Battle of the Gateway highlights Week 6 slate
Sep. 22—The second half of high school football kicks off for most teams tomorrow night. And for more in Wilson County, travel is minimal.
Mt. Juliet will travel to Wilson Central for the Battle of the Gateway. Lebanon and Friendship Christian will celebrate homecoming while Watertown passes out state championship rings to the Purple Tiger baseball team.
Mt. Juliet Christian is off while only Green Hill faces a long journey, to Sparta to take on White County.
And for Wilson County teams, there are no Thursday games this week.
Mt. Juliet at Wilson CentralThe Golden Bears, who have already had their bye week, are just in their fifth game and have won three straight following a six-game losing streak dating back to almost a year ago. They are 2-0 in Region 5-5A, tied with Green Hill for the top spot. Wilson Central snapped a season-opening four-game losing streak last week and are 1-1 in the region.
"We got behind the eight ball when we lost the first (region game to Green Hill) one," Wildcats coach Brad Dedman said. "And we're still trying to play catch-up. This one is going to be big for us because it's a region game. All of our kids know each other so it's going to have that extra factor to it. We just got to come ready to play."
"We're growing up," Mt. Juliet coach Trey Perry said. "I know part of the six-game losing streak was injuries. I'd like to tell you we've been healthy through these three games. But we haven't. We continue to get people with freak injuries. The difference is the next guy who've stepped up in there has been equally as effective and prepared and ready... It's the age-old question 'are you injured or are you hurt? Because if you're hurt, we've got to have you'. I appreciate the toughness of our guys playing through some stuff. We've had some depth step up at the right time and make plays. And a lot of it has been the sophomore class."
The Golden Bears are coming off a last-second 45-43 win over White County which could leave some residue of flatness this week. But Perry said a look at the Wildcats on film over the weekend has treated some of that.
"We've got a pretty mature group," Perry said. "They watched some Wilson Central film for the first time on Sunday and they know what we're getting ready for. It's always tough, and especially tough for us on the road at Wilson Central.
"It's about getting to 3-0 in our region. It's a little different with Lebanon because they're not currently in our region. But in this situation, it really is about getting that region win."
The Golden Bears haven't lost to the Wildcats since 2008. Some of the games have been blowouts, but others have been very close, closer than the talent level in the teams might indicate on paper.
"Here's what I see when I watch film: They improve every week," Perry said. "I also see that they've played an extremely tough schedule. Springfield is undefeated top 5A team. Lebanon, they've had a couple of hiccups, but they're a solid 6A team. Rossview's usually a solid 6A team. They've played good football teams. But I see improvement. They've shared the injury bug with us with the quarterback position with putting in a sophomore. I think the (Gavin) Mayfield kid gets better every week in directing the offense. They've got some backs who can go."
And then there's the defense.
"Brad's always done a good job with alignment," Perry said. "You know where they're going to line up, but at the same time there's confidence in that from a defensive standpoint... Knowing you've got enough hats to fit that gap or that side of the line of scrimmage is huge. I've always thought Wilson Central has solid linebacker play and it's no different this year. No. 7 (Ethan Kimes), their outside linebacker, is a solid football player."
Both teams rely on the running game on offense. Mt. Juliet got 245 yards and three touchdowns from Dearrius Morton last week. Sophomore quarterback Tyler Travers passed for 117 yards on just four completions, hitting Osize Daniyan for a 60-yard score.
"They do a lot of good things up front led by their offensive line," Dedman said. "They block really well up front. Have some really good running backs to tote it to. They have two or three good running backs that can carry the ball. They try to grind it out quite a bit and they throw it just enough to keep you honest with two really good receivers and kind of go from there.
"Their sophomore quarterback, he's coming into his own, taking charge of the game. They've got athletes all across the field, and you got to defend that."
Mt. Juliet's defense was gashed for over 450 total yards by White County. But when Malaki Dowell's rushing for more than 300 every game, you almost have to give the defense a pass against the Warriors.
"Defense wise, they play really well across the board," Dedman said. "They tackle well. They missed some tackles last week against Makaki Dowell, and he'll do that against anybody's defense; he's that good. They tackle real well. They run to the ball. They play with good leverage, just keeping you hemmed in. We got to make sure that we can block up front. That's where it's going to begin for us. We got to make sure we can block and run the alleys and things we want to do offensively and go from there, and hit that one big play."
The Wildcats are coming off a 35-6 win at Hunters Lane last week.
"We did some things last week that we weren't able to do in the past," Dedman said. "We were able to start off early. We had some big plays in the game. We had some 40-yard touchdowns.
"We blocked better up front all the way across."
Lincoln County at Lebanon
A season which began with hopes of a 10-0 season for the first time in 61 years has evaporated to the point the Blue Devils' hopes of repeating as Region 3-6A champions is largely out of their hands. Both of their losses, after a 3-0 start, have been close, but have left them with lots of things to fix as the Falcons come to Clifton Tribble Field/Danny Watkins Stadium for homecoming.
In last week's 27-23 loss at Coffee County, the Blue Devils had trouble stopping the run and had to grind the ball down the field rather than hit several big-chunk plays.
"They did a good job of keeping it in front (of us)," Lebanon coach Chuck Gentry said. "And the way the game played out, we only threw two deep passes. One was a touchdown of 30-something yards and the other was out of bounds at the end of the game.
"It was one of those nights where we didn't play complementary football at all. When we would score, they would score right back. When we would stop them, we would go three-and-out and punt. At the end, we had a series where we stopped them. But we went three-and-out and they came back and went ahead and we ran out of time.
"Just one of those games where it didn't flow real well and we have a lot of work to do... The past couple of weeks we haven't been in rhythm together (offense, defense and special teams) the way we feel like we should be...We're close. We're one person away on several, several plays to having big nights offensively and defensively. But when that one person, or different people on each play keep messing up, we're just definitely not in sync... It's about time to be hitting midseason form and hopefully we can do that because definitely we've taken a step back from where we should be."
Lincoln County is a former football power which was hurt by the opening of Fayetteville a decade or so ago. The Falcons are 1-4 with a win over Spring Hill.
"Lincoln County is an improving football team," Gentry said. "We caught them last year in the midst of a coaching change in mid week and they were sleepwalking when we got there.
"This year they keep getting better and better and better. For example, Rockvale beat them 27-24 on a last-second field goal. Rockvale just beat Riverdale last week and Siegel three weeks ago. That kind of puts it in perspective. They've played Giles County (4-1) tough for three quarters. They played Nolensville tough for three quarters. They are an improving ball team and I expect they'll come in here after seeing our last two films and getting a win last Friday night with some confidence will be one of those things we'll have to combat and play well."
The Falcons run the football with their tailback and quarterback.
"They are a keep-it-on-the-ground football team and then possibly hit you with the big play," Gentry said. "And then defensively they are in just about any defense you can name. They're in a 3-4 or a 4-4 or a 4-2 and a 3-3. We're going to have to figure out a way to block them all."
Upperman at Watertown
The Bees, playing in Class 4A, are 3-2 coming off a 15-14 Region 5 loss to Stone Memorial last week.
"They're physical, good, well-coached football team," Watertown coach Gavin Webster said of the Bees.
Upperman bases out of a 3-3 defense and wing-T principles on offense.
"They love to run the ball," Webster said.
The Purple Tigers and Bees have met the last few years, until last season it was later in the campaign, in a meeting of playoff-bound teams in different classes.
"It's been a real good series," Webster said. "We know we're facing a good football team, a well-coached team every time we play them. It's been good for us and good for them."
Watertown improved to 2-3 with a 32-0 win over Whites Creek last week as the Tigers continue to adapt to their new identity as a predominantly running team. But injuries have plagued the Purple.
"We still got some injuries but we have gotten better," Webster said. "I've done this for a long time and I haven't seen this many injuries. We've been bit by the injury bug."
Sophomore Marcus Reynolds was added to that list last Friday even as he ran for 64 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown, on 10 carries and will miss this week, Webster said.
Maplewood at Friendship Christian
The Panthers come into Friendship's homecoming with a 2-3 record, having been outscored 108-88.
"They're very athletic; they're always athletic," Commander coach John McNeal said of the Panthers, whom they regularly scrimmaged in preseason before putting them on the schedule last year. "You got to do your assignments because they do things from an athletic standpoint...other teams aren't able.
"They're pretty balanced. They'll do some spread and they'll do some I... They're a 4-3 base (defense)."
Top-ranked Friendship is 5-0. The Commanders are coming off a 33-0 win at King's Academy in which Garrett Weekly threw four touchdown passes. Running back Tyson Wolcott was held to one carry and was otherwise held out by McNeal due to an ankle injury sustained the week before against Franklin Grace Christian. McNeal said the doctor has cleared him to play this week but he'll made the decision on whether the junior plays.
Largely without him, the Commander run game was held in check, but McNeal said that was due more to King's' defense.
"You kind of got to do what was given and we knew going in it was going to be hard to run with six, seven guys in the box," McNeal said. "Luckily, we were able to throw it. When that stuff happens you've got to be able to throw it and we were able to and we have guys who can catch it. You take what you're given."
Green Hill at White County
Mt. Juliet survived with a heart-stopping win over the Warriors last week despite a combined 444 rushing yards by White County, primarily by Dowell and quarterback Tripp Pinion, who threw for just nine yards but ran for 137 on 21 carries.
Now, it's Green Hill's turn to take a crack at stopping what may be the nation's top rushing attack. Dowell leads the USA with 1,595 yards and 24 touchdowns in just five games, according to MaxPreps.
Much like NBA teams facing Michael Jordan during his prime, stopping Dowell is considered impossible. Just try to slow him down.
"It's going to be a hard test," Green Hill coach Josh Crouch said. "We're going to have our hands full, not only with him but the Pinion kid at quarterback as well... Those two are dynamic runners. They do the best they can to get those two kids the ball in space."
But Green Hill leads, along with Mt. Juliet, Region 5-5A at 2-0, 4-1 overall. White County fell to 4-1, 1-1 with the loss at Roger Perry Field.
"Our kids are excited about going down there," Crouch said. "It's a big region game. If we win this one, we put ourselves in a good spot to be playing for the region championship... If we can get this one, it would be huge to continue to play for that championship at the end (MJ at Green Hill in Week 11).
Green Hill is ranked No. 8, White County ninth while Mt. Juliet enters the Associated Press Class 5A poll at No. 10 as it was released Monday afternoon. But Crouch was trying to play the role of underdog.
"I think a lot of people are putting us as the underdog in this game, and that's a good spot," Crouch said. "We don't have anything to lose, in our opinion.
"We'll go down there and try to score more than they can... I don't think you can hold (Dowell). I don't think you can stop him. You just going to have to try to play sound football. He's going to get his yards. He's going to break off plays, and that's natural with a kid of his caliber. We just got to stay mentally tough and allow them to snap the ball again. We don't want them scoring touchdowns. But if they don't break anything big on us, we can try to line up and snap it again and try to make a play."
