The opening week of prep football signals a fresh start, and perhaps no team needed that more than Gallatin.
Gallatin senior quarterback Wyatt Hayes is expected to start Friday’s game at Mt. Juliet.
After a five-game losing streak derailed Green Wave playoff dreams last season, Gallatin players enter Friday’s season opener at Mt. Juliet – which kicks off at 7 p.m. – ready to put 2015’s 4-6 finish behind them.
But, perhaps, the mojo from last year’s season opener could carry over and help the Green Wave. Gallatin won last year’s meeting 34-31 behind 255 yards and four touchdowns on 40 carries from tailback Jordan Mason.
Mason enters his senior season with many eyes on him, as the question stands to be whether he can duplicate his 1,606-yard season from a year ago.
That also puts the Golden Bear defense on alert, as Mt. Juliet will try and slow down the Green Wave rushing attack. It means that senior quarterback Wyatt Hayes needs to keep the Golden Bears honest by taking some shots downfield.
The Golden Bears reached the second round of the Class 6A playoffs last season before a 39-21 loss at Whitehaven ended their season.
Gallatin’s defense has to contend with a Mt. Juliet offensive line anchored by a pair of senior tackles in 6-foot-7, 310-poun Justin Satterfield and 6-foot-5, 275-pound D.J. Delfendahl. Senior Drew Tompkins (6-foot-1, 290 pounds) and junior Tyreece Stone (6-foot-3, 285 pounds) will likely handle the guard positions, while 6-foot-2, 250-pound Codi Esquivel starts at center.
>> Only three of the eight games involving Sumner County squads take place on local turf, and one of them – White House – is actually the visiting team this week.
Capsules of local teams who open the season on Friday evening:
White House at White House Heritage, 7 p.m.
Dewey H. Whitson Stadium, for a night, is the Patriots’ home field. White House was the home team in last year’s game, which the Blue Devils won by a 28-7 margin. It was one of only three games where White House scored more than 20 points last season, though the Blue Devils were undefeated in those contests.
White House Heritage is seeking to even the series between the cross-town rivals, as White House has won two of the first three games. The Patriots’ lone victory was a 15-6 triumph in 2014, when the game was played at Vanderbilt University.
It will be the first game for new Patriot head coach Hunter Hicks, who was promoted from an assistant coaching role after Pat Brown stepped down in January. Brown had been the only head coach in school history.
Junior quarterback Nelson Smith leads Beech into Friday’s contest against Wilson Central.
Hendersonville at McGavock, 7 p.m.
The Commandos also open with a Class 6A opponent, as Hendersonville travels to McGavock to begin the season on Friday.
Last year, Hendersonville won 24-14 at home, the first of two losses the Raiders had to Class 5A squads (a 33-14 loss at Cane Ridge was the other).
McGavock finished 7-5 last season after a 37-36 loss at White Station in the second round of the playoffs. The Raiders scored 35 or more points seven times last season, winning six of those games.
Wilson Central at Beech, 7 p.m.
The Buccaneers won last year’s meeting at Wilson Central by a 17-13 margin, but the Wildcats heated up in the Class 6A playoffs.
Wilson Central won two games to reach the quarterfinals before a 53-16 loss at Whitehaven ended their season with a 6-7 record.
Most of that Wildcat squad returns this season, led by a pair of seniors in defensive back Ray Coggins and outside linebacker T.J. Minnifee. That duo leads a Wilson Central defense tasked with slowing down Buccaneers senior tailback Alex Vanzant in his first action as a full-time starter.
Clarksville at Station Camp, 7 p.m.
The Bison hope to reverse last year’s fortunes with a victory over the Wildcats. Station Camp originally lost last year’s opener at Clarksville by a 21-20 margin, but was awarded the victory later in the season after the Wildcats forfeited the contest for using an ineligible player.
Clarksville was 6-2 at the time of the self-reported violation, but the forfeiture of five games dropped the Wildcats to a 1-9 finish.
Station Camp may have to defend against not one, but two different quarterbacks, as junior Skyler Luna and sophomore Ford Cooper are both expected to see playing time.
Senior Tyler Thompson and Station Camp host Clarksville in Friday’s season opener.
Pope John Paul II at Melrose, 7 p.m.
The Knights head to Memphis to open their season against the Golden Wildcats.
Melrose won last year’s contest by a 48-27 margin to begin their run to a 7-5 record after suffering a 47-0 loss at Liberty Tech Magnet in the second round of the Class 3A playoffs.
Senior De’Quan Dallas will be one of Melrose’s top returning players at wide receiver and at free safety.
Portland at Franklin-Simpson (Ky.), 7 p.m.
Portland heads across the state line to open the 2016 season, visiting Franklin-Simpson on Friday evening.
The Wildcats won last year’s game at Portland by a 23-14 margin, but were unable to string together consecutive victories until their final two games of the regular season. Franklin-Simpson advanced to the third round of Kentucky’s Class 4A playoffs before a 34-7 loss to eventual champion South Warren ended its season.
Westmoreland at Trousdale County, 7 p.m.
Westmoreland visits the Creekbank to begin the new season, as Jim B. Satterfield Field plays host to the Eagles on opening night.
Last year’s contest came down to the final minutes, with the Yellow Jackets pulling out a 13-7 victory at Westmoreland.
Trousdale County is used to deep playoff runs, so last year’s opening-round, 39-0 loss at Huntingdon in the first round of the Class 1A playoffs was a blow to the program despite a 7-4 record.
Reach Chris Brooks at cbrooks@tennessean.com or at 615-575-7118. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @CB_SumnerSports, and on Snapchat @cbrooksgne.