Week 6 of the high school football season in Sumner featured mostly non-region games, but two region contests helped further clear up the playoff picture…and make a little history in the process.
Five things we learned from Week 6:
Gallatin RB Jordan Mason goes for the pylon and scores for the Green Wave ahead of Station Camps Shawn McKinley in Gallatin, TN on Fri. Sept. 23, 2016.
Jordan Mason approaching school record
Jordan Mason is on pace for a record-setting season at Gallatin High School, and the Green Wave senior had a record-setting evening last Friday at Station Camp.
Mason rushed for 298 yards and three touchdowns on 40 carries in Gallatin’s 34-27 victory, and that yardage total could have been greater if not for three lost fumbles, which Mason vowed to clean up during practice this week.
The Green Wave fumbled five times and lost four of those, but Gallatin’s defense assisted in negating two of those turnovers by returning a pair of interceptions for touchdowns.
Mason has 1,383 yards on 139 carries with 14 touchdowns through six games. He is averaging just shy of 10 yards per carry (9.95 yards per attempt), and took over second on the Green Wave’s all-time rushing list last Friday.
The all-time leader, Jeremy McMurry, rushed for 2,220 yards in 1992, helping the Green Wave to their last state championship. Mason, averaging 230.5 yards per game, is in line to pass that total during the regular season, as he is on pace for 2,305 yards at his current rate.
Beech senior Chris Peach cuts outside during a game earlier this season. The Buccaneers host Springfield in their final non-region game on Friday.
Two weeks to the bye week – and big hurdles await
Beech and Hendersonville each cruised to homecoming victories in Week 6, and both teams have two games remaining until their bye week.
The Buccaneers visit Gallatin this Friday, while Hendersonville hosts Station Camp. The opponents are swapped next week, as Beech visits Station Camp while the Commandos travel to Gallatin.
Those two weeks will help shake out – or further complicate – the Region 6-5A playoff picture.
Hendersonville QB Brett Coker looks for running room ad Hillboro’s Desmond Thornton closes the hole in Hnedersonville, TN on Fri. Sept. 16, 2016. Photo by Dave Cardaciotto
Speaking of Region 6-5A…
Cane Ridge (6-0) is 3-0 in region play after defeating Hillsboro 17-7 last week, and with the next two games against Hunters Lane and Glencliff, the Ravens are likely to enter Week 10’s contest at Station Camp undefeated.
Gallatin is the only team remaining that still controls its own destiny, and if the Green Wave can get through Beech, Hendersonville and Hillsboro with victories, they’d host Cane Ridge in Week 11 with a region title on the line.
Tiebreakers could very well play into determining the third and fourth playoff spots, so these next two weeks are vital for Beech, Gallatin and Hendersonville. Station Camp is currently on the outside looking in, but the Bison can jump back into the picture with victories over Hendersonville or Beech.
Two White House defenders try to stop Sycamore’s Tyler Niebel in last week’s game. The War Eagles won 16-14.
Missed opportunities
Both Westmoreland and White House suffered identical 16-14 losses to Jackson County and Sycamore, respectively, but the Eagles’ setback hurts worse because it was a Region 4-2A contest.
Westmoreland could have gotten back to .500 with a victory at Jackson County, which would have been the Eagles’ third consecutive region triumph.
Now, Westmoreland sits in fourth place in the region with Eagleville paying a visit this week, and two region games against Cascade and Watertown will close the regular season.
The Blue Devils dropped their homecoming contest to the War Eagles, and a must-win game against Macon County awaits this week.
Senior Drew Bledsoe helped Pope John Paul II to a 20-17 win at Father Ryan on Friday.
Homeward bound
Pope John Paul II finished a three-game stretch of road contests with a 2-1 record following its 17-14 victory at Nashville Christian.
The Knights improved to 4-2 overall, winning their fourth game in a season for the first time since 2013 and only the second time since 2006.
PJP II hosts Montgomery Bell Academy on Friday, the first home game for the Knights since a 41-14 loss to Brentwood Academy on Sept. 2.
Reach Chris Brooks at cbrooks@tennessean.com or at 615-575-7118. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @CB_SumnerSports, and on Snapchat @cbrooksgne.
Top 5 career rushing leaders in Gallatin history
Jeremy McMurry 4,334
Jordan Mason 3,876
Carl Woods 3,851
Amariah Robb 3,610
Lonnie Burch 3,232