Other than video of their opponents’ previous games, the most intensely monitored element for high school football teams leading up to this week’s playoff matchups will be the elements themselves.
When rain is in the forecast, as it is for Friday night in the Chattanooga area, the weather app is continually refreshed in the days and hours before kickoff as coaches adjust their game plans according to expected field conditions.
Simply surviving the damp and/or cold, when yards are typically gained in mostly modest measurements, can determine which team advances to the next round and continues the quest for a state championship. Flashy plays that highlighted warmer evenings in late summer and early fall often take a backseat to the decades-old proven formula for postseason success in November: a powerful ball carrier running behind a bulldozing offensive line.
So while preparing for wet conditions, possessing a player who can provide those needed tough yards will likely dictate the fate of the area’s 14 teams still remaining in the TSSAA or GHSA playoffs. Here, in alphabetical order by players’ last names, is a list of the area’s best power backs.
Ja’Mychal Buckner (South Pittsburg): A two-time Tennessee Titans Mr. Football semifinalist who’s closing in on his third straight 1,000-yard rushing season, he added close to 15 pounds to his 5-foot-11 frame during the offseason. Although the senior still possesses breakaway speed, his size and physicality tend to wear down opponents — especially in the second half as smaller defenders grow tired of trying to bring down the 195-pounder, who has averaged 8.2 yards per carry this year and has helped South Pittsburg reach the TSSAA Class 1A quarterfinals.