by Rusty Ellis
The second round of the playoffs has come and gone, leaving just a handful of Upper Cumberland teams still in the mix for state titles in their respective classifications.
Here’s everything you need to know about what happened this past Friday.
York Institute 27, South Greene 0
The Dragons have reached the state quarterfinals for the third time in school history, and they did so in dominant fashion over a South Greene team that put them out of the playoffs a year ago. Bryson Bilbrey and Myles Leffew paced the effort on both sides of the ball, as the Dragons will now get to host Monterey in a rematch from a York win earlier in the season,
Monterey 40, Hampton 16
Speaking of the Wildcats, they earned one of the biggest wins in program history with their 24-point win over Hampton on the road. A close game after a half of play, Monterey’s adjustments in the second half allowed them to cruise to the victory. The Wildcats will face York in Jamestown this Friday.
Smith County 28, Fairview 6
The Owls are continuing their magical season, as they dominated Fairview in the second round of play. It’s the Owls’ 10th win in a row since a week 2 defeat at the hands of DeKalb County, and they will now get to host a rematch of the region championship when East Nashville comes back to Carthage on Friday.
Clay County 46, Whitwell 6
The Bulldogs of Clay County are rolling into yet another rematch of Upper Cumberland teams after they dominated Whitwell 46-6 on Friday. Clay is winners of seven in a row since their lone defeat at Westmoreland, and they’ll welcome Gordonsville back to town this week.
Gordonsville 14, South Pittsburg 7
The Tigers pulled off a shocker of their own in the second round, taking down Class A power South Pittsburg in a low-scoring affair. They’ll now meet Clay County in the third round of the playoffs, a team they fell to 27-20 in the region championship.
East Hamilton 43, Upperman 42
The Bees saw their season come to a heartbreaking end on a two-point conversion near the end of regulation, as East Hamilton escaped with a one-point victory. The Bees end their season with a 9-3 record.
Red Bank 21, Stone Memorial 6
The Panthers also watched their season end on Friday night, this one in 21-6 fashion at the hands of Red Bank, who will now play East Hamilton in the state quarterfinals. Stone finishes with a 10-2 record overall.
Nolensville 56, White County 36
The White County Warriors battled for four quarters on Friday night, but fell short in a season-ending defeat at Nolensville. Malaki Dowell finishes an impressive career in second-place overall for career rushing yards in TSSAA history. Sparta closes the season with a 9-3 overall record.