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Russell’s Week 1 Midstate HS football predictions





Summit QB Destin Wade (1) leaps over a would-be Oak Ridge tackler during the 2020 TSSAA Class 5A BlueCross Bowl in Cookeville.David Russell/Main Street Nashville/File

Summit QB Destin Wade (1) leaps over a would-be Oak Ridge tackler during the 2020 TSSAA Class 5A BlueCross Bowl in Cookeville.David Russell/Main Street Nashville/File

2020 record: 110-36 (75.3%)

High school football is finally back.

Months of guesswork, previews and waiting are over. It’s time to get to the action.

Middle Tennessee is loaded with premier matchups in Week 1, highlighted by a pair of public-private matchups (Ravenwood at MBA, CPA at Independence) along with a quality Metro showdown (Cane Ridge at Pearl-Cohn). And that’s just to name a few.

Here are my picks for 10 intriguing Week 1 Midstate matchups (2020 records in parentheses):

Main Street Preps Game of the Week

Ravenwood (7-5) at MBA (6-3) – Friday, 7 p.m.

This rare matchup pits the two best Class of 2023 quarterback prospects in the state against each other in MBA’s Marcel Reed and Ravenwood’s Chris Parson.

It’s no coincidence that Ravenwood (No. 2) and MBA (No. 6) also appeared high in the Main Street Preps preseason Top 25 rankings. Both teams will likely be BlueCross Bowl contenders in their respective classifications.

Expect an aerial show and a Raptor win despite the game moving to MBA because Ravenwood’s new turf field won’t be ready in time.

PICK: Ravenwood 31, MBA 24

Brentwood (11-4) at Blackman (4-6) – Friday, 7 p.m.

The Blaze and Bruins debut new head coaches this week.

Clint Finch, a longtime assistant under former head coach Ron Crawford, has taken over at Brentwood. Blackman hired offensive-minded Chandler Tygard to reinvent its program in hopes of catching up with Rutherford County foes Oakland and Riverdale.

Friday’s game may offer a glimpse into which skipper has made more progress in their first few months on the job.

Although Brentwood graduated three-year starting QB Cade Granzow, senior Davis White should pick up right where his predecessor left off – just like he did in a five-touchdown performance against Cane Ridge in the Class 6A playoffs last November.

PICK: Brentwood 35, Blackman 28

Pearl-Cohn (9-1) at Cane Ridge (3-4) – Thursday, 7 p.m.

After these programs dealt with shortened 2020 seasons due to COVID-19 concerns, it only makes sense that they kick off this year’s slate one day early.

Pearl-Cohn and Cane Ridge, who both still qualified for the playoffs last season, enjoyed mostly normal summer practice schedules and are in better shape now than they were this time last year.

The player to watch here is Pearl-Cohn four-star wide receiver Barion Brown, who also stars at defensive back and on special teams. If Brown gets loose too often, it may be difficult for Cane Ridge to catch up.

PICK: Pearl-Cohn 28, Cane Ridge 14

Summit (14-1) at Henry County (10-3) – Friday, 7 p.m.

Summit knocked Henry County out of the Class 5A semifinals with a 35-21 road win last year. The Spartans went on to earn their first-ever state title.

Now that Summit has moved up a level, it will face a more challenging schedule in Region 7-6A against the likes of Brentwood, Independence and Ravenwood. Henry County, which has its own title hopes in 5A, offers the perfect tune-up.

QB Destin Wade and his twin brother, linebacker Keaten Wade, give the Spartans an edge here.

PICK: Summit 30, Henry County 20

CPA (11-1) at Independence (7-3) – Friday, 7 p.m.

The 2020 edition of CPA-Independence was washed out by a monsoon and a thunderstorm. One year later, these contenders decided to take another crack at each other.

CPA, fresh off winning the DII-AA state title, returns BlueCross Bowl MVP Cade Law at QB and three-star Vanderbilt commitment Langston Patterson at LB. However, Law missed most of the preseason with an injury and his status for Friday is in question.

Meanwhile, Independence will debut senior BGA transfer Joe Cummings at QB. He’ll have the luxury of throwing to four-star tight end Ty Lockwood or handing off to three-star running back Tre Hartwell.

You can’t predict high school football games without anticipating a few upsets. The Eagles pull off a mild one here.

PICK: Independence 27, CPA 24

Gallatin (4-7) at Mt. Juliet (7-4) – Friday, 7 p.m.

The Golden Bears have gotten the better of this longtime rivalry in four of the past five seasons, including a 31-10 win at Gallatin in 2020.

Mt. Juliet’s defense, led by three-star junior LB Ethan Crisp, likely won’t give up many points to a Green Wave team debuting several new offensive starters.

PICK: Mt. Juliet 17, Gallatin 7

Fairview (7-3) at Page (5-5) – Friday, 7 p.m.

Page struggled to find its footing for much of the 2020 season, which began with an 18-3 home loss to Fairview. The Patriots, who feature Colorado State commitment Jake McNamara at QB, are hoping for a better start in this year’s Battle of 840.

On the other hand, Fairview must replace graduated starters at RB and QB. That may take some time.

While this one could go either way, the Patriots seem like a safer pick.

PICK: Page 21, Fairview 17

Hillsboro (5-3) at Pope Prep (8-3) – Friday, 7 p.m.

Anthony Brown has taken over for Metro coaching legend Maurice Fitzgerald, and his debut as the head man at Hillsboro will be a challenge.

Pope Prep QB Kenny Minchey is primed for a big junior season after throwing for 1,164 yards and 10 TDs to just one interception in 2020. He can spread the ball around to several pass catchers including junior Collin Cook (876 yards, 10 TDs).

However, the Burros are expected to have a strong defense and could make things interesting.

PICK: Pope Prep 28, Hillsboro 21

Franklin (7-6) at Riverdale (10-3) – Friday, 7 p.m.

Those who enjoy watching battles in the trenches will be thrilled with this matchup.

Franklin features offensive tackle and Stanford commitment Fisher Anderson. Riverdale’s defensive front is led by senior linebacker and Tennessee commitment Elijah Herring and his brother Caleb, an edge rusher, along with senior linebacker Alex Mitchell.

But the Warriors have the upper hand at the skill positions. QB Jameson Holcomb (1,265 passing yards, 8 TDs) is back to full health after missing a chunk of last season due to injury, and senior running backs Brandon Connard and Marcus Lloyd combined for 1,900 yards and 25 TDs in 2020.

PICK: Riverdale 35, Franklin 14

Wilson Central (6-5) at Rossview (5-4) – Friday, 7 p.m.

Wilson Central and Rossview both suffered heavy roster turnover during the offseason, so last year’s 27-7 Wilson Central victory can probably be thrown out the window.

We’ll know a bit more about these teams next week, but for now, this one is anybody’s guess.

PICK: Wilson Central 17, Rossview 14

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