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Rutherford County TSSAA playoffs second-round picks




Rutherford County TSSAA playoffs second-round picks

Rutherford County TSSAA playoffs second-round picks

Last week: 5-2. Season: 70-14

It’s Oakland vs. Blackman, Part II.

The No. 1 ranked Patriots will host Blackman Friday night in the second round TSSAA state playoffs in a rematch that saw Oakland win at Blackman Week 7, 42-21

In all, five Rutherford County teams are still alive in the postseason, with Smyrna and La Vergne being eliminated last week.

Another rematch will pit Riverdale at Cookeville, with the Warriors having defeated the Cavaliers 28-26 on the final play of the game Week 8.

MTCS and Eagleville also will be meeting an opponent for the second time as they travel to regular-season champions Friendship Christian and Columbia Academy, respectively.

Here are the picks:

Riverdale at Cookeville: The Warriors made a major statement with a 20-14 victory over previously undefeated Mt. Juliet in the first found last week. Actually, the competition is probably tougher this week as evidenced by the regular season game against Cookeville at home. This week, however, will be a very difficult road test. Then again, the Warriors have been battled tested all season. Pick: Riverdale 28, Cookeville 21.

Blackman at Oakland: Forget the first meeting that saw Oakland win by three touchdowns. Blackman led at the half and it looked like it would be a back-and-forth game before the Patriots took advantage of untimely Blaze turnovers and turned them into a runaway victory. Blackman has adjusted to life without standout running back Master Teague, who had ankle surgery, but Oakland has improved as well. It’s not your ordinary second-round matchup, but unfortunately one of these heavyweights will be done after Friday night. Pick: Oakland 28, Blackman 21.

MTCS at Friendship Christian: MTCS lost to Friendship Christian 36-0 three weeks ago, and this week’s matchup won’t be any easier for the Cougars, who beat Tipton-Rosemark 44-21 last week. The Cougars offense has been on fire of late, and the return of quarterback Jackson Green has bolstered the team’s offensive attack. However, the Cougars are likely facing an eventual state champion. Pick: Friendship Christian 35, MTCS 16.

Eagleville at Columbia Academy: Eagleville dropped the regular-season matchup 26-21 on the road a month ago, but it was obviously a game that went down to the wire. The Eagles had a solid 23-9 road week at Decatur Riverside last week and are playing with a lot of confidence. Columbia Academy went undefeated in region play this year, including beating runner-up Lewis County. This should be one of the better second-matchups across the state in Class AA. Pick: Eagleville 28, Columbia Academy 27.

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