High school football season is quickly approaching, 7v7 camps have wrapped up, college recruitment trips & college commitments from some of the top players in the state have been announced. Now we turn the page to August, the best time of the year! There has been so much that has happened since the end of December 2018. Questions about athletes, coaches, and programs that have made big moves are some of the biggest of all.
We are looking forward to seeing if CPA can rebound with the loss of 31 seniors after their amazing run to state, or will FRA and BGA take over the reins in D2 AA this season. Do the Oakland Patriots have enough to make another run at the 6A title, or will Ravenwood finally take the next step to return to Cookeville for the first time since coach Hester took the gold ball in 2016? Big-time programs like Mount Juliet, Whitehaven, Maryville, and Cane Ridge, just to name a few have been consistently either in Cookeville or a game or two away from competing for the gold ball. What kind of changes have been made this off-season to assure these prolific programs have the opportunity to represent their school and their community on the plateau?
In addition to CPA as mentioned above, can other Division 2 A state champs Davidson Academy defend their 2018 title successfully? Clarksville Academy may have something to say about their opportunities. In my football circles, two trendy schools that keep coming up more and more are those John Paul Knights out of Hendersonville and those Ensworth Tigers. Ensworth adds TSSAA BCBS Bowl Finalist Coach Roc Batten to lead the Tigers. Coach Roc turned the BGA Wildcats into a playoff-contending team year over year during his tenure there. We cannot forget the new head coach at Lipscomb Academy, Super Bowl winning quarterback Trent Dilfer takes over the Mustangs program after moving to the mid-state last year. If the Mustangs play as well as their new uniforms and helmets from Vicis look, then they are in for a heck of a year!
Stay tuned as we dive in for the next five months of some of the best high school football coverage across the state.
