This season, a group of experts will predict the outcomes of the high school football games for Cookeville, Livingston Academy, Monterey, Upperman and White County.
The experts all have experience covering high school sports in the Upper Cumberland with a variety of outlets.
Note: These predictions are purely opinions. The Upper Cumberland Reporter wishes each of the teams in the Upper Cumberland good luck in their contests.
Our experts:
*Prediction record noted by ()
Noah McKay: COO and play-by-play announcer at the Upper Cumberland Reporter (38-14)
Chase Hoke: Color commentator at the Upper Cumberland Reporter (39-13)
Rusty Ellis: Sports Director at the Upper Cumberland Reporter (44-8)
Kailee Means: Sports Reporter at the Upper Cumberland Reporter (40-12)
Justin Matheney: Color commentator at the Upper Cumberland Reporter (40-12)
Upperman (11-1) vs Red Bank (8-3)
Ellis:
Pick: Upperman 21 – Red Bank 17
Comments: I’ve been rolling with the Bees’ defense and I’m not stopping here. This will be a back-and-forth slugfest where a one-score lead feels like three. I think we see the Bees make it to Thanksgiving weekend, where they’ll be in the main event. Give me the rushing attack, give me the dominant front 7, give me the Bees.
Means:
Pick: Upperman 22 – Red Bank 20
Comments: I think this will be a very close game and with how Upperman has played all season I think that they can pull off this win. Red Bank is a good team and has always had a good program, but when I look at who they played I feel Upperman would have performed as well, if not better than Red Bank in their games.
Matheney:
Pick: Upperman 28 – Red Bank 24
Comments: Another matchup for Upperman of speed verses power. I’m an old school kind of guy here and going against most conventional picks of speed and going with the POWER of the Bees. The key to the game for Upperman is a fast start. If the Bees find themselves down 14 early, hold on because Red Bank can roll them. Conversely, if it’s a tight game the Lions better look out in the third quarter because Upperman is lethal out of halftime. Bees to advance in a close one.
Hoke:
Pick: Upperman 35 – Red Bank 21
Comments: The Bees sure did prove me wrong last week, and I cannot make myself pick against them anymore. This game could go either way, and I would feel a lot more confident in my pick if it was being played in Baxter. Upperman obliterated a DeKalb team who squeaked by East Hamilton. Red Bank narrowly beat East Hamilton just four weeks ago. BUT Red Bank had a convincing shutout win over a Fayetteville team who handed the Bees their only loss of the season. This is going to be a good one, and the winner will advance to take on the winner of the Greeneville-Elizabethton game. GIVE ME THE BEES!
McKay:
Pick: Upperman 28 – Red Bank 14
Comments: There are eight teams left playing football in 4A, so the time for easy wins is over. This will be the third meeting between the two schools since Adam Caine arrived in Baxter. In 2018, the Bees rolled, in 2019 the Lions evened the series. Ultimately, I think this Upperman team is as good, if not better than the 2018 squad, and this is the weakest Red Bank squad of the three meetings. Home field advantage matters and I think the Lions keep it interesting, but ultimately I’ll roll with the road team playing great football. Upperman advances.