Week 10 marks an important point in the regular season as region play dominates the schedule in the final two weeks. And, since many teams still have two region games to play, the playoff possibilities are numerous even at this late stage of the schedule.
We are going to try our best and sort through several region races that take center stage this week and provide some direction on which way they could go.
Here are six regions to watch this week (records listed are region records):
Region 6-5A
Who’s in right now: Centennial 3-0, Page 3-0, Nolensville 3-1, Hillsboro 1-2 (all four have clinched playoff spots)
Hillsboro’s in with a win over Glencliff. Centennial wins the region with a win over Page. If the Patriots defeat the Cougars and Nolensville defeats Summit, the Nolensville-Page winner wins the region. If Page wins Friday and Nolensville does not, it could get messy with tiebreakers next week as there’s a chance Centennial, Page, and Nolensville could all finish with four region wins and eight overall wins.
Region 5-6A
Who’s in right now: Smyrna 3-0, Antioch 3-0, Stewarts Creek 1-2, Cane Ridge 1-2
This week’s Smyrna-Antioch winner wins the region. That’s the easy part. The Bears and Bulldogs are in, while everybody else fights for two spots. With everyone still having two region games to play, it’s the messiest region to sort out right now.
Way too many possibilities to list here, but here’s the short version: Stewarts Creek and Cane Ridge have ways to finish second, or miss the playoffs entirely, while McGavock and La Vergne can climb as high as third or be left out altogether. Smyrna could fall as far as fourth in one scenario, as well.
Division II-AA Middle
Who’s in right now: FRA 4-0, CPA 4-0, Davidson Academy 3-1, Pope Prep 3-2, Goodpasture 1-3, BGA 0-4 (top six advance)
If FRA wins at CPA on Friday, the Panthers win the region title. If CPA wins, the Lions will simply need a win over Davidson Academy for the top seed. Davidson Academy needs two wins and two FRA losses to win the region title. Pope Prep is likely headed for the No. 4 seed and cannot drop any further. BGA can clinch the sixth and final playoff spot by beating Webb School and would have a chance to move up to the No. 5 seed next week against Goodpasture.
Region 4-6A
Who’s in right now: Mt. Juliet 5-0, Green Hill 3-1, Gallatin 3-2, Lebanon 3-2
Green Hill travels to Cookeville this week. If Green Hill wins this week, next week’s showdown at Mt. Juliet is for the region title, and the Hawks clinch a playoff spot. If Cookeville wins, Mt. Juliet clinches the top seed and the other three spots will be up for grabs next week with Green Hill, Cookeville, Lebanon, and Gallatin all in play for those seats.
Region 5-4A
Who’s in right now: Pearl-Cohn 5-0, Marshall County 5-0, Station Camp 3-2, White House 3-2
This week’s focus lies with the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds, as Pearl-Cohn and Marshall County will play for first place next week. A Station Camp win over Montgomery Central will hand the No. 3 seed to the Bison. White House would clinch a playoff spot with a win and a Creek Wood loss – otherwise, those two will play each other for the final playoff spot next week. Both Greenbrier and Whites Creek are still mathematically alive entering Week 10 games, but both must win out and both need several results to fall perfectly to even stay alive for next week.
Region 4-4A
Who’s in right now: Upperman 4-0, Macon County 4-1, Stone Memorial 4-1, DeKalb County 2-2
Upperman travels to Stone Memorial in the pivotal game of the season in 4-4A – the Bees clinch the region crown with a win, but a loss opens things up for both Stone Memorial and Macon County in Week 11. DeKalb County visits White County, and the Tigers would lock up their postseason berth with a win.