Playoffs at stake as Central visits Lebanon

Sep. 27—Wilson County's high school football teams have been going at it almost non-stop since the end of dead period in early July from 7-on-7s, preseason practice, scrimmages and now approaching the seventh game of the season.

All seven teams will have their open dates next week, marking the first time all of Wilson County's teams have had their byes at the same time. Those players who are battered, bruised and just need a reset have to get through Friday's Week 7 games before their break, which coincides with the schools' fall break.

But first, this week's games have repercussions which will be felt when the players and coaches reconvene for Week 9.

Wilson Central at Lebanon

It may be hard to believe with three games remaining after this one, but both coaches consider this a de facto playoff game with Mt. Juliet, Green Hill and Gallatin either even or ahead of both in the playoff pecking order in Region 4-6A.

Lebanon coach Chuck Gentry said Mt. Juliet and Green Hill have yet to play each other, which will mean a loss for one of them. Gallatin has Lebanon with one absorbing a loss. Ditto for Lebanon and Mt. Juliet.

"If you're looking at records and scores and things like that, those three — Mt. Juliet, Green Hill and Gallatin — are three that are probably in," said Gentry, whose Blue Devils are 2-1 in the region and 4-2 overall. "The next one is Wilson Central and Lebanon and who gets that head to head. You have Cookeville, also. For us, it's a very important game and it's one we're treating like it's one we need to win to get in the playoffs."

"If you want a shot to make the playoffs, you got to win this one," Wilson Central coach Ben Kuhn said. "We're playing right now for that fourth spot, third or fourth. You got to beat Lebanon. They're in the same situation. They got to beat us."

Wilson Central is still seeking its first region win and trying to snap a three-game losing streak after a 3-0 start. The Wildcats have already played Mt. Juliet and Green Hill and have Cookeville and Warren County, in addition to Gallatin, remaining after the break.

"Coach Kuhn's done a good job in breathing energy and life into the program," said Gentry, whose Blue Devils, though they beat Central last year, have found the Wildcats to be a thorn in their side during his previous six seasons at LHS. "They're playing hard. A lot of different stuff — painting the rock over there, doing all the social media stuff. He's got a little excitement around the program. He and his staff are doing a good job.

"And on the field, their quarterback (Gavin Mayfield, now out for the season) got injured and it caused them to change... The (Ethan) Kimes kid is a really, really good high school football player on both sides of the ball. They're getting into the wildcat stuff and different heavy formations running the ball with him. (Antuan McKethan) is very very quick and elusive. They're doing a good job with their ground game. Defensively, they're running to the football and tackling. Misfortunate things have happened but...we know we'll get their best shot on Friday night when they show up."

"Coach Gentry does an unbelievable job on offense," Kuhn said. "We do some similar stuff to what they do on offense. Defensively, Coach (Shaun) Frey does a phenomenal job with the 3-3-stack and that hybrid sort of defense. The guys are flying around to the ball. They're a disciplined football unit. You're not going to get them in a lot of bad situations because of how well they're coached on both sides of the ball.

"They've got speed. Five (Sean Heath, out last week with a knee injury) and 6 (Key Crowell), they can move. They create matchup problems with anybody that plays them. We're hoping our speed development has put us closer to them. But we're going to find out Friday."

Giles County at Watertown

Of all the teams in the new Region 4-3A, the Bobcats may the ones with the most recent success at this level, having made several deep forays into the playoffs with a championship in 2009 and a runner-up finish in '13, both in 4A. This year, they're 3-2 following an 0-2 start. They've scored over 40 points in their victories and at least 28 in their early losses to Page (overtime) and Hardin County.

"Very athletic football team we're facing Friday night," Watertown coach Gavin Webster said. "Offensively, got a lot of speed. Got some decent size. Very athletic. Want to spread you out. They got a ton of formations, but they like to spread you out and get the ball to their playmakers.

"Defensively, we're going to see something based out of a 4-2-5 or 4-3. Got good athletes on both sides of the football."

With TSSAA taking over scheduling of region games to make sure enough officials are available to work those contests on Friday night, Watertown's Week 3 loss at Sequatchie County is the only region game played thus far. That changes from here on out as Giles County's final four contests are in the league while all but one of the Purple Tigers' four remaining games count toward making the playoffs.

"We got ourselves behind the 8-ball," said Webster, whose 2-4 Tigers are trying to snap a four-game losing streak. "Obviously, we would like to win and need to win."

Friendship Christian vs. Providence Christian at MTSU

The Lions are 3-3, having won three of their last four in their first year of 11-man football and 1-0 in the East Region, which puts them one up on the Commanders, who saw their 18-game winning streak end last week at Middle Tennessee Christian in their region opener. Providence beat King's Academy 20-15 last week.

"They got a good coaching staff," Commander coach John McNeal said of a Providence staff led by veteran head coach Lebron Ferguson and assisted by former Lebanon defensive coordinator Mike Bartlett. "They're doing it the right way.

"They're a 50, five-front, on defense. Offense, they're multiple."

The game is being played at Middle Tennessee State's Floyd Stadium because of a lack of stadium space on Providence's land-locked campus. This will be Friendship's second game at MTSU, having lost the 2006 Class A state championship to Jackson Christian.

Since then, Friendship has won four state titles. But if the Commanders are to win a second straight for a second time, they'll have to take a different route than last year as undefeated MTCS, which climbed to No. 1 in the Association Press Division II-A poll in a swap with now No. 3 FCS, would have to lose twice down the stretch for the Big Green to overtake the Cougars.

"It mapped out a different road," McNeal said. "It is what it is."

Mt. Juliet at Antioch

The 6-0 and No. 5-ranked Golden Bears take a break from Region 4-6A to face another Bears team in Antioch, which is enjoying a renaissance season at 3-3 after going winless the last couple of seasons. The blue Bears have won two straight with wins over McGavock and Stewarts Creek. They also downed neighboring-rival Cane Ridge in Week 3. They opened the season with an 11-point home loss to Lebanon.

"It's a battle of two first-place teams in their regions," Mt. Juliet coach Trey Perry said of Antioch, which is 3-0 in Region 5-6A. "They may have one of the toughest schedules in the state of Tennessee in 6A. In addition to Lebanon, they've played Nolensville, they've played Oakland... They play CPA after they play us.

"Our first conversation with our team was 'they're not going to be in awe of you'. Coach (Devin) Arnold's done an incredible job with that program in the short amount of time that he's been there. It's not an accident. You put on the tape and you see they have an identity of what they do on offense and defense and on special teams, as well. They don't hurt themselves. They have an unbelievable freshman phenom quarterback who will be playing in a Power 5 uniform on Saturdays someday. It's really admiring to watch until you have to play them... You have to defend all 53 1/3 against this football team. They can run the football, too. There's some balance."

Perry said junior left tackle Ta'khyian Whitset, one of the few Bears to play both ways, has several Power 5 offers.

"You look at him, you know why," Perry said.

Warren County at Green Hill

For the first time this season, the Hawks have to rebound from a loss after opening the season with five wins. At 2-1 in Region 4-6A, they can still win the championship by winning out the league schedule, which includes this game, Week 10 at Cookeville and the season-ending Mayor's Cup game at undefeated Mt. Juliet.

But it starts with the Pioneers, who are bringing up the rear at 0-4 in the league and 1-5 overall following a 49-7 loss to Cookeville last week.

"They're a little bit of a wing-T team, about 50-50 run-pass," Green Hill coach Josh Crouch said of the Pioneers. "Have a new quarterback they rotate in and out who's a little bit more of a running guy. They have a passing guy.

"They're really sound on defense."

Mt. Juliet Christian at Franklin Grace Christian

The Saints are seeking to snap a four-game slide as they look to pull even in the Middle Region standings. Grace is 2-3 for the season and 1-1 in the league.

"They have a new head coach (Bob Jordan) this season," MJCA coach Dan Davis said of the Lions. "They're more of a spread team. They do a little of everything. They'll run it, they'll pass it. They're pretty balanced in that regard. They play a 3-3-stack on defense."

Grace is coming off a 39-36 loss to region leading Nashville Christian last week.

"Nashville Christian made more mistakes than they normally do and let Grace stick around for a while," Davis said.

Mt. Juliet Christian fell to 2-4 with a 54-0 loss to Donelson Christian last week.

"The biggest thing is we have to play better and play harder," Davis said. "You can't give up big plays and make big mistakes like we did Friday night."