Friday Five Week 8 by Chad Withrow

Fall Break strikes the high school football schedule for Week 8 and with it, comes a lot of games played last night and a lot of teams not playing at all. It’s a short list of games to pick from tonight but some great ones nonetheless. Here are my five games of the Week for Week 8 in order.

  1. Brentwood Academy @ MBA
  2. Brentwood Academy @ MBA
  3. Brentwood Academy @ MBA
  4. Brentwood Academy @ MBA
  5. Brentwood Academy @ MBA

Of course, I’m kidding. There are other games worthy of putting on the list but I’m not joking around about BA/MBA being the clear-cut top game of the week and maybe even the season. This week’s second place game will be a distant second to this Division II-AA clash. When the two best teams in the best classification meet up AND they are rivals, you get a recipe for greatness. Let’s hope tonight’s clash lives up to the classic that was last year’s state championship game. Here’s my actual list.

1) Brentwood Academy (5-1) @ MBA (6-1)

Hooray for MyTV30 for getting this one right. They picked the game of the week and it’s not even close. Brent Dougherty and Jonathan Hutton will be on the call as quite probably the two best teams in the state regardless of classification meet up on West End Avenue. This is, once again, shaping up to be a precursor to the state championship game in Cookeville a little less than two months from now. Both teams are loaded with college talent. The biggest question for MBA is how to slow down Eagles QB Jeremiah Oatsvall. The do-it-all player can beat you with his arm and his feet. He also has a reliable deep threat option in Cam Johnson. Jeremiah spoke with the “High School FB Hour” about his on and off field friendship with Cam on this week’s show. LINK. The question for BA is can they slow down Tennessee commitment and running back Ty Chandler. The senior has torched opposing defenses throughout his career and this year has been no different. The biggest difference between this year’s BA team and last year’s is what they lost along both lines. How will that factor in tonight’s game? Kevin Smith goes more in-depth with the match-up in this week’s “Coach Speak”. CLICK HERE

2) Goodpasture (5-1) @ Straftford (7-0)

Two of the best “feel good” stories of 2016 do battle tonight in east Nashville as Goodpasture travels to Region 5-3A foe Stratford. The Spartans are 7-0 after getting the CPA monkey off their back in Week 7 and are led on the ground by Memphis commit T.J. Carter. Maurice Fitzgerald and his son and offensive coordinator (Buck) have done amazing things with that program. Veteran head coach Jerry Joslin has done a similarly great job with the once proud Goodpasture program. The Cougars went through the lowest of lows while riding a losing streak that stretched back to 2013 and ended after a Week 1 loss this season. That seems like a distant memory now as the Cougars look like a legitimate contender in the region and a team to reckon with in 3A. Kevin Smith has more on this match-up in this week’s column. CLICK HERE

3) Hendersonville (5-2) @ Gallatin (5-2)

I’ve written a bunch about both of these teams and most of the teams in Region 6-5A and for good reason. The region has been that good. These two long time Sumner County rivals square off tonight after hard fought region games a week ago. Gallatin was on the losing end of a 28-24 heartbreaker to visiting Beech while Hendersonville outlasted Station Camp 24-14. If Gallatin is going to get the road win, they will need another big effort from their workhorse running back Jordan Mason. He may need some help though. His big games on the ground haven’t been enough in Gallatin’s two toughest games thus far against Mt. Juliet and Beech. Congrats to Mason on receiving his first Power 5 school offer this week as Iowa State came calling. Something tells me it won’t be his last. You can read more about the Commandos and their season here. CLICK HERE

4) Beech (5-2) @ Station Camp (3-4)

See everything I wrote about the previous game on my list. This week is light on games so I’m going with one that should have a good atmosphere. These are also two more teams that don’t really like each other.

5) McCallie (5-2) @ Ensworth (4-3)

Tons of talent on both of these rosters and great coaches on both of sidelines. Ricky Bowers and Ralph Potter are two of the best in the state and they will show why tonight. Have a happy and safe Friday, everyone!