even so, the Owls know Cleveland still has some team speed and big-play capabilities. They were 8-1 coming into this game last year and lost at Cleveland. Ooltewah seems to have made a more conscious effort to run the ball a little more this year, but it has an efficient passer in QB Collin Thurman. The Owls have many new faces on defense this year, but they've made steady progression over the course of the season. Tackling well will be at a premium in this Region 4-5A game as they try to determine their postseason fate, which looks like it could be anything from region champion to out of the playoffs.
NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH (6-2) at McMINN CENTRAL CHARGERS (3-5)
Storyline: The biggest notion for each, other than winning, will be to avoid injuries because each has a huge region game with playoff implications next week - Central against Scott County and Notre Dame against Red Bank. The Chargers have used a run-oriented offense much of the year behind Jackson Long, whose highlights include a 295-yard performance. Notre Dame is much more versatile despite often using a two-QB system.
GILES COUNTY BOBCATS (5-3) at SIGNAL MOUNTAIN EAGLES (2-6)
Storyline: The undermanned Eagles, who had four players leave last week's game due to injuries, will be facing a relatively strong passing game from the Bobcats via QB John Bachus, RB R'kell Reed and three receivers with 30-plus catches. Players who missed part of Signal's game against Notre Dame due to injury were Isaac Green, Campbell Garner, Collin Farr and kicker Scott Payne.
EAST RIDGE PIONEERS (4-4) at LOUDON REDSKINS (0-8)
Storyline: It could be an easy night as long as the Pioneers don't go looking ahead to their final regular-season game and a possible playoff road trip. The Redskins have scored 13 or more points only twice this season. All of their losses have been by at least 14 points, among them a 46-7 setback to Howard, which East Ridge rallied to beat just a couple of weeks ago. Offense for the Pioneers, though, has been spotty the past four weeks. They've been limited to 12.25 points over that period, and their highest output (26 points) came in a 24-point loss. They're much better if they're healthy in the skill positions, and injuries there have been a recurring problem.
SODDY-DAISY TROJANS (2-6, 1-4) at McMINN COUNTY CHEROKEES (6-2, 3-1)
Storyline: The Cherokees are still in line for a shot at the Region 4-5A championship, but they better remain focused on this one rather than next week's battle at Rhea County. Soddy-Daisy can be dangerous offensively, especially if the Trojans are able to keep versatile Ty Boeck at WR or RB rather than QB. The QB spot should be manned by senior Justin Cooke, one of last year's passing leaders but a player who missed more than half of this season due to injury. The Cherokees make no secret of their intent: a four-man defensive front and a ground-and-pound offense from the wing-T. They obviously have been successful as indicated by wins over Walker Valley and Oak Ridge. Opponent speed, which got them beat at Ooltewah, has been their biggest Achilles' heel.
MEIGS COUNTY TIGERS (7-1, 4-1) at POLK COUNTY WILDCATS (3-5, 1-4)
Storyline: Meigs, with five straight wins, has the school's longest win streak since Mike Martin's 2006 team rolled off eight straight on its way to a 9-2 record. This likely is the Tigers' most versatile offensive team in years with freshman QB Aaron Swafford a dual threat. Defense, though, had to have been their focus in practice this week as they prepared for a rugged running game from always-physical Polk. Problems for Polk will be contending with more speed, being outsized and depth. A Meigs win tonight will definitely sew up a home game to start the playoffs.
HARRISON HOYAS (7-0, 4-0) at DALTON CATAMOUNTS (7-0, 4-0)
Storyline: This battle of titans in Region 6-AAAAAA pits two very similar teams. The one difference may be the overall athletic ability of 6-foot-3 Harrison QB Justin Fields, who is the Hoyas' leading rusher with 574 yards and has completed 66 percent of his passes for 1,448 yards and 15 touchdowns this season. As Dalton coach Matt Land pointed out, however, the complementary pieces aren't bad either, including RBs Darius Clark and C.J. Turner and WR Steven Peterson, who had nine catches and a pair of touchdowns last week. Dalton has plenty of pieces, too. QB J.P. Tighe has gone from game manager to serious passing threat and now has 1,156 yards and 13 touchdowns, and he has two elite targets in Zeke Cobb (507 yards, seven touchdowns) and Kyric McGowan (430 yards, five touchdowns). Ahmaad Tanner has also picked up his game at running back and has 638 yards and 11 scores. The Cats' secondary, led by McGowan and Nassir Love-Porter, has been up to every test so far. Dalton shares the No. 1 ranking with Valdosta in Class AAAAAA; Harrison is No. 4.
RIDGELAND PANTHERS (6-0, 3-0) at PICKENS DRAGONS (3-4, 2-1)
Storyline: No team has slowed the Ridgeland rushing express. The Panthers had three runners - Jalyn Shelton, Grayson Moore and Markeith Montgomery - rush for more than 100 yards last week in a rout of Heritage. Ridgeland, however, will be without Moore, who was ejected after receiving two personal fouls. The defense had one of its best games last week, led by LB Skye Wilson's three sacks. Pickens, before last week's 50-41 loss to Northwest Whitfield, had been solid defensively but gave up 571 total yards to the Bruins. On offense, the Dragons are led by RB Chris Pittman, who has 800 yards and nine touchdowns, while QB Jacob Brumby has passed for 917 yards. Can the Pickens defense, led by LBs Devin Grant and Michael Cain, keep the big-play Panthers at bay in this Region 6-AAAA matchup?
CALHOUN YELLOW JACKETS (5-2, 2-0) at SONORAVILLE PHOENIX (6-2, 3-0)
Storyline: To say the Calhoun area is excited about this game would be a dire understatement as two Region 6-AAA South teams meet to determine more than just bragging rights. Calhoun has had an extra week to prepare for what will be a hostile environment. The Jackets will show off their two-QB attack, with senior runner Baylon Spector likely to get the start. Sophomore passer Gavin Gray, who has completed 40 of 61 attempts for 653 yards and eight touchdowns in just parts of three games, will come in to spread the Phoenix defense out. Calhoun is still trying to overcome the loss of RB Olico Dennis to a season-ending injury, with Spector and Zach Fuller getting most of the carries. Sonoraville is coming off its most complete win, a 35-0 victory over Adairsville in which the offense produced 319 rushing yards and the defense allowed just 162 total yards. QB Patrick Moore joins RB Tristen Key as the team's top rushing threat and is a dangerous passer on the move. If the game is tight, each team has a solid kicker - Juan Palmerin for Calhoun and Kevin Villatoro for Sonoraville.
LAFAYETTE RAMBLERS (2-6, 0-3) at HERITAGE GENERALS (5-3, 2-2)
Storyline: This is an elimination game in Region 6-AAAA in a contest that will feature very different offensive approaches. The Ramblers are a running team and will spread carries among RBs KaDarrin Ramsey, Dakota Cathey and Colton Lane as well as QB Logan Teasley. That's bad news for a Heritage rushing defense that has allowed an astounding 900 yards in consecutive losses to Northwest Whitfield and Ridgeland. The Heritage offense, on the other hand, prefers to do its damage through the air behind QB Corbee Wilson, who has thrown for 1,800 yards and 22 touchdowns with just two interceptions. Ryan Carter and Luke Grant have combined for more than 1,100 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns and will force the Ramblers to cover sideline to sideline.