The Upperman Bees are looking for a 2-0 start to the season, but face a stiff challenge in the form of the Trousdale County Yellow Jackets in the High School Football Game of the Week on Friday night in Hartsville.
The measuring stick-game pits the seventh-ranked 4A Bees against the second-ranked 2A Yellow Jackets (1-0).
“The biggest thing is it’s not a huge roster, in terms of numbers (for TCHS), but they all look like very quality football players,” said UHS head coach Adam Caine. “They can all block, tackle and run. I’m very impressed by the versatility of every player on that roster. We’re going to have to play a lot better than even we played last week to be competitive with them.”
The Bees are coming off a 28-6 win over Cookeville in week one, while the Yellow Jackets are looking to build on a 12-10 win over Friendship Christian.
The Yellow Jackets will host the game from the Creek Bank in Hartsville, which is known for being one of the top home-field advantages in Tennessee high school football.
“I think it does matter,” said Caine. “There’s obviously a comfort level for them playing there, but does it affect us? Probably not. If it gives them a certain comfort, then it probably is a plus on their side. It’ll be a good test. We want to be a team that comes to play regardless of the opponent, environment or circumstance.”
One point of emphasis for the Bees has been remaining mentally tough. After an emotional win over their cross-county rival, Caine said he thinks a matchup with the Yellow Jackets is a great opportunity to put their mental toughness to the test.
“I think this is the perfect scenario to see where we are at,” said Caine. “(TCHS) will be a team that really does come out and punch us in the mouth. They’ve got a great amount of confidence and play with a big chip on their shoulder. Those are the teams that have given us trouble in the past. I’m very excited to see us go respond to this challenge. We’ll learn a lot about ourselves on Friday.”
The Yellow Jackets’ offense runs a wing-T scheme. Caine said the offense presents unique challenges for his defense.
“The wing-T comes with it a mentality on the offensive side of the ball,” said Caine. “The run game is their calling card, which means they’re going to put your defense to the test. A lot of times they get people beat before it starts because people aren’t willing to get in there and play that kind of football. You’ve got to make sure your guys are up to the physical challenge.”
The Bees three-headed rushing attack led the way against Cookeville, with Terrance Dedmon rushing for 133 yards and a touchdown, Jaxson Rollins rushing for 68 yards and three touchdowns and Ty Dutchess rushing for 53 yards. Caine said he wants his rushing attack to be balanced moving forward.
“The key word is balance,” said Caine. “I’d like to see them all have an equal amount of touches. (Last week) lended itself to Terrance and he got the bulk of the carries, but Jaxson is a special kid who deserves the football, and we’ve seen what Ty can do over the years. We also need to do a much better job of getting (senior wide receiver) Daniel Metzgar the ball.”
Kickoff between the Bees and Yellow Jackets is set for 7 p.m. on Friday night in Hartsville. It is the High School Football Game of the Week and will be livestreamed on the Upper Cumberland Reporter’s Facebook page with Noah McKay and Justin Matheney on the call. Pregame coverage is set to begin at 6:50 p.m.