The road to a Tennessee high school football state championship began Friday, Nov. 6, with dramatic finishes, convincing victories and disappointing endings for several Knoxville-area teams. Halls produced one of the night’s most exciting victories, Gibbs won a high-scoring contest, and Powell, Central, Alcoa and Maryville advanced with decisive wins. Meanwhile, Oak Ridge and Hardin Valley saw their seasons end in games decided by four points or fewer.
Halls pulls off three-point playoff victory
After opening the regular season with four consecutive losses, Halls continued its turnaround by defeating David Crockett 35-32 on the road. The Red Devils entered the playoffs with a 5-5 record, but their victory earned them a second-round trip to Rhea County.
Gibbs wins high-scoring playoff opener
Gibbs defeated Elizabethton 49-33 in one of the night’s highest-scoring Class 4A contests. The Eagles improved to 10-1 and now travel to unbeaten White County.
Powell and Central advance in Class 5A
Powell opened the postseason with a 42-21 victory over Morristown West, improving to 10-1. The Panthers host Lincoln County next Friday. Central defeated Tennessee High 50-22, also improving to 10-1, and will travel to Columbia.
Alcoa and Maryville keep winning
Alcoa defeated Cherokee 49-3 to remain unbeaten at 11-0 and will host Macon County in Class 4A. Maryville advanced in Class 6A with a 38-22 victory over Jefferson County and will host Oakland.
Heartbreaking endings for Oak Ridge and Hardin Valley
Dobyns-Bennett edged Oak Ridge 21-20, ending the Wildcats’ season by a single point. Science Hill defeated Hardin Valley 27-24, bringing the Hawks’ season to a close.
Private schools move forward
Christian Academy of Knoxville defeated Pope John Paul II 37-7 and will host Evangelical Christian School. Grace Christian Academy defeated Northpoint Christian 56-14 and travels to Franklin Road Academy. Concord Christian beat Fayette Academy 49-21 and hosts Friendship Christian. Webb fell 49-14 to Battle Ground Academy.
More first-round results
- Anderson County 35, Seymour 3
- Sevier County 35, Knoxville West 15
- Greeneville 56, Fulton 28
- Kingston 67, Gatlinburg-Pittman 45
- Coalfield 41, Hampton 0
- Eagleton 41, West Greene 14
- Greenback 46, Cloudland 6
- Jellico 28, Rockwood 21
- Sweetwater 45, Pigeon Forge 14
- Upperman 33, Loudon 27
- Lakeway Christian 21, Goodpasture 14
Coming Friday: Second round, Nov. 13
Second-round games are scheduled for 7 p.m. local time. Matchups involving Knoxville-area and nearby teams include:
- 5A: Lincoln County at Powell
- 5A: Central at Columbia
- 5A: Halls at Rhea County
- 4A: Macon County at Alcoa
- 4A: Gibbs at White County
- 4A: Anderson County vs. Red Bank (site to confirm)
- 6A: Oakland at Maryville
- DII-AA: Evangelical Christian at CAK
- DII-AA: Grace Christian at Franklin Road Academy
- DII-A: Friendship Christian at Concord Christian
- 3A: Kingston at Tyner
The second round brings more demanding matchups, with several area teams on the road and others defending home field. For the programs still standing, each win moves them another step closer to the BlueCross Bowl in Chattanooga, Dec. 3-5.
Sources: TSSAA official football scoreboard and playoff brackets; The Tennessean second-round pairings, Nov. 7, 2026.
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