PREP FOOTBALL PLAYOFFSTennesseeClass 1ALookout Valley (7-3) at Sunbright (7-3)Grace Academy (6-4) at South Pittsburg (8-2)Class 3AMeigs County (5-5) at Bledsoe County (9-1)Tyner (5-5) at Alcoa (6-4)Kingston (7-3) at Polk County (7-3)Harpeth (7-3) at Sequatchie County (7-3)Class 4ABrainerd (5-5) at East Hamilton (6-4)Red Bank (7-3) at Sequoyah (5-5)Notre Dame (5-5) at Marshall County (7-3)Class 5AShelbyville (7-3) at Ooltewah (7-3)Class 6ABradley Central (7-3) at Cookeville (6-4)Oak Ridge (7-3) at McMinn County (8-2)Division II-AAMcCallie (4-5) at Battle Ground Academy (7-3)AlabamaClass 2AFultondale (8-2) at North Sand Mountain (9-1)Ider (7-3) at Oakman (7-3)Class 4ACleburne County (5-5) at North Jackson (10-0)Class 5AWalker (6-4) at Fort Payne (9-1)
While some area coaches of playoff football teams again are unhappy about the seeding process, the unanimous sentiment in the third year of the TSSAA’s new postseason format was that at least their teams are still playing.
“There are a lot of places where they’re packing up the equipment for the year and getting ready for basketball season,” Polk County coach Derrick Davis said. “It’s not a perfect system, but it’s what we’ve got and now is the time to just prepare for that first game and hope you can be around again next week to do it all over again.”
Polk is one of seven area teams that will host a first-round game this week as the TSSAA’s football playoffs kick off. Two other teams, Baylor in Division II-AA and Boyd-Buchanan in Class 2A, earned first-round byes and will begin playing in round two. Boyd-Buchanan (9-1) will host the winner between Rockwood (6-4) and Watertown (6-4). Should the Buccaneers advance, they likely would travel to top-ranked Trousdale County in the quarterfinals.
Top-ranked Baylor will host the winner between Briarcrest Christian (4-6) and Montgomery Bell Academy (5-5) in the second round. Also in D-II, McCallie is the only area team to open against a state-ranked foe, traveling to fourth-ranked Battle Ground Academy, which already owns a 12-point regular-season win over the Blue Tornado.