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It may seem hard to believe but when Monday morning roll around, we’ll officially be under 10 weeks away from the start of the 2024 high school football season. Week 1 is nearly here folks.
Our crew has been hard at work making predictions and putting together lists of the area’s top returning players. How about taking a look ahead to Week 1 and some of the top games featuring our area teams?
The first week of the season typically features several non-region matchups and this year is not any different. Here are 10 must-see Week 1 games in the 615 that need to be on your radar:
WAY-TOO-EARLY STATE TITLE PICKS: Cam / Chris / Ethan / Isaac / Joe / Scott
TOP RETURNERS PER POSITION: QB / RB / WR / OL / DL / LB / DB / Specialists
Antioch at Lebanon
Antioch’s 4-7 record last season may not look impressive but the Bears snapped a long losing streak and were one of the top teams in Region 5-6A. With an exciting young roster with rising sophomore quarterback Andre Adams leading the way, a win Week 1 at Lebanon would be a huge statement for the Bears.
Lebanon won this game 39-28 and should be primed for another shootout. The Blue Devils lost quite a few standouts but Chuck Gentry’s squad is always ready to play.
This should be a fantastic coaching matchup between Gentry and Arcentae Broome.
Brentwood Academy at CPA
Is this the best coaching matchup of Week 1? You’ve got Ingle Martin’s established CPA side looking to repeat as the DII-AA champs while Paul Wade looks to lead Brentwood Academy back to glory.
Last season this was a defensive slugfest with the Lions rallying from a 16-point deficit to win 17-16. Given the recent history between these two schools, another close game should be expected.
A win on the road in a hostile environment would do wonder for an Eagles side looking to put a disappointing 2023 behind them.
Centennial at Franklin
Jamaal Stewart’s first year at Centennial was an overwhelming success leading the Cougars to 10 wins and a quarterfinals appearance. The Cougars lose a lot from that team but should still compete for a top spot in Region 6-5A.
On the other side of that is a Franklin team that’s struggled mightily over the last three years. However, the Admirals closed out 2023 with back-to-back wins including a 21-7 victory over previously unbeaten Mt. Juliet.
Centennial’s dominated this rivalry lately including last year’s game 34-14. It will be interesting to see if Franklin can take advantage of Centennial’s rebuild while also building off of the momentum they seized at the end of last season.
Davidson Academy at Nashville Christian
Expectations were high for Nashville Christian after Week 1 last season despite suffering a 27-20 road loss to the Bears. Despite a run to the semifinals, the Eagles still finished the year 6-7 giving up a ton of points along the way.
A dominant win against what should be a rebuilding Davidson Academy side would be a step in the right direction for Jared Curtis and the Eagles.
Even if they are rebuilding, don’t expect Jonathan Quinn’s team to just roll over. Caden Stroud’s one of the best young backs in the area and could have a field day if the Eagles’ defense hasn’t improved.
Gallatin at Hendersonville
You don’t have to wait long at all to see Sumner County’s premier rivalry. The Commandos and Green Wave square off the first week of the season and fans should expect fireworks.
Last season it was Hendersonville walking away with the 47-33 win. Having to replace so many key starters like Mason Baker, this should be Gallatin’s time to strike back.
Year 1 of the Stroup era at Gallatin was a success and the Green Wave should only build upon that. Watch out for Jackson Stroup to put up some video game-like numbers in this game.
Gordonsville at Smith County
The entirety of Carthage will be out to see Gordonsville and Smith County once again kick off the season.
Smith County holds a commanding series lead but this could be the year that finally gets Gordonsville back in the win column. This is also a great matchup between two young quarterbacks.
J Foster saw a ton of success last season leading the Tigers while Riley Martin came in as a freshman leading the Owls to 10 wins.
Nolensville at Rockvale
These two teams just know how to put on a show whenever they play against each other.
In 2021 the Rockets won the first meeting between the schools 33-15. Nolensville returned the favor winning the last two including last season’s opener 21-20.
There’s a lot of unknowns with both teams entering the new year and a dominant showing to open the season could be a major indicator of things to come.
Pearl-Cohn at MBA
Pearl’s run to an unbeaten season and the Class 4A state title last year kicked off with a 21-14 win over the Big Red? Is history set to repeat itself?
The Firebirds lost a lot from that title-winning team but are now in a position where they reload instead of having to rebuild.
The first year of the post Marcel Reed era at MBA was a rough one at times as the Big Red finished 5-7. They did get better as the year went on winning four of their final six games.
Hugh Price and Brooklen Davis grew a lot during that stretch and that should help as they try. to lead the Big Red back to the top of DII-AAA.
Ravenwood at Alcoa
This one features a team in Ravenwood expected to be in the mix for the 6A title, the nine-time (seriously?) defending Class 3A champions and a great coaching matchup. What more could you ask for?
Alcoa came to Ravenwood to kick off the 2023 season and left town with a 35-14 win. Don’t expect a blow out like that again.
Last year was seen by many as a rebuild season for the Raptors with several young players stepping into important roles. Now that they’ve got that experience, fans in Blount County should expect a dogfight.
Westmoreland at Macon County
How about some Saturday Night Lights?
All of Macon County will be out for this game featuring a pair of teams with high expectations going into 2024. For the Tigers, another dominant win over the Eagles would cement their status as a true threat to keep an eye on in the 4A field.
Westmoreland finished last season 5-6 but saw several young players step up along the way. Expect the Eagles to give Macon County more of a run this time around.
