Tennessean: Devils sitting in one of toughest playoff quads
According to rankings by the Tennessean, the White House Blue Devils are in the toughest quadrant of teams in Class 4-A, and the fourth toughest quadrant in all classifications heading into Friday’s playoff opener:
The Tennessee high school football brackets were announced Saturday.
Here are the five toughest postseason quadrants as teams narrow their focus toward the BlueCross Bowl on Dec. 5-7 in Cookeville.
CLASS 6A, QUAD 3
Top seed: Overton
District champions: Overton (12-AAA), Station Camp (9-AAA), Arlington (14-AAA)
Total wins: 62
The scoop: Overton finished 10-0, completing its first undefeated regular season since 1983. But four other teams in the quad won at least eight games, and Hendersonville (7-3) was in the hunt for the District 9-AAA title heading into the final weekend.
CLASS 6A, QUAD 2
Top seed: Oakland
District champions: Oakland (7-AAA), Ravenwood (11-AAA)
Total wins: 57
The scoop: Projected for weeks to have a heavy 7-AAA flavor, this quad is more balanced than anticipated — but still highly competitive. Oakland could have to win rematches against two of its district rivals to reach the semifinals. It’s no picnic for Ravenwood, either, with a second-round contest looming against Blackman.
CLASS 3A, QUAD 3
Top seed: CPA
District champion: CPA (12-AA)
Total wins: 61
The scoop: CPA, the only 10-0 squad in the quad, is the favorite. But second-seed Fairview (9-1) could pose a threat from the other side of the bracket. Three other 8-2 teams are potential hurdles as well — including East Nashville and Lipscomb, the fourth and fifth seeds, who meet for the second time in as many weeks.
CLASS 4A, QUAD 3
Top seed: Pearl-Cohn
District champions: Pearl-Cohn (10-AA), White House (9-AA), Lexington (14-AA)
Total wins: 52
The scoop: With so many of the 4A powers on the east side of the state, Pearl-Cohn (9-1) is perceived to have caught a break by going west. However, Giles County is seeded fourth and is 8-2 after advancing to last year’s semifinals. White House and Lexington are 8-2 as well.
CLASS 5A, QUAD 3
Top seed: Shelbyville
District champion: Shelbyville (8-AAA)
Total wins: 45
The scoop: Parity is the term to describe this quad, with three 6-4 teams — including Beech, the defending 5A champion and the No. 3 seed — and another four at 5-5. And there’s some familiarity, with four teams coming out of District 8-AAA and two from 9-AAA.
