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Top 15 Midstate high school football games to watch in Week 1




Ingle Martin talks to CPA players during a scrimmage at Ravenwood.Joel Clinger / Main Street Nashville

Ingle Martin talks to CPA players during a scrimmage at Ravenwood.Joel Clinger / Main Street Nashville

High school football returns to Tennessee with next week’s season openers set for Thursday.

Here’s a look at the top 15 games around Middle Tennessee, listed alphabetically. All games are Friday unless otherwise denoted.

Beech at Farragut: Two Class 6A state quarterfinalists from a year ago square off. Beech has a roster capable of winning Region 5-6A and one of the league’s best linebackers in senior Bronco Hanks.

Blackman at Brentwood: Blackman’s offense averaged 33.6 points last season and won’t slow down with the return of quarterback Jack Risner, tight end Ben Marshall and receiver Justin Brown. Brentwood must play stout defense or rely on either Adam Fontechia or Grant Nelson at quarterback to win a shootout.

Cane Ridge at Pearl Cohn (Thursday): In a matchup between two of Metro Nashville Public Schools’ best football teams, keep an eye on the number of points scored. Cane Ridge returns a host of skill players, including quarterback Shivan Abdullah. But Pearl-Cohn’s defense held its own in scrimmages against Division II powers Baylor and Lipscomb Academy.

Centennial at Nashville Overton: Centennial impressed by winning the competitive Riverdale 7-on-7 tournament and is eyeing one of its better years. But the same goes for Overton, which returns a dynamic offensive trio in Ryder Hagan (quarterback), Delanie Majors (receiver) and Memphis commitment Tyson Edwards.

Father Ryan at East Nashville: This is part of East Nashville’s annually rugged non-region schedule. Eagles quarterback Zacc Beard has the ability to run, and he may need to use it with Father Ryan defensive lineman Drake Carlson, a Purdue commitment, on the other side of the ball.

Hendersonville at Oakland (Thursday): Oakland cruised 42-7 in this game last season, but the Patriots are entering a new era without running backs Jordan James (Oregon) and Antonio Patterson (Florida International), who helped dominate on the ground during last year’s run to the Class 6A championship. Can Hendersonville, a co-favorite with Beech in Region 5-6A, find a way to exploit that?

Henry County at Summit: Henry County might best be known in Williamson County for its participation in a wild 58-52 loss to Page in last year’s Class 5A semifinals. Last year’s Class 6A runner-up Summit has been known for Destin and Keaten Wade, now at Kentucky, but ushers in a new look with Austin Harvey behind center.

Independence at CPA: These are two revamped offenses. Independence is starting over with a new coach in Scott Stidham and a new quarterback in Cody Pagach. CPA is ushering in quarterback Thomas Vaccaro in an offense that will look more pass-heavy this season. Independence’s Ty Lockwood (Ohio State commitment) and CPA’s London Humphreys (Vanderbilt) add two dynamic receivers to the fold.

Lipscomb Academy vs. Milton High Georgia: Lipscomb Academy is rightfully regarded as one of the state’s top teams in any class. But there’s intrigue in seeing how quarterback Hank Brown, a Liberty commitment, and the Mustang offense look with many new cast members.

MBA at Ravenwood: There isn’t a better quarterback matchup in Week 1 and there probably won’t be one the rest of the season. Four-star quarterback Marcel Reed, an Ole Miss commitment, has been MBA’s starter for most of the past four seasons. Chris Parson, another four-star prospect, who will announce a commitment between Mississippi State, SMU, TCU and Virginia Tech on Friday, is electric in his own right.

Nashville Christian at FRA: Nashville Christian is coming off a Division II-A state runner-up finish. FRA rings in a new year with former Pope Prep coach Justin Geisinger.

Page at Fairview: This one was decided by eight points last season, with Page escaping 28-20. Why couldn’t the Williamson County foes do it again?

Pope John Paul at Hillsboro: Four-star quarterback and Pitt commitment Kenny Minchey can put up big numbers quickly. Hillsboro is enjoying better offensive line play than last season and could slow things down with the run, but the focus must be on containing Minchey.

Riverdale at Franklin: Riverdale’s defense was dominant last season, and even with departures it figures to be in good hands with edge-rusher and Tennessee commitment Caleb Herring. Franklin will have to capitalize on chances early.

Springfield at Greenbrier: Springfield returns quarterback Devon Crenshaw after a Class 5A quarterfinal finish a year ago. Three-star linebacker and Tennessee commitment Nathan Robinson leads Greenbrier on defense, and the Bobcats have offensive pieces back.

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