Welcome to the halfway point of the season. Time is flying. This week features a number of region showdowns and rivalries mixed with some interesting public/private match-ups. Making my honorable mentions list this week is Page @ BGA which you can read more about here. Ensworth @ CPA is the MyTV30 TV game and while the battle of teacher vs. pupil with Ricky Bowers at Ensworth facing off against his former QB in Ingle Martin at CPA, I’m not convinced this one will be all that competitive. East Nashville @ Hendersonville should be interesting. Pope John Paul II @ Nashville Christian is an intriguing Division II private versus Division I private match-up but none of these games were quite good enough to make my list of five. I expect this one to cause some debate so feel free to email me, [email protected] , or tweet me , @withrowzone , with your feedback. Let me know what I got right and what I got wrong. I embrace a good debate. Without further ado, here are my five biggest games in the area for Week 6…
1) Cane Ridge (5-0) @ Hillsboro (2-3)
An undefeated team visiting a team with a losing record doesn’t sound like all that impressive of a match-up, but the record is deceiving with Hillsboro. The Burros are extremely talented with major college prospects on the roster like JaVonta Payton and Ben Hutch but have struggled early against a very tough schedule. Hillsboro has yet to play a cupcake this season. With losses to powerhouse teams like Pearl-Cohn, Oakland, and Hendersonville, and wins over solid programs like Station Camp and Riverdale, Hillsboro may have the most impressive 2-3 record in the state. The Burros get another tough test with Cane Ridge rolling to town with an undefeated record and a strong armed and savvy QB in senior D.J. Thorpe. Cane Ridge won close, hard fought games against region foes Hendersonville and Beech to get to this point. They won those games as close as mathematically possible: A combined 2 points. This one has the potential to be just as close.
2) Marshall Co. (5-0) @ Stratford (5-0)
One of the best teams in 4A travels to Nashville to play one of the best teams in 3A in this one. Marshall County put on a show last week against a very good Giles County squad. The Tigers won 45-10 and proved that they may be the best team in 4A outside of Knoxville Catholic. Stratford is proving they are one of the best 3A teams in the area with a 5-0 record and an average margin of victory of over 35 points per game. The Spartans are for real but are getting a major test tonight. Kevin Smith goes in-depth with this match-up in this week’s Coach Speak column.
3) Lipscomb Academy (2-1) @ Goodpasture (4-1)
It feels right now that Goodpasture is good again. A program that experienced a ton of success under longtime head coach David Martin came in to this season riding a losing streak that extended all the way back to November of 2013. That’s ancient history now as the Cougars are rolling this year under the leadership of veteran head coach Jerry Joslin. Lipscomb Academy had their bye week in Week 1 and had another game cancelled because of weather. Because the Mustangs have only played three games, it’s tough to know exactly where they are right now. This is a longstanding rivalry that will tell us a lot about both teams tonight. Here is Kevin Smith’s analysis in Coach Speak .
4) Mt. Juliet (3-2) @ Wilson Central (5-0)
I’m a little biased having grown up in Mt. Juliet and graduating from Mt. Juliet High School a year before I would have been zoned for a newly constructed high school known as Wilson Central. I’m not being biased when I say this has become one of the most bitter rivalries in the area. These two student bodies don’t like each other. The Golden Bears of Mt. Juliet have owned this series in recent years and are quite confident this year despite their two losses compared to zero for Wilson Central. I spoke with Wildcats Head Coach Brad Dedman earlier this week. You can hear that interview here . Coach Dedman knows his senior QB Blake Meadors will be a big part of his team’s success. Blake is a previous recipient of our Wilson County Player of the Week award and is the engine that makes the Wildcat newfound spread offense go. Get there early if you want to have a prayer of getting a seat for this one.
5) Gallatin (4-1) @ Station Camp (3-2)
Both of these teams got their 2016 campaigns off to a rough start. Gallatin’s lone loss came in a Week 1 setback at Mt. Juliet and Station Camp has rebounded from losing 2 of their first 3 to win back-to-back games. I’m not sure either of these teams will challenge Cane Ridge in Region 6-5A but Gallatin still stands a chance as they sit at 2-0 in the region. Expect a steady dose of Gallatin’s great running back Jordan Mason and a rocking atmosphere at the Bison Camp tonight.
