Local High School Football Worth Watching This Friday

     When it comes to sports, this is the most wonderful time of the year, and so far this year has been better than most. Locally, the high school football playoffs are in full swing, with several area teams still in the hunt for State Title hardware.

     It's good to see some of the local teams make strong showings in the post season thus far. I think just about everyone expects to see Ooltewah and South Pittsburg in Murfreesboro next month. The Pirates are riding a 26 game winning streak and have out scored their opponents 514-74 so far this season. David Jones will lead the Pirates into Trousdale County for their first road playoff game since 2003. The Yellow Jackets are also undefeated and won't be an easy out for the Pirates. South Pittsburg's secret weapon, however is the same weapon they used so successfully during last season's run: depth. They are one of the few teams in Class 1A that have the depth to play 22 man football and avoid having most of their players play both sides of the ball. It's a big reason why they have been able to jump on teams in the second half. Look for that trend to continue on Friday Night.

     Elsewhere in Class A, even though their season is over, I have to give a lot of credit to Grace Academy for their performance in a first round loss to Watertown. The Eagles never quit after star quarterback Josh Blake went down with a knee injury in the second quarter. Despite the loss, Grace continued to fight and nearly came back to pull off an improbable win.

     Looks like the fans in Hooterville get the luxury of watching their beloved Ooltewah Owls at home for the remainder of thier playoff run
as the road to Murfreesboro leads through the Owls Nest. While it will take a while to rival the type of success he had at Cleveland in the early 90's, coach Benny Monroe is well on his way to building another Tennessee Valley powerhouse. Brady Reed has developed into a steady game manager at quarterback with more offensive toys than most small college teams. Running Back Matthew Polk leads the ground attack and has proven an able pass catcher out of the backfield, while speedster Sammy Seamster may be the fastest player in the area and has big play ability every time he touches the ball. The Owls must battle feelings of deja-vu once again on Friday. Last week, Soddy Daisy proved to be a tougher out the second time around as the Trojans were just a couple of big plays away from continuing their magical season. In the end, three big plays, two on offense and
one on special teams, proved to be the difference in Ooltewah's 17-6 win. Give Soddy Daisy coach E.K. Slaughter a lot of credit for turning around the Trojan program almost overnight. The offensive play calling was fearless at times, with a lot of gadget plays and tricks that kept defenses guessing all season. For the 10-1 Owls this week, they face another former foe in 10-1 Farragut. Ooltewah handed the Admirals their only loss back in October. Expect this weeks battle to be much closer than the 31-3 win for the Owls earlier this season.

     The biggest surprise of Friday's quarterfinal round is in Class 2A. I don't think anyone at the beginning of the season thought the lone battle of Tennessee Valley teams in round 3 would feature Marion County and Boyd Buchanan. In a region long dominated by Tyner, the Bucs and Warriors have emerged to battle for a trip to the state semifinals. Especially surprising are the Warriors, who have already won more playoff games this season than in the previous 12 seasons. You'd have to hearken back to the mid-90s, when the Warriors were a state powerhouse led by Eric Westmoreland, to find the last time Marion County enjoyed any real football success.

     Boyd hasn't had quite the dry spell that the Warriors have had. This year is the first winning for the Bucs in four years, since falling to DCA in the state title game in 2004. Both teams have really leaned on their defense to key the turnarounds. Boyd has allowed just over 10 points a game this season, impressively holding the South Pittsburg juggernaut to a single score in a 7-6 Loss. The Warriors opened
season by giving up 43 to the Pirates, but since the Warriors have cirlced the wagons, pitching three shutouts and also holding opponents to 10 points a game. The Bucs took a hard fought 21-20 win at home back in week two, and it should be an even lower scoring affair Friday Night. The loser goes home, while the winner will very likely earn a date with Alcoa, who is gunning for their 5th straight 2A State Title. Oh, by the way, the Tornadoes are 66-6 in that span.

     A similar fate faces Rhea County in Class 4A, they have the daunting task of hosting Maryville. The Rebels have ONLY won every Class 4A state title this decade except one en route to a 114-2 record since 2002. The Rebels are currently riding a 72 game winning streak, and if you thought Alcoa was impressive, five of their six losses have come to Maryville. Being realistic, a Golden Eagles victory over Maryville would be one of the biggest upsets in Tennessee high school football history. Rhea does have a glimmer of hope, as quarterback Cameron Talent is really hitting his stride, thanks to protection from an offensive line anchored by future Vol Kevin Revis. The Eagles are unbeaten at home this season, but that streak is just seven, not 72. Watching the Rebels play leaves you wondering how they do it. They aren't always the biggest, fastest, or strongest team on the field, just mistake free and methodical. If the Eagles can catch the Rebels in an unusually sloppy performance, they have a shot. Anyone remember who gave Maryville their last major playoff scare? It was a 4-7 Brainerd team back in 2006 who gave the Rebels all they wanted, but fell on the road 30-26. There's your glimmer of hope, good luck.

    In North Georgia, Ridgeland is still alive and at home against Flowery Branch. It's new feeling for the Panthers, last week's 33-0 win over Carver was the school's first ever playoff win. The Panthers hope to leave Flowery Branch trying to keep up with the Bowmans, as in quarterback Carlan and wide receiver Michael, who is already
committed to Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide. Ridgeland air corps will get plenty of ground support from running back Terrell Freeman. Carlan Bowman threw for 160 yards and three touchdowns, 122 of those yards going the other Bowman. Freeman led a Panthers ground attack that amassed over 200 yards on the ground. The Panthers will certainly
test the Falcons defense, but Ridgleland's defense will be tested as well by the Falcons spread offense led by quarterback Connor Shaw. Shaw piloted the Falcons to a big 42-21 rout of Stephens County. Shaw completed 17-19 for 293 yards and 5 touchdowns in the win. This game should be a high flying affair at the Panthers' Den.

     Taking a guess as to how things will shake out Friday Night:

Class 1A:                          South Pittsburg 38    Trousdale Co. 17
Class 2A:                          Boyd Buchanan   14   Marion Co. 13
Class 4A:                          Maryville       30          Rhea Co. 14
Class 5A:                          Ooltewah        21       Farragut 17
Georgia Class 3A:             Ridgeland       42        Flowery Branch 38

It should be an amazing Friday Night of high school football, so go check out a game in your area....it's worth it...then catch Touchdown Friday Night for all the highlights you missed!