The Playoff Preview - Round 1

It seem's like yesterday we were all at the Volunteer Chevrolet 16th Annual Smoky Mountain Kickoff Jamboree inside Lon C Burchfield Stadium, we blinked and now we are in the opening week of the TSSAA State Playoffs, with 4 county teams still in action.

Sevier County:

The Sevier County Smoky Bears (7-3) kick off their quest for a 3rd straight trip to Chattanooga with a familiar foe, the Knox West Rebels (5-5). The Smoky Bears and Rebels have faced off for the past two years, with the Smoky Bears coming away with victories in both contests. In the 2024 quarterfinals, it took double overtime for Sevier County to come away with the 24-17 win after stopping the Rebels short on 4th down at the goal line. In 2025, the Smoky Bears and Rebels met in the opening round, where Sevier County came away with a convincing 34-9 win after the game was cut short by 3:34 following a severe thunderstorm that had moved in during the final quarter of play. Quarterback Cooper Newman was 14-18 for 266 yards and 3 touchdowns on the evening to lead the Smoky Bears. RB Nathan Patterson also chipped in 83 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Parker Newman needs 2 receiving touchdowns to break the school record for Career Receiving Touchdowns. Sevier County leads the overall series 2-0.

Seymour:

The Seymour Eagles (9-1) enter their 1st round matchup with Anderson County (6-4) looking to grab their first playoff win since the 2004 season. Seymour has faced off against the Mavericks in their last two playoff appearances (21, 22) with Anderson County coming away with the victory in both matchups. The Eagles have leaned heavily on their defense, allowing 20 or fewer points in eight of their contests on the year, and this game should be no different. Seymour earned the right to host their first playoff game since the 2015 season after defeating Elizabethton 21-16. The Mavericks hold a 2-0 advantage over the Eagles in playoff matchups. The Eagles and 2nd year coach Caleb Olive are hungry for a win to advance in the TSSAA State Playoffs.

Gatlinburg Pittman:

The Gatlinburg Pittman Highlanders (6-4) host the visiting Kingston Yellowjackets (7-3) at Legion Field on Friday, as the Highlanders make their 9th consecutive trip to the TSSAA State Playoffs, including last year when they finished as state runners-up. The Highlanders have been led by running back Marshall Gay this year, who broke a school record for most rushing yards in a single game during last week's contest against Chuckey-Doak with 368 yards on 28 carries. This will be the 5th straight year the two teams have met in the playoffs, with the Highlanders taking the last 4 victories, including last year's in a 31-0 rout of the Yellowjackets. The Highlanders hold the overall advantage in the series 5-1, with Kingston's lone win coming in 1994.

Pigeon Forge:

After starting the season at 0-5, the Pigeon Forge Tigers (5-5) have reeled off 5 straight wins to enter the playoffs as the #3 seed in Region 1 - 3A and will travel to take on the Sweetwater Wildcats (9-1). The Tigers have been led by senior QB Andrew Lewis over the 5-game winning streak, with several other Tigers contributing to their success. The Tigers' defense hasn't allowed more than 20 points during the winning streak as well. This will be the first meeting between the two schools located roughly an hour and a half apart. Coach Heath Woods and crew will need another standout effort from their defense in this one, with the Wildcats averaging 43.9 points per game.