Friday, Nov. 6, marked the start of the Tennessee high school football state championship race for the Knoxville region, delivering dramatic finishes, high‑scoring victories and a few heartbreaking narrow losses.
Halls rallies to earn second‑round berth
After opening the season with four straight defeats, the Halls Red Devils turned the tide with a 35-32 road win over David Crockett. The victory lifted Halls to a 5-5 record and secured a second‑round matchup in Rhea County.
Gibbs fires on all cylinders
The Gibbs Eagles posted one of the night’s highest‑scoring performances, beating Elizabethton 49-33 in a Class 4A showdown. The win improved Gibbs to 10-1 and set up a trip to face unbeaten White County.
Powell, Central, Alcoa and Maryville stay perfect
Powell opened its postseason with a 42-21 triumph over Morristown West, moving to 10-1 and preparing to host Lincoln County next Friday. Central matched the feat, crushing Tennessee High 50-22 and also advancing to a road game against Columbia.
Alcoa continued its unbeaten run, routing Cherokee 49-3 to reach 11-0 and earn a home game against Macon County in Class 4A. Maryville’s 38-22 victory over Jefferson County pushed the Tigers to 10-1 and set a home contest against Oakland.
Close calls for Oak Ridge and Hardin Valley
Dobyns‑Bennett edged Oak Ridge 21-20, ending the Wildcats’ season by a single point. Science Hill’s 27-24 win over Hardin Valley similarly concluded the Hawks’ campaign.
Faith‑based schools also in the mix
Christian Academy of Knoxville defeated Pope John Paul II 37-7 and will host Evangelical Christian School. Grace Christian Academy rolled past Northpoint Christian 56-14 and travels to Franklin Road Academy. Concord Christian beat Fayette Academy 49-21 and will host Friendship Christian. Webb fell 49-14 to Battle Ground Academy.
Looking ahead
Second‑round games are slated for 7 p.m. local time, with several area teams heading on the road and others defending their home fields. Each victory brings the programs one step closer to the BlueCross Bowl in Chattanooga, scheduled for Dec. 3‑5.
All scores and upcoming matchups are drawn from the TSSAA official football scoreboard and playoff brackets, as well as The Tennessean’s second‑round pairings published Nov. 7, 2026.
Original reporting: Knox TN Today — read the source article.
