Brentwood Academy fans cheer on their team during the BlueCross Bowl DII-AA state title game on Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015, in Cookeville. Brentwood Academy beat MBA 56-55 in the second overtime period.

TOP PERFORMERS

Jeremiah Oatsvall, QB, Brentwood Academy: 17-of-29, 280 yards, 2 TDs, 159 yards rushing, 2 TDs (including 8-yard run and 2-point conversion pass in second OT) in 56-55 win over MBA in DII-AA title game. Read more

Andrew Bunch, QB, Independence: 20-of-29, 313 yards, 5 TDs, 59 yards rushing, TD in 49-14 win over Sevier County in 5A title game. Read more

Chris Rowland, Ath., Ravenwood: 117 yards receiving, TD, 40 yards rushing, 5-yard touchdown pass in 26-17 win over Maryville in 6A title game. Read more

Ravenwood defense: Allowed less than 100 yards in second half, picked off three Maryville passes in 26-17 victory in 6A title game. Read more

Ty Chandler, RB, MBA: 258 yards rushing, 3 TDs, 99-yard kickoff return for TD (BlueCross Bowl record), 41 yards receiving, TD in 56-55 2OT loss to Brentwood Academy in DII-AA title game. Read more

Mareio McGraw, RB, Nashville Christian: 12 carries, 114 yards, 2 TDs (66, 19), 26 yards receiving in 42-14 win over Greenback in 1A title game. Read more

Independence’s Seth Huner (19) is congratulated teammates after he scored against Sevier County during the second quarter of the Class 5A BlueCross Bowl on Dec. 4, 2015, in Cookeville.

Kyle Tidwell, QB, Nashville Christian: 5-of-10, 128 yards, TD, 62 yards rushing, TD in 42-14 win over Greenback in 1A title game. Read more

Camron Johnson, WR, Brentwood Acad.: 8 receptions, 124 yards, 63 yards rushing, TD, caught 2-point conversion pass in second OT to win DII-AA title game (56-55). Read more

Jesse Watson, DB, Nashville Christian: 6 tackles, forced fumble, two interceptions (19 yards returned) in 42-14 win over Greenback in 1A title game. Read more

Daniel Wright, RB, Independence: 96 yards rushing, TD, 71 yards receiving, 2 TDs in 49-14 win over Sevier County in 5A title game. Read more

Wallace Barrett, WR/DB, CPA: 2 receptions, 50 yards, 9 tackles (2 for loss) in a 20-0 loss to Alcoa in 3A title game. Read more

Daniel Taylor, WR, Brentwood Acad.: 6 receptions, 137 yards, TD in 56-55 double-OT win over MBA in DII-AA title game. Read more

Glenn Coleman, QB, MBA: 9-of-16, 221 yards, 2 TDs in 56-55 double-OT loss to Brentwood Academy in DII-AA title game. Read more

Jimmyrious Parker, Athl., Pearl-Cohn: 138 yards rushing, 91-yard TD run, 44 yards receiving in 48-8 loss to Knox Catholic in 4A title game. Read more

Theo Cortner, DL, Pearl-Cohn: 13 tackles (9 solo), tackle for loss in 48-8 loss to Knox Catholic in 4A title game. Read more

Nate Johnson, WR, Independence: 52 yards receiving, 2 TDs in 49-14 win over Sevier County in 5A title game. Read more

Peyton Manning to speak at Middle Tennessee awards event

AROUND THE MIDSTATE

On to the next: Soon after a 48-8 loss to Knox Catholic in the 4A state title game, Pearl-Cohn senior wide receiver Rontavius Groves was thinking of the next step.

Groves officially committed to North Carolina after the team’s BlueCross Bowl appearance.

UNC was listed by 247 Sports as the frontrunner for Groves, who was also considering West Virginia, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. Read more

Primed for a success? Brentwood Academy looked dominating in most of its games this year and racked up massive offensive numbers in a 56-55, double-OT win over rival MBA in the DII-AA state title game.

The even better news for the Eagles is that a bulk of their big playmakers are underclassmen.

Quarterback Jeremiah Oatsvall (Jr.) and wide receivers Camron Johnson (So.) and Daniel Taylor (So.) will all return next year.

However, the Eagles will have the daunting task of replacing two huge cogs on the offensive line, as seniors Bryce Matthews (a Mr. Football finalist) and Ryan Johnson will graduate. Read more

Brentwood Academy players celebrate their 56-55 double-overtime win over Montgomery Bell Academy in the BlueCross Bowl DII-AA state title game on Dec. 3, 2015, in Cookeville.

Firsts: There were a couple of firsts at Tennessee Tech’s Tucker Stadium during the BlueCross Bowl.

Nashville Christian not only won the school’s first football championship, but the first team championship of any kind at the school.

There have been a handful of individual state champions since NCS began competing in athletics in 1975, but not a team champ until Friday’s 42-14 win over Greenback in the 1A state title game. Read more

Independence made its second BlueCross Bowl appearance and captured its first state football championship with a 42-14 win over Sevier County. The school has only been around for little more than a decade. Read more

Conversely, Maryville and Alcoa both have double digits in state football championships – most of those coming since 2000.

What’s the secret? How many phone calls will be Ravenwood coach Will Hester get during the offseason, asking how to beat Maryville?

Maryville entered Saturday’s 6A title game riding a 44-game winning streak. The Rebels’ toughest game during that stretch was last season’s 6A BlueCross Bowl matchup with Ravenwood, which the Raptors dominated early before falling by a single point.

Saturday evening Ravenwood did one step better, dominating the second half en route to a 26-17 upset win and state championship. Read more

Ravenwood waits all year to beat Maryville for state title

Ravenwood celebrates the Class 6A BlueCross Bowl on Dec. 5, 2015, in Cookeville. The Raptors won 26-17 over Maryville.

QUOTEWORTHY

”My goodness, he’s had a great year. I can’t say enough about him. He played terrific tonight.” – Independence coach Scott Blade on senior quarterback Andrew Bunch, who threw for 313 yards and 5 TDs in the 5A title game and finished the season with more than 3,300 yards passing despite missing more than four games with an injury. Read more

“I think we’re a good football team, we just played a better football team and a better coaching staff tonight. We’ll live to see another day.” – CPA coach Ingle Martin, whose squad lost to Alcoa 20-0 in the 3A title game, a rematch of last year’s BlueCross Bowl (in which CPA won 7-0). Read more

“We knew this was the year we just had to get it done.” – Nashville Christian School senior quarterback Kyle Tidwell, whose classmates had lost in the semifinals three straight seasons before capturing the 1A title with a 42-14 win over Greenback. Read more

“Before overtime coaches told us if they score, we get it back and we’re going for two for the win. We all kind of had the mindset that we have to score and have to go for two and win this football game.” – Brentwood Academy QB Jeremiah Oatsvall, whose 2-point conversion pass to Cam Johnson gave the Eagles a 56-55, double-OT win over MBA in the DII-AA title game. Read more

“We knew they were going to go for two. They ran a nice little pick play that a lot of people run. They executed and we didn’t get it done in the end.” – MBA coach Marty Euverard, whose squad fell 56-55 in double-OT in the DII-AA title game after Brentwood Academy successfully executed a 2-point conversion try on the final play of the game. Read more

Pearl-Cohn falls big to Knox Catholic in 4A title game

“Guess what? Somebody has to win and somebody has to lose. All I asked them to do was finish hard, and that’s what they did … Proud isn’t the word. We were 2-4 at the beginning of the year and nobody picked us to be here. They believed in each other, and that’s all that mattered. That’s why we were here.” – Pearl-Cohn coach Tony Brunetti, following a 48-8 loss to Knox Catholic in the 4A title game. Read more

“Not a lot of people said this rematch would even happen, but these kids played their guts out. These 36 (seniors) refused to have their senior season defined by what they did as juniors.” – Ravenwood coach Will Hester, whose squad upset Maryville 26-17 in the 6A title game, ending the Rebels’ 44-game winning streak. The Raptors lost to Maryville by a point in the 6A title game a season ago. Read more