All week long Polk County football coach Derrick Davis had worried about whether he or his team was up to the task that faced them Friday.
Davis had long respected Tyner coach Wayne Turner and had not beaten Turner’s Rams during his decade as the Wildcats’ coach.
“After you lose to a team five or six times, you begin to wonder if maybe they’ve got your number,” Davis said.
Next Friday’s TSSAA playoff matchups involving Chattanooga-area teams(all kickoffs at 7 p.m. local time)CLASS 6AOak Ridge (7-4) at Bradley Central (9-2)Soddy-Daisy (7-4) at Murfreesboro Riverdale (8-3)CLASS 4ARed Bank (7-4) at Maplewood (10-1)CLASS 3APolk County (10-1) at Christian Academy of Knoxville (10-1)Sequatchie County (8-3) at Goodpasture (10-1)CLASS 2ABoyd-Buchanan (7-4) at Hampton (9-1)Friendship Christian (9-2) at Signal Mountain (10-0)CLASS 1ACopper Basin (9-1) at Sunbright (8-2)Moore County (7-4) at South Pittsburg (8-2)DIVISION II-AAMcCallie (4-6) at Baylor (8-1)GEORGIA(Games kick off at 7:30)Class AAAWoodward Academy (9-1) at Ridgeland (9-1)Class AAManchester (7-3) at Calhoun (10-0)Dade County (9-1) at Heard County (7-3)Class ATrion (6-4) at George Walton Academy (9-1)
He has to wonder no more because his Wildcats came out on top 18-13 in a first-round Class 3A battle of district champions.
“I have always thought a lot of Coach Turner and the way he does things,” Davis said. “I remember going to coaches’ meetings early on and thinking, ‘Gosh, I’m sitting in the same meeting with Wayne Turner.’ I guess maybe that sounds amateurish, but I really thought – and think – that he’s one of the best in the business.
“Our staff spent a lot of time trying to figure them out, and it’s darned hard to do. I was glad we were able to pull that one out because Tyner is a good team and he is a tremendous coach.”
The win earned the Wildcats a trip to Christian Academy of Knoxville, whose only loss this season came against top-ranked and defending state champion Alcoa.
Other Chattanooga-area teams advancing with Friday victories included McCallie, Bradley Central, Soddy-Daisy, Red Bank, Sequatchie County, Boyd-Buchanan and Copper Basin.
Baylor, Signal Mountain and South Pittsburg received first-round byes and will play their first games next week.
Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765.