Story by Rusty Ellis
Photo by Michael Lindsay
Another week of football has come and gone in the Upper Cumberland, as teams move ever closer to postseason play.
Here is everything you need to know about week six in high school football around the area.
Thursday
Jackson County 19, Livingston 7
An early lead for Livingston Academy wasn’t enough against the Blue Devils, who reeled off 19 unanswered points in the second half to claim their second win of the season. The Wildcats fall to 0-5 on the season, including losses in their first two games at their new stadium. Life in Region 4AAAA doesn’t get any easier for LA, as they take on DeKalb County on the road this week.
Friday
Stone Memorial 44, York Institute 7
The Stone Memorial Panthers continued their undefeated start to the season by winning in dominant fashion over the Dragons 44-7. Hunter Heavilon add three touchdowns to his senior season, while Kaleb Flowers scored a touchdown on both sides of the ball in the winning effort. Stone takes on county rival Cumberland County this week, while York will look to rebound against Wartburg.
Macon County 42, Portland 15
The Tigers kept in step with Stone, as they also moved to 6-0 with their win over Portland. If these two teams continue their pace, Macon and Stone on Oct. 7 could be a battle of undefeated teams with the region potentially on the line. There’s just one thing standing in the way of that matchup for the Tigers: a home date with the Upperman Bees this week.
Upperman 48, Watertown 7
Speaking of the Bees, they got back on the winning track with a dominant win over the Purple Tigers on Friday night. Jonathon Rushing looked more like his former self and the Bee defense put together one of its best performances of the season. They can jump right back into the region race with a win in Lafayette this week against a 6-0 Macon County team.
White County 21, Green Hill 20
The Warriors have firm control over their destiny now, thanks to a one-point win over the Hawks of Green Hill. A late injury that kept Malaki Dowell out of the fourth quarter is somewhat concerning, but as long as that is nothing serious, the Warriors are well on their way to potentially hosting a playoff game.
Siegel 21, Warren County 18
The Pioneers fell in yet another one-score game, this time to the Stars by a field goal. It marks the fourth time this season that they’ve lost by a single score, and it’s the third time they’ve lost by three points or less. It doesn’t get any easier either this week, as Warren County will take on Coffee County.
DeKalb County 55, Cumberland County 7
The Tigers of DeKalb County moved to 5-1 on the season, with their lone loss coming against Macon County. Livingston Academy comes to Smithville this week, meaning DeKalb has a pretty solid shot of moving to 6-1 and maintaining their place in the region standings. The Jets will host Stone Memorial on Friday, as they continue searching for their first win.
Monterey 28, TN Heat 13
The Wildcats get a win over Tennessee Heat thanks to a big game from Mason Bowman. His final score put the game out of reach and gave the Wildcats their second consecutive win to move their record to 4-2. Monterey will now turn its focus to Lakeway Christian.
Westmoreland 20, Clay County 19
Clay’s first loss of the year came in brutal fashion, as a missed extra point in the third quarter came all the way back to bite them in the end. Alec Kerr scored on a miracle play to bring the Bulldogs within a point of the Eagles, but a 2-pt conversion attempt failed along with the ensuing onside kick. Clay gets a chance to bounce back this week against Red Boiling Springs.
Gallatin 58, Cookeville 29
Early turnovers and the inability to stop Gallatin’s rushing attack is ultimately what doomed the Cavaliers on Friday. Cookeville was out-rushed 415 yards to 23, and unlike Warren County, Gallatin didn’t resort to passing the ball when they didn’t have to. The Cavaliers will host Alcoa on Thursday night.
Smith County 53, Trousdale County 8
The Owls continue rolling on, as they moved to 5-1 with a blowout win over Trousdale County. Up next, they’ll have a home game against Stratford, followed by a road contest in Gainesboro against Jackson County.
Gordonsville 42, Coalfield 21
The Tigers put an end to Coalfield’s undefeated hopes by doubling them up at home. Much like Smith County, The Tigers will likely roll all the way until the season’s final week, where a likely region championship bout with Clay County awaits them.
Sale Creek 55, Pickett County 6
The Bobcats struggled against Sale Creek, only managing a single score. The loss drops the Bobcats to 0-2 on the young season for a program still trying to make it’s way back after being out of the game for a season.