With four weeks remaining in the high school football regular season, the playoff picture isn’t much clearer in Sumner County than it was a couple of weeks ago.
Gallatin running back Jordan Mason (left) and Hendersonville running back Anthony Hughes (right)
Six things to know before Friday’s games:
Chasing history
Jordan Mason’s record-setting season continued last week as he reset the Gallatin single-game rushing record in the Green Wave’s 28-24 loss to Beech.
Mason rushed for 307 yards on 36 carries to break his old school record of 298 yards, a mark that was just seven days old.
Now at 4,182 yards for his career, Mason needs 153 against Hendersonville on Friday to break Jeremy McMurry’s school record. Mason has rushed for at least 151 yards in every game this season, and has surpassed the 200-yard mark in all but one contest.
Chasing the postseason
Hendersonville’s visit to Gallatin on Friday is the first since the teams’ 2013 televised clash, which the Green Wave won by a 39-36 margin.
Both teams are very much in the mix in Region 6-5A, but the Commandos perhaps need the victory more to avoid a third region loss.
Hendersonville (5-2 overall, 2-2 Region 6-5A) enters the game on a three-game winning streak following back-to-back one-point losses to Cane Ridge and Beech in early September.
The Commandos are allowing 11.3 points per game in that three-game stretch with victories over Hillsboro, East Nashville and Station Camp.
Gallatin (5-2, 3-1) is currently third in the region and can continue to remain in the title hunt with a victory.
Beech running back Alex Vanzant (left) and Station Camp running back Kaemon Dunlap (right)
Meanwhile, to the west…
On the other side of Gallatin, Station Camp hosts Beech for the first time since their 2013 TV game, but the stakes are much higher this time around.
Beech (5-2 overall, 3-1 in Region 6-5A) is in second place and has won five of the last six games, but the Buccaneers’ loss to Cane Ridge on Sept. 16 has them essentially two games behind the Ravens with three to play. Cane Ridge has a playoff spot locked up, so three spots remain to be determined.
Station Camp (3-4, 1-3) is in sixth and has to leapfrog two teams to get into a playoff position, and the Bison simply cannot afford another loss.
Eagles’ final non-region tuneup
Westmoreland hosts White House Heritage in the Eagles’ final non-region contest of the regular season.
The Eagles (3-4) are fourth in Region 4-2A after their victory over Eagleville last week, but they hold head-to-head tiebreakers over every team chasing them (East Robertson, Eagleville and Community). With one game to play against last-place Cascade, Westmoreland is close to clinching a playoff spot and could potentially do so in two weeks.
Lucas James, a senior running back and linebacker, rushed for 41 yards and two touchdowns (of 28 and 6 yards) on six carries and recorded 18 tackles (11 solo) in Westmoreland’s 20-17 victory over Eagleville.
Short slate
Every Sumner County team will have its bye week either this week or next week, and both Fridays will feature three-game slates for local squads.
Gallatin, Station Camp and Westmoreland all host this week, while no Sumner County team will be at home next week, as Portland, White House and Pope John Paul II all have road contests scheduled.
Home-field advantage hasn’t necessarily been a thing this season, as Sumner County teams are a combined 13-15 at home this season, with Hendersonville holding the best record at 4-0.
Bye, bye, bye
Three teams – Pope John Paul II, Portland and White House – all take their bye week this week, and two of the three – the Panthers and Knights – are using it to prepare for their final three games in hopes of gearing up for a playoff run.
PJP II knows it’ll be in the postseason, as all Division II teams are, but Portland’s season hinges on winning another Region 5-4A game.
The Panthers have league contests against Maplewood and Macon County remaining, and no matter what happens against Maplewood, that Macon County contest – to be played in Lafayette on Oct. 28 – will decide who gets the fourth playoff spot in the region.
White House, on the other hand, was all but eliminated with last week’s loss to Macon County – the first time the Tigers had won in White House in 38 years. The Blue Devils visit Pearl-Cohn next week.
Reach Chris Brooks at cbrooks@tennessean.com or at 615-575-7118. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @CB_SumnerSports, and on Snapchat @cbrooksgne.
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Forrest |
4-0 |
7-0 |
196 |
61 |
|
Watertown |
3-1 |
6-1 |
313 |
123 |
|
Jackson County |
3-1 |
5-2 |
198 |
145 |
|
Westmoreland |
3-2 |
3-4 |
98 |
129 |
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East Robertson |
1-2 |
2-4 |
134 |
162 |
|
Eagleville |
1-3 |
2-4 |
140 |
183 |
|
Community |
1-3 |
1-5 |
78 |
181 |
|
Cascade |
0-4 |
2-5 |
85 |
203 |
Friday’s games
East Robertson at Forrest
White House Heritage at Westmoreland
Community at Cascade
Open date: Watertown, Jackson County, Eagleville
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Pearl-Cohn |
3-0 |
6-1 |
257 |
97 |
|
Maplewood |
2-1 |
5-2 |
161 |
149 |
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Springfield |
2-1 |
4-3 |
206 |
143 |
|
Macon County |
1-2 |
5-2 |
230 |
176 |
|
Portland |
1-2 |
1-6 |
108 |
271 |
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White House |
0-3 |
0-7 |
95 |
217 |
Friday’s game
Kenwood at Springfield
Open date: Pearl-Cohn, Maplewood, Macon County, Portland, White House
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Cane Ridge |
4-0 |
7-0 |
244 |
109 |
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Beech |
3-1 |
5-2 |
222 |
144 |
|
Gallatin |
3-1 |
5-2 |
255 |
164 |
|
Hendersonville |
2-2 |
5-2 |
227 |
141 |
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Hillsboro |
2-2 |
3-4 |
166 |
121 |
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Station Camp |
1-3 |
3-4 |
157 |
168 |
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Hunters Lane |
1-3 |
1-6 |
39 |
222 |
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Glencliff |
0-4 |
0-7 |
56 |
320 |
Friday’s games
Beech at Station Camp
Hendersonville at Gallatin
Open date: Cane Ridge, Hillsboro, Hunters Lane, Glencliff
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Montgomery Bell Academy |
3-0 |
6-1 |
274 |
104 |
|
Brentwood Academy |
3-0 |
5-1 |
239 |
102 |
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McCallie |
2-1 |
5-2 |
260 |
92 |
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Baylor |
1-2 |
5-2 |
199 |
97 |
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Ensworth |
1-2 |
4-3 |
176 |
109 |
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Pope John Paul II |
1-3 |
4-3 |
173 |
197 |
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Father Ryan |
0-3 |
3-3 |
149 |
100 |
Friday’s games
Brentwood Academy at Montgomery Bell Academy
McCallie at Ensworth
Father Ryan at Spring Hill
Open date: Baylor, Pope John Paul II