Tennessee: Mr. Football Finalists Announced

By Donovan Stewart

MaxPreps.com

The second week of the state playoffs brings something more than football, as on Wednesday, the Tennessee State Secondary Athletic Association (TSSAA) unveiled the Mr. Football Finalists.

There are three finalists in each classification, and one winner will be crowned in both the Lineman and Back Category the winners will be announced at a luncheon on Monday, Dec. 3.

Here is a complete look at the finalists in each classification:

Class 1A Lineman

Alex Matlock, Bruceton

Robert Robinson, South Pittsburg

Aaron Yates, JoByrns

Class 1A Back

Derek Carr, McKenzie

Marco Dailey, Mt. Pleasant

Chad Jordan, Bruceton

Class 2A Lineman

Dakota Crews, Lewis Co.

Elijah Epperson, Humboldt

Chase Horton, Camden

Class 2A Back

Randall Cobb, Alcoa

Kendal Harper, Peabody

Harrison Moore, Westview

Class 3A Lineman

Rogers Gaines, White House

Dont'a Hightower, Marshall Co.

Beau Lijenquist, Dyersburg

Class 3A Back

Jeremy Holt, David Lipscomb

Tremaine Hudson, Howard

Deaunte Mason, Pearl-Cohn

Class 4A Lineman

Slade Adams, Mt. Juliet

Aaron Douglas, Maryville

Brandon McLeroy, Rhea Co.

Class 4A Back

Brent Burnette, Maryville

Curt Phillips, Sullivan South

Jacquese Seward, Hillsboro

Class 5A Lineman

Mike McAdoo, Antioch

David Spurlock, Riverdale

LaDarrius Verge, Riverdale

Class 5A Back

Jeff Link, White Station

Andre Sterling, Farragut

Rodriguez Wilks, Smyrna

Division II-A Lineman

Blair Arrington, Davidson Academy

Hunter Cowan, St. George's

Ben Popeck, St. George's

Division II-A Back

Marlon Brown, Harding Academy

H.R. Greer, SBEC

Grant Jessen, St. George's

Division II-AA Lineman

Preston Bailey, MBA

Barrett Jones, ECS

DeAndre Jones, MUS

Division II-AA Back

Ben Bartholomew, MBA

Adam Currie, ECS

Chris Jordan, Brentwood Academy

Kicker of the Year

Mike Hammons, Polk Co.

Cody Jones, Jackson Christian

Kase Whitehead, William Blount

* Names in bold denote Stew's projected winner

Hunter On Fire

Not a lot of teams have been able to keep Kingsbury junior running back Gabriel Hunter under wraps this season.

Hunter leads the Memphis area with 2,496 yards and has scored 24 touchdowns and the last two weeks. In short, he 5-foot-11 junior has been unstoppable.

Two weeks ago in a win over Raleigh Egypt, Hunter scored four touchdowns and ran for 375 yards.

But he saved his best performance for last week, as he was incredible rushing for a state record 436 yards and five touchdowns in a 42-28 first round playoff win over Munford .

For his efforts, Hunter has been named the USA Today/Max Preps National Player of The Week. In his last two games he has rushed for 811 yards and scored nine touchdowns.

Commitments

Three of Tennessee's best football players made their college picks in the last week with two of them electing to cross the border and play for Alabama head coach Nick Saban.

Evangelical Christian School offensive lineman Barrett Jones, widely considered the state's top lineman prospect, and Marshall Co. linebacker Dont'a Hightower both pledged to the Crimson Tide.

The 6-5, 280-pound Jones picked the Crimson Tide over such heavyweights as Florida, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and North Carolina.

Hightower, a 6-2, 245-pound linebacker, chose the Tide over SEC schools Auburn, Tennessee and Vanderbilt, and ACC school Georgia Tech.

Fellow SEC school Arkansas will be the new home for Memphis Whitehaven defensive end Tenarius Wright.

Wright (6-2, 225) chose the Razorbacks over SEC schools Ole Miss, Kentucky, Mississippi State and Louisville, Miami (Fla.) and Indiana.

Class 1A Playoff Outlook

Best Game of Week - Wayne Co. 21, White House-Heritage 14

Team of The Week - South Pittsburg

You Can't Stop Me - Chad Jordan, Bruceton and Chas Scruggs, Lookout Valley

Upset Of The Week - Fayette Academy 14, Gleason 6

Best Second Round Game - Friendship Christian at South Pittsburg

Quarterfinal Picks: (13-3, 81.3 percent last week) South Pittsburg, Gordonsville, Hampton, Midway, McKenzie, Bruceton, Jobyrns, Mt. Pleasant

Class 2A Playoff Outlook

Best Game of Week - Goodpasture 47, CPA 41 in overtime              

Team of The Week - Milan

You Can't Stop Me - Connor Lowery, QB, CPA

Upset Of The Week- Peabody 24, Westview 22

Best Second Round Game - Huntingdon at Milan

Quarterfinal Picks - (14-2, 87.5 percent last week) - Alcoa, Gatlinburg Pittman, York, DCA, Lewis Co., Goodpasture, Milan, Peabody

Class 3A Playoff Outlook

Best Game of Week - Marshall Co., 21, Jackson Southside 14

Team of The Week - Greenbrier

You Can't Stop Me - Andrew Franklin, LB, Mitchell

Upset Of The Week - Greenbrier 13, McMinn Central 10

Best Second Round Game - Pearl Cohn at Station Camp

Quarterfinal Picks - (12-4, 75 percent last week) - White House, Station Camp, Fulton, Knoxville Catholic, Dyer Co., Dyersburg, David Lipscomb, Bolivar

Class 4A Playoff Outlook

Best Game of Week - Red Bank 30, Knoxville Powell 27

Team of The Week - Henry Co.

You Can't Stop Me - Gabriel Hunter, RB, Kingsbury

Upset Of The Week - Volunteer 21, Tennessee High 14

Best Second Round Game - Mt. Juliet at Hillsboro

Quarterfinal Picks - (13-3, 81.3 percent last week) -Maryville, Red Bank, Sullivan South, Greeneville, Henry Co., Kingsbury, Hillsboro, Maplewood

Class 5A Playoff Outlook

Best Game of Week - Dobyns-Bennett 21, Oak Ridge 14

Team of The Week - Knoxville Bearden

You Can't Stop Me - Tyler Burstrom, QB, William Blount

Best Second Round Game - Whitehaven at Millington

Quarterfinal Picks - (13-3, 81.3 percent last week) - Smyrna, Riverdale, William Blount, Knoxville Farragut, Millington, White Station, Franklin, Independence

Division II-A Playoff Outlook

Best Game of Week - First Assembly Christian School 10, Harding Academy 7

Team of The Week - FACS

Best Semifinal Game - Davidson Academy at Southern Baptist Educational Center

Finals - (0-1 last week) - St. George's, SBEC

Division II-AA Playoff Outlook

Best Game of Week - Ensworth 34, Christian Brothers 27

Team of The Week - Ensworth

You Can't Stop Me - Orleans Opoku-Darkwa, RB, Ensworth

Upset Of The Week- Ensworth 34, Christian Brothers 27

Best Semifinal Game- Ensworth at Brentwood Academy

Finals- (3-1, 75 percent, last week) - Montgomery Bell Academy, Brentwood Academy

Friday Night Stat Stuffers

Connor Lowery, QB, CPA- Accounted for 361 yards,  231 yards rushing and 130 yards passing and had four rushing touchdowns and threw two touchdown passes in a 47-41 loss to Goodpasture.

Orleans Opoku-Darkwa, RB, Ensworth- Rushed for 252 yards and two touchdowns in the Tigers' 34-27 win over Christian Brothers.

Jake Ryan, QB, Knox. West- Threw for 316 yards on 15-of-21 passing and two touchdowns in a 35-22 win over Brainerd.

Chas Scruggs, RB, Lookout Valley- Ran for 249 yards and three touchdowns in a 49-21 win over Watertown.

Tyler Burstrom, QB, William Blount- Accounted foe 341 total yards (233 passing, 108 passing) in a 28-0 win over Campbell Co.

Travis Simpson, RB, Millington- Rushed for 210 yards as Millington defeated Collierville 31-0.

Gabriel Hunter, RB, Kingsbury- Was a one man show rushing for 436 yards and five touchdowns in a 42-28 win over Munford.

Tucker Tipton, QB, Cleveland- Rushed for 218 yards and one touchdown in a losing effort against Knoxville Halls.

Chad Jordan, RB, Bruceton- Ran for 256 yards and five touchdowns in a 44-40 win over Manassas.

Andrew Franklin, LB, Mitchell- Made 12 tackles and had one sack in the Tigers' 29-7 win over Ripley.