Down-to-cases time is here.
Every football season starts with coaches pointing toward the significance of region contests. And for the most part, this is the time of year when things start shaking loose.
There are exceptions, even in our Northeast Tennessee backyard. Region 1-4A was like a movie revealing the ending before the halfway point. Ditto for Region 1-1A.
But for the other four regions, there’s some mighty important work just around the corner.
1-6A — Dobyns-Bennett, Science Hill and Jefferson County each stand at 2-0. They will play each other over the next five weeks to determine the championship.
1-5A — David Crockett is in great shape but still has to deal with Daniel Boone along with Morristown West having a chance to figure into a three-way-tie picture.
1-3A — If it seems like Unicoi County is just getting started, it’s because the Blue Devils still haven’t played a region opponent this year. They do have an off-field win with the COVID decision over Claiborne. But Unicoi still has to prove it against Chuckey-Doak, West Greene and Johnson County.
1-2A — Everything will likely be decided Friday night when South Greene plays at Hampton. If the Rebels win, it’s their title outright. Hampton still has a region game left against Cumberland Gap, but will be a prohibitive favorite in that contest.
CHANGE IN LANDSCAPE
There was new focus used for voting in The Associated Press statewide football rankings in Class 4A this week, generated by recent results.
As the season developed, it looked like there might be serious contenders to break the stranglehold of Region 1-4A for the state championship. But South-Doyle got bumped by Anderson County and then lost to Farragut on Friday. Also last week, Pearl-Cohn lost to Tullahoma.
And while Tullahoma is still undefeated, Elizabethton got the No. 2 vote from the Times News and Johnson City Press. Here’s the logic:
• Top-ranked Greeneville is the overwhelming favorite to win its third state title in five years. The only loss for the two-time defending champion Cyclones thus far is to Greeneville.
• Region 1-4A has won four straight state titles, so other leagues are left with prove-it status.
• Although Tullahoma is 6-0, it lost in the quarterfinals last year to a team Elizabethton beat by 35 points in the semifinals (Nolensville). A year can make a big difference, but the Wildcats have already been pushed to the limit twice this season. To Tullahoma’s credit, it won both games and Marshall County and Pearl-Cohn are quality opponents.
• None of the other undefeated teams (Haywood, Hardin County or Montgomery Central) is going to strike fear into Greeneville. All are from the western side of the bracket, and look at the beatings eastern teams have delivered in the last four title games: 54-13, 56-21, 30-6, 41-14.
• What about a semifinal matchup? The top contender at this point is probably Upperman, which has lost to a Class 1A team (Fayetteville) this season. Yes, a good 1A team, but still three sizes below.
So all of this leads to moving Elizabethton back into the No. 2 spot, unless the Cyclones lose again in the regular season or until another part of the state shows definitive evidence that it could give Greeneville a run for its money.
There’s still time to change the narrative, but that’s the Week 6 snapshot.
Here are the Region 1 teams that received votes from the Times News/Press this week:
Class 6A — 10. Dobyns-Bennett
Class 5A — 7. David Crockett
Class 4A — 1. Greeneville; 2. Elizabethton
Class 3A — 6. Unicoi County
Class 2A — 3. Hampton; 9. South Greene
Class 1A — 9. Cloudland
GAMES OF THE WEEK
JEFFERSON COUNTY at DOBYNS-BENNETT
Two points of interest: The Patriots are unbeaten in Region 1-6A, and their two overall losses were by a combined nine points.
One of these teams will fall behind the eight ball in the league race while the other will establish itself as the top threat to Science Hill.
UNICOI COUNTY at CHUCKEY-DOAK
The Black Knights have slipped over the past two weeks in wide-margin losses to Grainger and South Greene. But they are still tied with the Blue Devils with a 1-0 league mark.
SOUTH GREENE at HAMPTON
This is the dandy matchup people have been waiting for in Region 1-2A. Hampton has scored 30, 30 and 31 in the last three head-to-head meetings, but lost two of those games.
This year’s winner clinches at least a tie for the league title.
PATRIOTS’ PRIDE
Sullivan East inducted numerous standout athletes into its Hall of Fame on Saturday. Making the grade by sport were:
Basketball — David Casaday, Jon King
Baseball — Ryan Flick, Hunter Stratton
Football — Steve Grubb
Wrestling/football — David Eaker
Track/cross country — Dalton Hudlow, Jennifer Warren
Track — Peyton Kegley
Track/volleyball — Autumn Roe, Haley Roe Perry, Kendall Ivester
Wrestling — Nelson Elliot, Caleb Berg, Logan Chase
Girls basketball/tennis — Vanna Summers
Girls basketball — Kara Stafford, Brandy Watkins
Girls basketball, softball, volleyball — Brittany Scott James
Softball — Courtney Leonard, Madeline Standbridge
Volleyball — Kara Anderson
Golf — Holly Hamilton
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