Host Tate Mathews opened this Labor Day weekend edition of High School Sports Saturday with a full Week 3 scoreboard roundup that shook up the Midstate rankings. In the night's biggest shocker, Smyrna knocked off defending state champ and No. 3 Oakland 22–21 on AJ Jackson's game-winning two-point conversion pass — Smyrna's first win over the Patriots since 2011. No. 1 Brentwood Academy also fell, to St. Joseph's Prep (PA) 31–23, and No. 4 Franklin Road Academy dropped a 40–36 thriller to No. 10 MBA, where Henry Perry delivered an emotional, do-everything performance (2 INTs, 4 field goals, 4 PATs, an onside kick recovery, and a fake-punt run) just hours after his grandfather's funeral. No. 2 Battle Ground Academy blanked Pearl-Cohn 49–6 behind a shutout defense, positioning the Wildcats to move into the top spot. Other headline nights included Forrest's Quincy Mitchell (345 rushing yards, 5 TDs, plus a receiving score), Green Hill's Will Butler (16 tackles, 159 combined yards, game-winning two-point conversion in a win over Ravenwood), and Knoxville Catholic edging Lipscomb Academy 21–20 after Lipscomb missed a near state-record 62-yard field goal at the buzzer.

The show then turned to two in-depth coach interviews. Smyrna's Mark Williams broke down his team's stunning upset of Oakland, crediting disciplined gang-tackling, a Secori Weathers interception, and a bold late go-for-two call that AJ Jackson converted under pressure — capping a stretch of three straight one-point games for Williams' squad. Forrest's Justin Palmer then recapped his team's 54–26 win over Mount Pleasant, which pushed the Rockets to 3–0 and avenged a chaotic, weather-suspended loss from a year ago. Palmer praised his offensive line (Delmon Hall, Lachlan Morris) and quarterback Micah Morgan's balanced day, but the headliner was Quincy Mitchell's 449 all-purpose yards and 6 total touchdowns as he closes in on 5,000 career rushing yards as a sophomore. Palmer pointed to Grant Todd's pre-half interception as the game's turning point and previewed a tough test against East Hickman's physical run game.

The Tennessean's Tom Kreager closed the show with a Midstate-wide recap, framing the week as a historic upheaval with the No. 1, 3, and 4 teams all losing and BGA poised to take over the top spot. He revisited Henry Perry's emotional MBA performance, Knoxville Catholic's dramatic comeback over Lipscomb, McCallie narrowly surviving Father Ryan, and BGA's explosive Bo Bryan-to-Maddox Porter passing attack. Kreager wrapped by looking ahead to Pearl-Cohn, who close a brutal early-season gauntlet of MBA, CPA, BGA, and now Oakland in Week 4.

Host Tate Mathews opened this Labor Day weekend edition of High School Sports Saturday with a full Week 3 scoreboard roundup that shook up the Midstate rankings. In the night's biggest shocker, Smyrna knocked off defending state champ and No. 3 Oakland 22&ndash;21 on AJ Jackson's game-winning two-point conversion pass &mdash; Smyrna's first win over the Patriots since 2011. No. 1 Brentwood Academy also fell, to St. Joseph's Prep (PA) 31&ndash;23, and No. 4 Franklin Road Academy dropped a 40&ndash;36 thriller to No. 10 MBA, where Henry Perry delivered an emotional, do-everything performance (2 INTs, 4 field goals, 4 PATs, an onside kick recovery, and a fake-punt run) just hours after his grandfather's funeral. No. 2 Battle Ground Academy blanked Pearl-Cohn 49&ndash;6 behind a shutout defense, positioning the Wildcats to move into the top spot. Other headline nights included Forrest's Quincy Mitchell (345 rushing yards, 5 TDs, plus a receiving score), Green Hill's Will Butler (16 tackles, 159 combined yards, game-winning two-point conversion in a win over Ravenwood), and Knoxville Catholic edging Lipscomb Academy 21&ndash;20 after Lipscomb missed a near state-record 62-yard field goal at the buzzer.
The show then turned to two in-depth coach interviews. Smyrna's Mark Williams broke down his team's stunning upset of Oakland, crediting disciplined gang-tackling, a Secori Weathers interception, and a bold late go-for-two call that AJ Jackson converted under pressure &mdash; capping a stretch of three straight one-point games for Williams' squad. Forrest's Justin Palmer then recapped his team's 54&ndash;26 win over Mount Pleasant, which pushed the Rockets to 3&ndash;0 and avenged a chaotic, weather-suspended loss from a year ago. Palmer praised his offensive line (Delmon Hall, Lachlan Morris) and quarterback Micah Morgan's balanced day, but the headliner was Quincy Mitchell's 449 all-purpose yards and 6 total touchdowns as he closes in on 5,000 career rushing yards as a sophomore. Palmer pointed to Grant Todd's pre-half interception as the game's turning point and previewed a tough test against East Hickman's physical run game.
The Tennessean's Tom Kreager closed the show with a Midstate-wide recap, framing the week as a historic upheaval with the No. 1, 3, and 4 teams all losing and BGA poised to take over the top spot. He revisited Henry Perry's emotional MBA performance, Knoxville Catholic's dramatic comeback over Lipscomb, McCallie narrowly surviving Father Ryan, and BGA's explosive Bo Bryan-to-Maddox Porter passing attack. Kreager wrapped by looking ahead to Pearl-Cohn, who close a brutal early-season gauntlet of MBA, CPA, BGA, and now Oakland in Week 4.

Growing up in a coaching family and now the owner of Mathews Team Sports, Tate Mathews brings a unique perspective to High School Sports Saturday.

With over fifteen years in the sporting goods industry in Middle Tennessee working with and for high school administrators and coaches, Tate’s relationships provide insight into middle Tennessee high school athletics.

High School Sports Saturday covers each sport during their respective competitive seasons.  Coaches, administrators, TSSAA officials and student-athletes are interviewed each week at 8 AM on 104-5 The Zone.

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High School Sports Saturday 09-05-26

Tate and Tom broke down a chaotic Week 3 in Tennessee high school football that turned the Midstate rankings upside down, with the Nos. 1, 3, and 4 teams all falling in the same night. The headline shocker was Smyrna's 1-point upset of powerhouse Oakland — its first loss to the rival since 2011 — extending coach Mark Williams' bizarre run of three straight one-point decisions. Battle Ground Academy looked poised to claim the top spot after throttling Pearl-Cohn behind quarterback Bo Bryan's connection with receiver Maddox Porter on several deep balls. The stat-line of the night belonged to MBA's Henry Perry, who honored his late grandfather hours after his funeral with two interceptions (including the game-sealer), four field goals, four PATs, a successful onside kick, and a 14-yard fake-punt run in a wild 40–36 win over FRA. Not far behind was Forrest's Quincy Mitchell, who racked up 334 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns on 22 carries plus a receiving score against Mount Pleasant as he closes in on 5,000 career rushing yards as just a sophomore, and Green Hill's Will Butler, who delivered 16 tackles, 159 combined yards, two touchdowns, and a game-winning two-point conversion in an upset of Ravenwood.

Elsewhere around the Midstate, Riverdale continued its early bounce-back with a 38–14 win over Blackman behind quarterback Gavin Hampton, Knoxville Catholic survived a Lipscomb Academy team that just missed a state-record-tying 62-yard field goal, and Father Ryan gave McCallie a scare before falling late. Looking ahead, there's no relief for Pearl-Cohn, who close out a brutal three-game gauntlet against MBA, CPA, and BGA by hosting a vengeful Oakland squad in Week 4.

Tate and Tom broke down a chaotic Week 3 in Tennessee high school football that turned the Midstate rankings upside down, with the Nos. 1, 3, and 4 teams all falling in the same night. The headline shocker was Smyrna's 1-point upset of powerhouse Oakland &mdash; its first loss to the rival since 2011 &mdash; extending coach Mark Williams' bizarre run of three straight one-point decisions. Battle Ground Academy looked poised to claim the top spot after throttling Pearl-Cohn behind quarterback Bo Bryan's connection with receiver Maddox Porter on several deep balls. The stat-line of the night belonged to MBA's Henry Perry, who honored his late grandfather hours after his funeral with two interceptions (including the game-sealer), four field goals, four PATs, a successful onside kick, and a 14-yard fake-punt run in a wild 40&ndash;36 win over FRA. Not far behind was Forrest's Quincy Mitchell, who racked up 334 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns on 22 carries plus a receiving score against Mount Pleasant as he closes in on 5,000 career rushing yards as just a sophomore, and Green Hill's Will Butler, who delivered 16 tackles, 159 combined yards, two touchdowns, and a game-winning two-point conversion in an upset of Ravenwood.
Elsewhere around the Midstate, Riverdale continued its early bounce-back with a 38&ndash;14 win over Blackman behind quarterback Gavin Hampton, Knoxville Catholic survived a Lipscomb Academy team that just missed a state-record-tying 62-yard field goal, and Father Ryan gave McCallie a scare before falling late. Looking ahead, there's no relief for Pearl-Cohn, who close out a brutal three-game gauntlet against MBA, CPA, and BGA by hosting a vengeful Oakland squad in Week 4.

Tom Kreager - The Tennessean

Tate sat down with Forrest Rockets Head Coach Justin Palmer to break down the team's 54–26 road win over Mount Pleasant, which pushed Forrest to 3–0 on the season. Despite the lopsided final score, Palmer described a physical, back-and-forth battle fought through brutal heat — a far cry from last year's chaotic, weather-delayed two-day version of the game. The offensive story of the night was running back Quincy Mitchell, who put up a jaw-dropping line of 345 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns on 25 carries, plus 104 receiving yards and another score through the air, as he closes in on 5,000 career rushing yards despite missing time to a broken collarbone as a freshman. Quarterback Micah Morgan added balance with 126 passing yards and a rushing touchdown, with Palmer crediting his offensive line — especially Lochlan Morris and Delmon Hall — and receivers for their downfield blocking.

Defensively, Palmer pointed to a pre-halftime interception by Grant Todd as the game's turning point, which set up a Mitchell breakaway run and flipped momentum in Forrest's favor, while linemen Oakley Pipkin and defensive backs John Hightower and Issac Crouse also drew praise for their play against Mount Pleasant standout Cale Scott. Looking ahead, Palmer previewed a tough road test against East Hickman's single-wing offense, which beat Forrest last season, and flagged the week's central challenge: getting enough physical practice reps to prepare for that unique scheme without wearing down a thin, small-classification roster.

Tate sat down with Forrest Rockets Head Coach Justin Palmer to break down the team's 54&ndash;26 road win over Mount Pleasant, which pushed Forrest to 3&ndash;0 on the season. Despite the lopsided final score, Palmer described a physical, back-and-forth battle fought through brutal heat &mdash; a far cry from last year's chaotic, weather-delayed two-day version of the game. The offensive story of the night was running back Quincy Mitchell, who put up a jaw-dropping line of 345 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns on 25 carries, plus 104 receiving yards and another score through the air, as he closes in on 5,000 career rushing yards despite missing time to a broken collarbone as a freshman. Quarterback Micah Morgan added balance with 126 passing yards and a rushing touchdown, with Palmer crediting his offensive line &mdash; especially Lochlan Morris and Delmon Hall &mdash; and receivers for their downfield blocking.
Defensively, Palmer pointed to a pre-halftime interception by Grant Todd as the game's turning point, which set up a Mitchell breakaway run and flipped momentum in Forrest's favor, while linemen Oakley Pipkin and defensive backs John Hightower and Issac Crouse also drew praise for their play against Mount Pleasant standout Cale Scott. Looking ahead, Palmer previewed a tough road test against East Hickman's single-wing offense, which beat Forrest last season, and flagged the week's central challenge: getting enough physical practice reps to prepare for that unique scheme without wearing down a thin, small-classification roster.

Justin Palmer - Forrest Rockets

Tate welcomes Smyrna head coach Mark Williams the morning after a massive 22–21 upset victory on the road against defending state champion Oakland. After starting 0–2 with back-to-back single-point heartbreak losses to Brentwood and Hendersonville, Smyrna earned a signature, statement victory to kick off their region schedule 1–0.

Key Discussion Points


The Message During the Week:

Following the 0–2 start, Coach Williams emphasized focusing inward on fundamentals—tackling, blocking, disciplined alignment, and doing the little things right. The objective was to hang around and keep the game within reach entering the fourth quarter.


Dominant Defensive Stand:

Oakland's offense had previously hung 56 and 50 points on their opponents, making the 21-point defensive ceiling crucial. Driven by Daylen Sanders (10 tackles), a Sekourie Weathers interception, and gang-tackling to counter Oakland’s physical rushing attack, Smyrna created short fields and opportune takeaways.


AJ Jackson’s Growth & Key Plays:

Coach Williams praised starting QB AJ Jackson for his maturity and steady leadership following an up-and-down junior year. Jackson passed for 107 yards and a touchdown, while running back Christian Baity punched in two scores and Jordan Edwards hauled in a receiving TD.


The Gutsy 2-Point Conversion:

With roughly 35 seconds left, Coach Williams decided well ahead of time to bypass overtime and play for the win. Coming out of an Oakland timeout, Smyrna ran a rollout play design where Jackson had to step up against pressure and delivered a chest-pass throw to their tight end for the game-winning 2-point conversion.


Family Legacy & Community Pride:

Williams addressed stepping into the head coaching role formerly held by his brother, Matt Williams (who recently shifted to school administration). Matt celebrated the win by phone from a hunting lease, while former staff additions—like offensive coordinator Ben Kuhn—helped reinforce the team's familiarity and continuity.


Turning the Page to Siegel:

Despite being banged up and sore, Williams has a 24-hour celebration rule before shifting focus to coach Renshaw and the Siegel Stars for next week's home region matchup.

Tate welcomes Smyrna head coach Mark Williams the morning after a massive 22&ndash;21 upset victory on the road against defending state champion Oakland. After starting 0&ndash;2 with back-to-back single-point heartbreak losses to Brentwood and Hendersonville, Smyrna earned a signature, statement victory to kick off their region schedule 1&ndash;0.
Key Discussion Points
<ul data-path-to-node="4">
<li>
The Message During the Week:
Following the 0&ndash;2 start, Coach Williams emphasized focusing inward on fundamentals&mdash;tackling, blocking, disciplined alignment, and doing the little things right. The objective was to hang around and keep the game within reach entering the fourth quarter.
</li>
<li>
Dominant Defensive Stand:
Oakland's offense had previously hung 56 and 50 points on their opponents, making the 21-point defensive ceiling crucial. Driven by Daylen Sanders (10 tackles), a Sekourie Weathers interception, and gang-tackling to counter Oakland&rsquo;s physical rushing attack, Smyrna created short fields and opportune takeaways.
</li>
<li>
AJ Jackson&rsquo;s Growth &amp; Key Plays:
Coach Williams praised starting QB AJ Jackson for his maturity and steady leadership following an up-and-down junior year. Jackson passed for 107 yards and a touchdown, while running back Christian Baity punched in two scores and Jordan Edwards hauled in a receiving TD.
</li>
<li>
The Gutsy 2-Point Conversion:
With roughly 35 seconds left, Coach Williams decided well ahead of time to bypass overtime and play for the win. Coming out of an Oakland timeout, Smyrna ran a rollout play design where Jackson had to step up against pressure and delivered a chest-pass throw to their tight end for the game-winning 2-point conversion.
</li>
<li>
Family Legacy &amp; Community Pride:
Williams addressed stepping into the head coaching role formerly held by his brother, Matt Williams (who recently shifted to school administration). Matt celebrated the win by phone from a hunting lease, while former staff additions&mdash;like offensive coordinator Ben Kuhn&mdash;helped reinforce the team's familiarity and continuity.
</li>
<li>
Turning the Page to Siegel:
Despite being banged up and sore, Williams has a 24-hour celebration rule before shifting focus to coach Renshaw and the Siegel Stars for next week's home region matchup.
</li>
</ul>

High School Sports Saturday 09-05-26

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