Only three Rutherford County teams are still standing in the TSSAA state playoffs.
Oakland, Blackman and Eagleville all earned first-round victories last week and will look to reach the quarterfinals this Friday night.
No. 1 Oakland (11-0) plays host to Mt. Juliet (7-4), which knocked off Riverdale 20-14 at home last week.
Mt. Juliet gave Oakland its best game of the season last year, but is a much different opponent this year.
The Bears certainly have a lot of talent, but in no way does it compare to that of Oakland’s. The Patriots team is built for this time of the year, and it would be a shock if they’re not playing again the following week. Pick: Oakland 38, Mt. Juliet 14.
Blackman at Hendersonville: The Commandoes are a red-shot team right now and beat Mt. Juliet in the final week of the regular season to win their region’s championship.
Both teams are similar in that their non-league schedule was extremely difficult, so their records are somewhat deceiving.
Hendersonville’s offense will definitely test Blackman’s defense, but the Commandoes defense will likely have a hard time containing Blackman.
However, the Blaze have been plagued by costly penalties much of the season, so they’ll need a clean game to advance. Pick: Blackman 35, Hendersonville 28.
Eagleville (8-3) at Forrest (11-0): The Eagles pulled out an 8-7 road victory last week at Houston County, which came into the game 9-1. The competition will be much better this week when the Eagles travel to Forrest.
Forrest features a physical offensive line and an outstanding running game, but while Eagleville will counter with a defense that gotten better week after week.
The Eagles have been hard by injuries, however, and they could catch up with them this week. Pick: Forrest 21, Eagleville 8.
Last week: 5-2. Season: 71-22
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