The first round of the Tennessee high school football playoffs is done, and Tom Kreager joins the Saturday morning show to break down the best round-two matchups. His pick for game of the state is Oakland (9-2) at Maryville (10-1), a longtime rivalry that has often been a semifinal game. He also lays out a possible “redemption tour” for Kevin Creasy’s Oakland Patriots: if they keep winning, they could get rematches with Smyrna, which beat them on a two-point conversion, and Riverdale, which beat them with a last-second field goal. Other games to watch are Springfield (10-1) at Haywood County (9-2), between two programs with strong playoff histories, and Lipscomb Academy at Ensworth. That one is a rematch between coaches and former NFL quarterbacks Trent Dilfer and Matt Hasselbeck, and Kreager jokes that Dilfer will probably remind the referees about the free-kick field goal rule after the disputed call in their first game. The hosts also point to Nolensville at Kirkwood, Whitehaven at Ravenwood and a 5-5 Houston team traveling to Antioch. Looking back at round one, Summertown’s upset of 9-1 East Robertson was the biggest surprise.

The second half turns to this week’s Mr. Football semifinalists. Kreager reminds listeners that it’s a regular-season award: the votes are already counted, so nothing that happens in the playoffs can change the result. In 6A, he sees Antioch’s Andre Adams, who holds the state career record for combined passing and rushing yards, as the favorite among a strong group that also includes Riverdale’s Gavin Hampton. Kreager also criticizes how the award has changed since it became a single award instead of separate back and lineman awards, noting that four of the five 6A semifinalists are quarterbacks. Both hosts back East Nashville’s Dallas Covington in his class. Kreager says he weighs strength of schedule over raw stats, and East Nashville’s only losses came by a few points each to bigger schools like Beech, Springfield and Antioch. The segment ends with the hope that Metro Nashville Public Schools could have two winners in Adams and Covington. The awards are the Tuesday after the season at Nissan Stadium, one last time at the old stadium.

The first round of the Tennessee high school football playoffs is done, and Tom Kreager joins the Saturday morning show to break down the best round-two matchups. His pick for game of the state is Oakland (9-2) at Maryville (10-1), a longtime rivalry that has often been a semifinal game. He also lays out a possible &ldquo;redemption tour&rdquo; for Kevin Creasy&rsquo;s Oakland Patriots: if they keep winning, they could get rematches with Smyrna, which beat them on a two-point conversion, and Riverdale, which beat them with a last-second field goal. Other games to watch are Springfield (10-1) at Haywood County (9-2), between two programs with strong playoff histories, and Lipscomb Academy at Ensworth. That one is a rematch between coaches and former NFL quarterbacks Trent Dilfer and Matt Hasselbeck, and Kreager jokes that Dilfer will probably remind the referees about the free-kick field goal rule after the disputed call in their first game. The hosts also point to Nolensville at Kirkwood, Whitehaven at Ravenwood and a 5-5 Houston team traveling to Antioch. Looking back at round one, Summertown&rsquo;s upset of 9-1 East Robertson was the biggest surprise.
The second half turns to this week&rsquo;s Mr. Football semifinalists. Kreager reminds listeners that it&rsquo;s a regular-season award: the votes are already counted, so nothing that happens in the playoffs can change the result. In 6A, he sees Antioch&rsquo;s Andre Adams, who holds the state career record for combined passing and rushing yards, as the favorite among a strong group that also includes Riverdale&rsquo;s Gavin Hampton. Kreager also criticizes how the award has changed since it became a single award instead of separate back and lineman awards, noting that four of the five 6A semifinalists are quarterbacks. Both hosts back East Nashville&rsquo;s Dallas Covington in his class. Kreager says he weighs strength of schedule over raw stats, and East Nashville&rsquo;s only losses came by a few points each to bigger schools like Beech, Springfield and Antioch. The segment ends with the hope that Metro Nashville Public Schools could have two winners in Adams and Covington. The awards are the Tuesday after the season at Nissan Stadium, one last time at the old stadium.

Tom Kreager (The Tennessean) 

 Nolensville Knights head coach Scott Stidham joins host Tate to break down a dominant 31–0 shutout of the Hendersonville Commandos in the first round of the playoffs. Coming off their only loss of the year (to Page, after a 9–0 start), Stidham says the team had a “little hangover” on Monday. By midweek they had refocused on a Hendersonville squad he calls big, physical and well coached, with a dangerous Wing-T offense. Senior Tristan Lythmossa led the way with 72- and 22-yard rushing touchdowns and a 52-yard touchdown catch. Quarterback Ryan Newell threw two TD passes, including a roughly 49-yarder to Lincoln Gleason, and Jonathan Wright added yards on the ground. Stidham keeps coming back to the same point: this team has no Mr. Football candidate, just “a bunch of unselfish kids” who don’t care who scores, and it starts with the five offensive linemen.

The defense was just as strong. Caden Woodard had two interceptions; Stidham jokes that Woodard had been “leading the world in pass breakups,” which the coach calls dropped picks. Brennan Vialak returned a fourth-down interception 35 yards, and Stidham laughs that he’d have been mad if it hadn’t gone for yards, since the team is coached to knock those balls down. Jake Sintel and Tyler Barth disrupted things up front, and Stidham gives credit to a scout team that steadily got better at running Hendersonville’s offense in practice. Kicker Matthew Surpass went 4-for-4 on PATs, hit a 32-yard field goal, had three touchbacks and a 47-yard punt. Stidham calls him a real weapon and “a football player that just happens to kick.” Next, the 10–1 Knights go on the road to Clarksville to face the 10–1 Kirkwood Cobras and quarterback Miles Redding, a player Stidham nominated for Mr. Football. His message for the week is to not get satisfied, get healthy and prepare like normal. Tate signs off by calling it the round-two game to circle.

 

&nbsp;Nolensville Knights head coach Scott Stidham joins host Tate to break down a dominant 31&ndash;0 shutout of the Hendersonville Commandos in the first round of the playoffs. Coming off their only loss of the year (to Page, after a 9&ndash;0 start), Stidham says the team had a &ldquo;little hangover&rdquo; on Monday. By midweek they had refocused on a Hendersonville squad he calls big, physical and well coached, with a dangerous Wing-T offense. Senior Tristan Lythmossa led the way with 72- and 22-yard rushing touchdowns and a 52-yard touchdown catch. Quarterback Ryan Newell threw two TD passes, including a roughly 49-yarder to Lincoln Gleason, and Jonathan Wright added yards on the ground. Stidham keeps coming back to the same point: this team has no Mr. Football candidate, just &ldquo;a bunch of unselfish kids&rdquo; who don&rsquo;t care who scores, and it starts with the five offensive linemen.
The defense was just as strong. Caden Woodard had two interceptions; Stidham jokes that Woodard had been &ldquo;leading the world in pass breakups,&rdquo; which the coach calls dropped picks. Brennan Vialak returned a fourth-down interception 35 yards, and Stidham laughs that he&rsquo;d have been mad if it hadn&rsquo;t gone for yards, since the team is coached to knock those balls down. Jake Sintel and Tyler Barth disrupted things up front, and Stidham gives credit to a scout team that steadily got better at running Hendersonville&rsquo;s offense in practice. Kicker Matthew Surpass went 4-for-4 on PATs, hit a 32-yard field goal, had three touchbacks and a 47-yard punt. Stidham calls him a real weapon and &ldquo;a football player that just happens to kick.&rdquo; Next, the 10&ndash;1 Knights go on the road to Clarksville to face the 10&ndash;1 Kirkwood Cobras and quarterback Miles Redding, a player Stidham nominated for Mr. Football. His message for the week is to not get satisfied, get healthy and prepare like normal. Tate signs off by calling it the round-two game to circle.
&nbsp;

Scott Stidham  (Nolensville Knights)

Providence Christian Academy head coach Marty Euverard joins the show after a 35–14 first-round playoff win over Donaldson Christian Academy, the same team that beat PCA 49–28 back in week four. Euverard says the turnaround started after a lopsided week-nine loss to Concord, when the team held a Sunday meeting where everyone, coaches included, took a hard look in the mirror. PCA lost the next week to a strong MTCS team, but the players left the field proud of how physically they played, and that carried into the DCA rematch. The defense came up with two fourth-down stops and a goal-line fumble. The offense then put the game away with a 99-yard, 10-minute-17-second fourth-quarter drive with no passes, which the host says would warm the hearts of old-school coaches like Jerry Pearson and Boots Donley. Sophomore running back Gary Dedmon led the way with 30 carries for 226 yards and two touchdowns, plus nine tackles and an interception on defense. Euverard gives the credit to an undersized offensive line and a roster of just 34 players.

The conversation then moves to discipline in play-calling. Euverard, a former quarterback, explains why he kept running the ball when it was working: impose your will, keep impatience at bay, and keep DCA’s two standout seniors off the field. He praises junior quarterback Nick Lam (two touchdown passes on only about 11 throws, including a key third-and-15 conversion) for putting winning ahead of stats. He also singles out sophomore Jacob Meyer, who plays receiver, safety, kicker, punter and both return spots, as “the ultimate Energizer Bunny” with “the heart of a lion.” Meyer caught a 50-yard touchdown in the win. The segment closes by looking ahead to a second-round road trip to 9–1 University School of Jackson, coached by Derek Prichard. Euverard calls USJ a big, physical, well-coached team whose only loss was a close one to ECS, and says his guys will need to keep playing “their guts out” to advance.

Providence Christian Academy head coach Marty Euverard joins the show after a 35&ndash;14 first-round playoff win over Donaldson Christian Academy, the same team that beat PCA 49&ndash;28 back in week four. Euverard says the turnaround started after a lopsided week-nine loss to Concord, when the team held a Sunday meeting where everyone, coaches included, took a hard look in the mirror. PCA lost the next week to a strong MTCS team, but the players left the field proud of how physically they played, and that carried into the DCA rematch. The defense came up with two fourth-down stops and a goal-line fumble. The offense then put the game away with a 99-yard, 10-minute-17-second fourth-quarter drive with no passes, which the host says would warm the hearts of old-school coaches like Jerry Pearson and Boots Donley. Sophomore running back Gary Dedmon led the way with 30 carries for 226 yards and two touchdowns, plus nine tackles and an interception on defense. Euverard gives the credit to an undersized offensive line and a roster of just 34 players.
The conversation then moves to discipline in play-calling. Euverard, a former quarterback, explains why he kept running the ball when it was working: impose your will, keep impatience at bay, and keep DCA&rsquo;s two standout seniors off the field. He praises junior quarterback Nick Lam (two touchdown passes on only about 11 throws, including a key third-and-15 conversion) for putting winning ahead of stats. He also singles out sophomore Jacob Meyer, who plays receiver, safety, kicker, punter and both return spots, as &ldquo;the ultimate Energizer Bunny&rdquo; with &ldquo;the heart of a lion.&rdquo; Meyer caught a 50-yard touchdown in the win. The segment closes by looking ahead to a second-round road trip to 9&ndash;1 University School of Jackson, coached by Derek Prichard. Euverard calls USJ a big, physical, well-coached team whose only loss was a close one to ECS, and says his guys will need to keep playing &ldquo;their guts out&rdquo; to advance.

Marty Euverard (Providence Christian Academy) 

Hosted by Tate Matthews on Halloween morning, this episode of High School Sports Saturday recaps Week 11 of the Tennessee high school football season as teams closed out the regular season and finalized playoff seedings. The first portion of the show highlights the Mid-State Top 10 scores and top individual performers, headlined by Riverdale’s thrilling 36–34 victory over Oakland in the "Battle of the 'Boro," sealed with a 41-yard game-winning field goal as time expired. Matthews also recaps notable victories by Brentwood Academy over Lipscomb Academy behind Larry Sanders' 224 rushing yards, Page’s win over Nolensville, and standout outings from teams including Antioch, Beech, and East Nashville, while sharing deadline reminders for Tennessee Athletic Coaches Association registrations and All-Star soccer nominations. 

The remainder of the show focuses on in-depth interviews and postseason analysis, beginning with Whites Creek head coach William Darnell. Darnell discusses his team's historic 8–1 season and their first region championship in 26 years, spotlighting star dual-threat quarterback Dion Barnes alongside key contributors on both sides of the ball as they prepare to host Waverly. To close the episode, Tom Kreager of The Tennessean joins the program to preview Round 1 of the playoffs, examining Oakland's challenging road schedule, debating the Division II-AA bracket structure that places favorites BGA and FRA on the same side, and highlighting dark-horse contenders like Goodpasture and key impact players across the state.

Hosted by Tate Matthews on Halloween morning, this episode of High School Sports Saturday recaps Week 11 of the Tennessee high school football season as teams closed out the regular season and finalized playoff seedings. The first portion of the show highlights the Mid-State Top 10 scores and top individual performers, headlined by Riverdale&rsquo;s thrilling 36&ndash;34 victory over Oakland in the "Battle of the 'Boro," sealed with a 41-yard game-winning field goal as time expired. Matthews also recaps notable victories by Brentwood Academy over Lipscomb Academy behind Larry Sanders' 224 rushing yards, Page&rsquo;s win over Nolensville, and standout outings from teams including Antioch, Beech, and East Nashville, while sharing deadline reminders for Tennessee Athletic Coaches Association registrations and All-Star soccer nominations. 
The remainder of the show focuses on in-depth interviews and postseason analysis, beginning with Whites Creek head coach William Darnell. Darnell discusses his team's historic 8&ndash;1 season and their first region championship in 26 years, spotlighting star dual-threat quarterback Dion Barnes alongside key contributors on both sides of the ball as they prepare to host Waverly. To close the episode, Tom Kreager of The Tennessean joins the program to preview Round 1 of the playoffs, examining Oakland's challenging road schedule, debating the Division II-AA bracket structure that places favorites BGA and FRA on the same side, and highlighting dark-horse contenders like Goodpasture and key impact players across the state.

High School Sports Saturday With Tate Mathews 10-30-26

The Tennessean’s Tom Kreager joins High School Sports Saturday to break down the dramatic finish in the "Battle of the 'Boro" between Riverdale and Oakland, highlighting Braxton Benoli's game-winning field goal. Plus, the guys preview the upcoming TSSAA high school football playoffs, dissecting intriguing Round 1 matchups, controversial bracket draws in Division II-AA (including BGA and FRA sharing a side), dark-horse contenders, and key players to watch across Middle Tennessee.

The Tennessean&rsquo;s Tom Kreager joins High School Sports Saturday to break down the dramatic finish in the "Battle of the 'Boro" between Riverdale and Oakland, highlighting Braxton Benoli's game-winning field goal. Plus, the guys preview the upcoming TSSAA high school football playoffs, dissecting intriguing Round 1 matchups, controversial bracket draws in Division II-AA (including BGA and FRA sharing a side), dark-horse contenders, and key players to watch across Middle Tennessee.

TSSAA Football Playoff Preview & "Battle of the 'Boro" Recap with Tom Kreager

Whites Creek High School head football coach William Darnell joins the show to discuss the Cobras capturing their first region championship in 26 years. Coach Darnell reflects on rebuilding the program over his five seasons, the key support from school leadership, and what it means to follow in the footsteps of legendary Cobra coaches. He also breaks down standout performances from star quarterback Zeon Barnes, running back Daelyn Hardy, and linebacker Jaden Wilson, before looking ahead to their upcoming first-round playoff matchup against Waverly.

Whites Creek High School head football coach William Darnell joins the show to discuss the Cobras capturing their first region championship in 26 years. Coach Darnell reflects on rebuilding the program over his five seasons, the key support from school leadership, and what it means to follow in the footsteps of legendary Cobra coaches. He also breaks down standout performances from star quarterback Zeon Barnes, running back <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/tn/whites-creek/whites-creek-cobras/athletes/daelyn-hardy/?careerid=kpt2m01g17s44">Daelyn Hardy</a>, and linebacker Jaden Wilson, before looking ahead to their upcoming first-round playoff matchup against Waverly.

Championship Revival: Coach William Darnell on Whites Creek’s Historic Season & Playoff Run

Head coach Josh Adkins joins the show the morning after Franklin’s 24–21 win over Summit in Region 6-6A, a game the Admirals had to win to make the playoffs. He starts with the play of the night. With three seconds left in the first half, Franklin fair-caught a punt and used a rarely seen rule to take a free kick. Kicker Henry Ruth put it through from about 50 yards, and those three points ended up being the margin. Adkins credits kicking coach Joey DeFotta, a Franklin alum, for the idea, and says it was one of several firsts for the program that night. Another was winning despite five turnovers, including two interceptions returned for touchdowns.

 

Head coach Josh Adkins joins the show the morning after Franklin&rsquo;s 24&ndash;21 win over Summit in Region 6-6A, a game the Admirals had to win to make the playoffs. He starts with the play of the night. With three seconds left in the first half, Franklin fair-caught a punt and used a rarely seen rule to take a free kick. Kicker Henry Ruth put it through from about 50 yards, and those three points ended up being the margin. Adkins credits kicking coach Joey DeFotta, a Franklin alum, for the idea, and says it was one of several firsts for the program that night. Another was winning despite five turnovers, including two interceptions returned for touchdowns.
&nbsp;

Josh Adkins (Franklin Admirals)

In this Week 11 preview, Tate  talks with Tom Kreager of The Tennessean about the region titles still at stake before the Tennessee high school football playoffs. Brentwood and Ravenwood, both unbeaten in Region 6-6A, meet for the title in a game Kreager calls a toss-up. Oakland visits unbeaten Riverdale, and depending on results that region could end in a three-way tie. The Green Hill–Lebanon region could technically produce a five-way tie, though Green Hill wins it if both teams win. Nolensville, 9-0, faces Page for the Region 5-5A title, and unbeaten East Robertson hosts East Nashville in the “Battle of the East.” In the private-school division, CPA earned its first win of the season by upsetting Knoxville Catholic 14-13. Brentwood Academy can finish first or third depending on its game with Lipscomb Academy, and Ensworth plays Baylor next week. The pair also note that splitting Week 11 between Thursday and Friday lets fans catch two games before the playoffs begin.

In this Week 11 preview, Tate&nbsp; talks with Tom Kreager of The Tennessean about the region titles still at stake before the Tennessee high school football playoffs. Brentwood and Ravenwood, both unbeaten in Region 6-6A, meet for the title in a game Kreager calls a toss-up. Oakland visits unbeaten Riverdale, and depending on results that region could end in a three-way tie. The Green Hill&ndash;Lebanon region could technically produce a five-way tie, though Green Hill wins it if both teams win. Nolensville, 9-0, faces Page for the Region 5-5A title, and unbeaten East Robertson hosts East Nashville in the &ldquo;Battle of the East.&rdquo; In the private-school division, CPA earned its first win of the season by upsetting Knoxville Catholic 14-13. Brentwood Academy can finish first or third depending on its game with Lipscomb Academy, and Ensworth plays Baylor next week. The pair also note that splitting Week 11 between Thursday and Friday lets fans catch two games before the playoffs begin.

Tate opened with the Week 10 scores, the first full slate of games back from fall break, with one regular-season week left. In the Midstate top 10, Brentwood Academy beat Father Ryan 45-7 behind Cruz Jenkins (22 of 25, 400 yards, 5 TDs). BGA shut out Goodpasture 49-0, Riverdale beat Rockvale 54-21, MBA edged McCallie 31-28, and Lipscomb Academy fell to Briarcrest. The biggest stat was Antioch’s Andre Adams: he reached 12,732 career total yards and broke the TSSAA all-time record. Tate also pointed out Will Butler’s big all-around night for Green Hill, Centennial’s and CPA’s first wins of the season, and CPA’s 14-13 upset of Knoxville Catholic. He congratulated the volleyball state champions too, including Franklin’s 3A title team, which went 33-1.

Coach Bill Alexander talked about Liberty Creek’s 35-10 road win over Watertown. The Wolves are now 7-2, the most wins in the program’s five-year history. He praised sophomore QB Barrett O’Brien as a dual threat, called the offense balanced, and talked up Malachi and Marcus, two brothers who moved from Washington state and changed his kicking game. He also gave credit to his defensive staff and to what he learned under Anthony Crabtree and Paul Wade. Next is a home game with Pearl-Cohn on Oct. 30 for a share of the region title. Coach Josh Atkins then explained Franklin’s 24-21 win over Summit, a game they had to win to make the playoffs. The key play was a rare fair-catch free kick: Henry Ruth made a 60-yard field goal as the first half ended, and those 3 points were the final margin. Franklin also overcame five turnovers, including two pick-sixes. They finish with a “business trip” to Cordova in Memphis to get ready for a possible playoff run there.

In the last segment, Tom Kreager and Tate previewed Week 11’s biggest region games: Brentwood vs. Ravenwood, Oakland at Riverdale, Nolensville vs. Page, East Robertson vs. East Nashville, and MBA vs. Lipscomb Academy in a wild D-II AAA picture. They also went through playoff scenarios, including a possible five-way tie in the Green Hill/Lebanon region and Centennial possibly reaching the playoffs at 2-8. Tate pointed out that Week 11 games are split between Thursday and Friday, so fans can see two games, and he signed off ahead of Halloween week.

Tate opened with the Week 10 scores, the first full slate of games back from fall break, with one regular-season week left. In the Midstate top 10, Brentwood Academy beat Father Ryan 45-7 behind Cruz Jenkins (22 of 25, 400 yards, 5 TDs). BGA shut out Goodpasture 49-0, Riverdale beat Rockvale 54-21, MBA edged McCallie 31-28, and Lipscomb Academy fell to Briarcrest. The biggest stat was Antioch&rsquo;s Andre Adams: he reached 12,732 career total yards and broke the TSSAA all-time record. Tate also pointed out Will Butler&rsquo;s big all-around night for Green Hill, Centennial&rsquo;s and CPA&rsquo;s first wins of the season, and CPA&rsquo;s 14-13 upset of Knoxville Catholic. He congratulated the volleyball state champions too, including Franklin&rsquo;s 3A title team, which went 33-1.
Coach Bill Alexander talked about Liberty Creek&rsquo;s 35-10 road win over Watertown. The Wolves are now 7-2, the most wins in the program&rsquo;s five-year history. He praised sophomore QB Barrett O&rsquo;Brien as a dual threat, called the offense balanced, and talked up Malachi and Marcus, two brothers who moved from Washington state and changed his kicking game. He also gave credit to his defensive staff and to what he learned under Anthony Crabtree and Paul Wade. Next is a home game with Pearl-Cohn on Oct. 30 for a share of the region title. Coach Josh Atkins then explained Franklin&rsquo;s 24-21 win over Summit, a game they had to win to make the playoffs. The key play was a rare fair-catch free kick: Henry Ruth made a 60-yard field goal as the first half ended, and those 3 points were the final margin. Franklin also overcame five turnovers, including two pick-sixes. They finish with a &ldquo;business trip&rdquo; to Cordova in Memphis to get ready for a possible playoff run there.
In the last segment, Tom Kreager and Tate previewed Week 11&rsquo;s biggest region games: Brentwood vs. Ravenwood, Oakland at Riverdale, Nolensville vs. Page, East Robertson vs. East Nashville, and MBA vs. Lipscomb Academy in a wild D-II AAA picture. They also went through playoff scenarios, including a possible five-way tie in the Green Hill/Lebanon region and Centennial possibly reaching the playoffs at 2-8. Tate pointed out that Week 11 games are split between Thursday and Friday, so fans can see two games, and he signed off ahead of Halloween week.

High School Sports Saturday With Tate Mathews 10-24-26

Liberty Creek Head Coach Bill Alexander joined the show the morning after the Wolves beat Watertown 35–10 on the road, moving to 7–2 on the season. Alexander credited Watertown’s coaching staff for trying to slow the game down, and said his team got past a slow start to go up 21–3. He praised his sophomore quarterback, who threw for 135 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 69 yards and another score. He also talked about the offense’s balance, with three running backs sharing carries and the ball spread across several receivers. A big topic was the brothers who moved to Liberty Creek from Washington State this summer, and whose father played in the Super Bowl. The senior is a linebacker and kicker who went 5-for-5 on extra points and returned an interception for a touchdown. His younger brother handles kickoffs and starts at strong safety. Alexander also pointed to the defense for keeping Watertown’s standout running back in check most of the night.

The conversation then turned to the coaching staff. Alexander talked about how much it helps to have former head coaches as assistants, since the job “can be pretty lonely” when tough decisions come up. He described what he learned from the two head coaches he worked under for 15 years: one taught him to delegate and “let coaches coach,” and the other taught him to have an answer for every gap and assignment. The segment ended with a look ahead to the October 30 home game against the Pearl-Cohn Firebirds, who are unbeaten in the region. Liberty Creek is 2–1 in Region 6, and a win could earn a share of the region title and a better playoff position. The team already has the most wins in program history. Alexander called Pearl-Cohn fast, physical and battle-tested, singled out their quarterback, and said the keys would be special teams, controlling the clock and limiting big plays. He also recalled the program’s early days practicing on an elementary school playground.

 

Liberty Creek Head Coach Bill Alexander joined the show the morning after the Wolves beat Watertown 35&ndash;10 on the road, moving to 7&ndash;2 on the season. Alexander credited Watertown&rsquo;s coaching staff for trying to slow the game down, and said his team got past a slow start to go up 21&ndash;3. He praised his sophomore quarterback, who threw for 135 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 69 yards and another score. He also talked about the offense&rsquo;s balance, with three running backs sharing carries and the ball spread across several receivers. A big topic was the brothers who moved to Liberty Creek from Washington State this summer, and whose father played in the Super Bowl. The senior is a linebacker and kicker who went 5-for-5 on extra points and returned an interception for a touchdown. His younger brother handles kickoffs and starts at strong safety. Alexander also pointed to the defense for keeping Watertown&rsquo;s standout running back in check most of the night.
The conversation then turned to the coaching staff. Alexander talked about how much it helps to have former head coaches as assistants, since the job &ldquo;can be pretty lonely&rdquo; when tough decisions come up. He described what he learned from the two head coaches he worked under for 15 years: one taught him to delegate and &ldquo;let coaches coach,&rdquo; and the other taught him to have an answer for every gap and assignment. The segment ended with a look ahead to the October 30 home game against the Pearl-Cohn Firebirds, who are unbeaten in the region. Liberty Creek is 2&ndash;1 in Region 6, and a win could earn a share of the region title and a better playoff position. The team already has the most wins in program history. Alexander called Pearl-Cohn fast, physical and battle-tested, singled out their quarterback, and said the keys would be special teams, controlling the clock and limiting big plays. He also recalled the program&rsquo;s early days practicing on an elementary school playground.
&nbsp;

Bill Alexander (Liberty Creek Wolves)

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.

High School Sports Saturday with Tate Mathews

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