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List of unbeaten prep football teams getting shorter

By: Ward Gossett
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So who’s next?

Bet your dollars or doughnuts on Howard or Polk County.

The area’s list of unbeaten teams dwindled significantly last week with Cleveland, North Jackson, Ooltewah, Rhea County and Sequatchie County suffering their first losses of the season.

Cleveland lost to Cookeville, another undefeated team, despite four TD passes by senior quarterback Tucker Tipton and Ooltewah to Maplewood on a block extra point. North Jackson and Rhea County were overwhelmed by Fort Payne and McMinn County. Only Rhea lost to a team with more losses than wins, but the Golden Eagles haven’t been able to beat McMinn since they replaced the ferry with a bridge to connect the two communities.

So the area unbeaten list in Tennessee now consists of Howard and Polk County, who play Friday night in Benton; Boyd-Buchanan, which is at home against Bledsoe County; McMinn Central, which was off last week but plays at East Ridge Friday and South Pittsburg, which won in the last minute over Tyner — and did it with a touchdown pass.

The unbeaten list in North Georgia has been pared to Dalton and Sonoraville.

I doubt if any of those teams that lost last week are hanging their heads, though, because those games had little bearing on playoff races.

Ooltewah is one of four unbeaten teams in Region 2-5A, joining Oak Ridge, Farragut and Soddy-Daisy. Region 4-4A still has three unbeatens in Cleveland, Rhea and Red Bank; Region 3-3A has McMinn Central, Polk and Howard; Region 3-2A has Boyd-Buchanan and Sequatchie and Region 3-1A has South Pittsburg, which probably passed its biggest test as it goes for a second unbeaten regular season.

What last week did was set the stage for some big-time games in the weeks to come.

For the fans with no particular school to follow, those looking for some good football games, here are some dates to remember.

Oct. 3 – Sequatchie County at Tyner; Chattooga at Sonoraville; Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe at Ridgeland; Trion at Gordon Lee;

Oct. 10 – Soddy-Daisy at McMinn County; Red Bank at Cleveland; and, though a non-region game, Boyd-Buchanan at South Pittsburg; Ridgeland at Ringgold

Oct. 17 – Farragut at Ooltewah; Soddy-Daisy at Oak Ridge; Cleveland at Hixson; Rhea County at Red Bank; Boyd-Buchanan at Sequatchie County

Oct. 24 – Farragut at Soddy-Daisy; Ooltewah at Oak Ridge; Rhea County at Cleveland; Polk County at McMinn Central; Chattooga at Gordon Central; Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe at Ringgold

Oct. 31 – Soddy-Daisy at Ooltewah; Red Bank at Hixson; McMinn Central at Howard; Marion County at Sequatchie County; Tyner at Boyd-Buchanan; Dalton at Northwest Whitfield; Ridgeland at LaFayette

That should be more than enough to satisfy any fan.

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