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As we get closer and closer to the start of the 2025 high school football season, we decided that to go forward, we needed to also take a look back.
Our coverage area is rich with its football heritage and that’s not something new. For decades, teams with a 615 area code have won region titles, posted 10+ win seasons and several have gone on to win a state title or several.
We decided to go ahead and look at each of the schools in our coverage area and narrow down the best singular season for each program.
While some were harder to figure out (looking at you Brentwood Academy, CPA and MBA), others were a little clearer.
Over the next three days we’ll look at the teams in large, medium and small class categories. While the schools may have been in another class at the time, where they are in each list is based on their classification now.
Large Class teams include 6A and Division II-AAA. Medium Class teams include 5A, 4A, and Division II-AA. Small Class teams include 3A, 2A, 1A, and Division II-A, and each grouping has roughly 30 teams in it.
Up first lets take a look at the best seasons from all of our large class programs.
Class 6A
Antioch (1958, 10-1): We’re going way, way back for the Bears. Football’s changed a lot since the 1950’s but in ‘58 they set a program record with 10 wins, their only 10+ win season to date, and also beat Cookeville 18-13 in their postseason matchup.
Blackman (2013, 11-3): Multiple Blackman teams have been able to win 10 or 11 games but the Blaze’s ‘13 squad nearly made a push to finally compete for gold. The regular season ended with a pair of losses, including one to Oakland (9-3), the Blaze rebounded in the postseason winning their next three games. They avenged the loss to Oakland with a 17-3 win to set up a meeting with Maryville in the semifinals.
Brentwood (2002, 14-1): If it wasn’t for a 17-7 loss to Brentwood Academy team to start the year, we’d recognize the 2002 Brentwood team as perfect. They rebounded from that loss winning 14 straight games. Playing a perennial powerhouse in the 5A championship, the Bruins held off Riverdale 10-7 for their only gold ball.
Cane Ridge (2017, 13-2): The Ravens winning 10 or more games was nothing new for a time and their 2017 team was by far the most successful. A 20-point loss to Brentwood was their lone regular season blemish as they would rebound with 12 straight wins. Unfortunately for them, they ended up facing Maryville in the 6A championship game.
Franklin (2008, 13-2): The Admirals have yet to win a state title but their 2008 title push was by far their closest. In the playoffs they avenged their lone regular season loss by beating Brentwood 14-7. They would go on to play Oakland in a back-and-forth championship game that the Patriots ended up winning on a touchdown with nine seconds remaining.
Gallatin (1992, 15-0): You could flip a coin choosing between the Green Wave’s unbeaten ‘92 team and their unbeaten ‘78 teams. We’ll go with the ‘92 group as they set a program record for wins and won some instant-classics en route to the title including a 16-13 win over Henry County in the semifinals.
Green Hill (2021, 11-2): Last year may have been the Hawks’ first unbeaten regular season, but their ‘21 team set the tone. In their first full season as a TSSAA program, the Hawks won a region and back-to-back playoff games before eventually losing to Page in the quarterfinals.
Independence (2015, 15-0): Independence’s lone state championship team was the definition of dominant. A 28-20 win over quarterfinals win over Hillsboro was their only single-digit game as they finished the year winning by an average of 31.3 points and beat crushed Sevier County 49-14 in the 5A championship.
La Vergne (2006, 8-4): The 2006 and 1996 seasons for La Vergne were eerily similar as both posted the same record and finished second in the region. The Wolverines’ ‘06 group had a higher margin of victory narrowing out the ‘96 squad just over three points per game.
Lebanon (2021, 11-2): As tempting as it is to put the Blue Devils’ unbeaten 1952 team on here, we just can’t overlook what the 2021 team accomplished. Finishing the year as region champions, they entered the postseason on a high beating Stewarts Creek and then upsettin Riverdale 30-17 before eventually running out of gas against Oakland.
McGavock (1974, 10-1): The Raiders posted back-to-back 10-win seasons in 1973 and 1974. That’s still a school record but unlike the ‘73, the ‘74 team finished the year with a win beating Riverdale 14-7 in the postseason.
Mt. Juliet (2011, 13-1): A strong case could be made for Mt. Juliet’s 2012 or 2018 teams to be on here. However, the Golden Bears not only went unbeaten in the regular season but also made it all the way to a semifinals appearance. While the year ended with a 44-10 loss to Whitehaven, the season as a whole set the standard for the program going forward.
Oakland (2021, 15-0): Statistically, Oakland’s 2020 group won by more than the Patriots’ 2021 group. However, the ‘21 group finished with an unbeaten record despite playing instant-classics against Lipscomb Academy and CPA. Jordan James and co. closed out the year by ending Summit’s unbeaten run 43-26.
Overton (1981, 14-0): Several Bobcat teams have been good over the years but only one has the claim of state champion. Overton’s 1981 group only played two games during the season where they won by less than 10 points. One of those games was the AAA championship where they beat Rhea County 3-0.
Ravenwood (2015, 14-1): As good as the Raptors’ ‘05 team was, the 2015 team has the luxury of saying they beat Maryville for a state title. Putting aside a weird 30-13 Week 4 loss to Centennial , the Raptors didn’t face much adversity for the rest of the season and ended Maryville’s bid for a three-peat by a score of 26-17.
Riverdale (2004, 15-0): Of his four state championship-winning Riverdale teams, three who went unbeaten, the ‘04 group stands out slightly. While his ‘94 team was dominant, they did get a test in their championship game only beating Germantown 14-10. As for the ‘04 squad, they won by an average of nearly 38 points, their closest game was a 42-28 win over Oak Ridge in the semifinals and they crushed Franklin 35-7 in the 5A championship.
Rockvale (2021, 7-4): The Rockets are a team still trying to find their groove in an area that is one of the hardest to compete in. Their ‘21 team came the closest to fitting in winning seven games and pushing a stout Shelbyville team in their first round matchup.
Siegel (2012, 13-1): Brent Stockstill’s senior season was one that nearly went the distance. The Stars rolled through their schedule setting up a massive semifinals matchup with Maryville. That game proved to be an instant-classic with the Rebels hanging on for the 47-43 win.
Smyrna (2006, 13-2): The Bulldogs went back-to-back years as state champions winning the title in 2006 and 2007. Their ‘06 group stands out slightly more as they avenged a 49-0 loss to Riverdale in the quarterfinals by beating the Warriors 9-7. They then held off Ooltewah 28-25 before closing out the year with a 35-14 win over Ravenwood.
Stewarts Creek (2024, 11-2): Last year was full of firsts for the Red Hawks. It was the first time they won a region title and it also was the first time they knocked off Smyrna, doing so in impressive fashion. They went on to beat Independence (20-14) and Brentwood (17-10) before losing to Ravenwood in the quarterfinals.
Summit (2020, 14-1): The Wade twins will go down as legends for what they did in their four years with the Spartans. Aside from a seven-point loss to Franklin in Week 4, Summit was nearly perfect during the ‘20 season winning the program’s first state title with a 28-7 victory over Oak Ridge.
Wilson Central (2007, 10-3): In 2005 the Wildcats recorded their first 10-win season. Two years later they did it again but this time they made their longest postseason run beating Coffee County (45-0) and then Riverdale (35-13) before losing to Smyrna in the quarterfinals.
Division II-AAA
Brentwood Academy (1988, 15-0): When you have 14 state titles and have teams that produced future NFL players, it’s hard to pick a best overall team. Looking through all of those unbeaten teams, we’ll go with the ‘88 squad as their best. Aside from a 6-0 win over Pascagoula (Miss.) in Week 2, no one else even came close to touching the Eagles until they beat Alcoa 23-12 in the AA championship game.
CPA (2014, 15-0): Of the Lions’ seven championship-winning teams, four went unbeaten. Choosing between those teams was not easy but we’re going with the group that last beat Alcoa for a state title. That 7-0 win capped off a dominant postseason run for Ingle Martin’s first championship team.
Ensworth (2012, 13-0): Picking a top team from Ensworth’s four year championship run wasn’t easy but only one of those teams went unbeaten. The 2012 group won by an average of 29.3 points and only played one game decided by single digits.
Father Ryan (1974, 13-0): Picking between the Irish’s two unbeaten championship teams was not an easy task. Both went 13-0 and won narrow championship games but the ‘74 squad got things going with a 29-28 win over Fulton.
Lipscomb Academy (2022, 13-0): Several Mustang teams could have made the list including their 2007 team, 2002 team and unbeaten 1994 team, but none of their state champions dominated quite like the 2022 group. Led by a core of future Division I players, Trent Dilfer’s final year with the Mustangs was a successful one as they repeated as the DII-AA champions and won by an average of 38 points.
MBA (2000, 12-0): Like Brentwood Academy, picking a “best” team from the Big Red’s many state title teams was not an easy task. We chose the team that completed their three-peat though and did so in dramatic fashion by beating Brentwood Academy 8-7 for the DII-AA state title.
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