Bruins travel to Rebel territory to play for second place, better seeding

By CAROL STUART
Brentwood Home Page
The Brentwood-Franklin football game this year isn’t for the district championship like in recent years, but the rivalry showdown is still for pretty big stakes.

“This year in particular it means the opportunity to finish second and to improve our seeding for the playoff picture,” BHS Coach Ron Crawford said. “And, first and foremost, it’s an opportunity to play and beat Franklin, and get a victory over our biggest rival.”

If season ended today in 6A . . .

The 6A playoff picture according to the current wild card standings. The TSSAA will announce the brackets on Saturday: Quad 1 3. Maryville 5. Dobyns Bennett 7. Sevier County 14. Science Hill 18. Farragut 23. Karns 27. Bearden 31. Hardin Valley Quad 2 1. Riverdale 13. Bradley Central 15. McMinn County 17. Blackman 20. Oakland 22. Oak Ridge 28. Cookeville (32nd team not listed) Quad 3 4. Mt. Juliet 6. Dickson County 11. Siegel 12. Independence 16. Nash. Overton 19. Brentwood 21. Franklin 25. Smyrna Quad 4 2. Whitehaven 8. Arlington 9. Brighton 10. Millington 24. Southwind 26. White Station 29. Wooddale 30. Germantown Note: District champs get a first-round home game this season.

Crawford, certainly not a fan of the TSSAA’s confusing third-year “z” playoff system, says he hasn’t really looked at the state’s weekly updated playoff picture with wild cards and “quads.”

“Some of our coaches spend time doing that, I don’t choose to spend my time doing that,” said the Bruins’ 10th-year head coach. “But from what they’ve told me, whichever one of us wins can improve our seeding.”

While both teams have likely sealed a playoff berth with six victories, the BHS-FHS loser potentially could end up being the 8th and bottom seed in its geographic quadrant out of 32 teams in Class 6A statewide, he said. District champ Brentwood ended up seeded 8th last season and had to travel to eventual state runner-up Smyrna due to overall record as first criteria – which helped force yet another change to this year’s system.

Playoffs notwithstanding, it’s still a huge game and rivalry.

“It is our biggest rival,” Crawford said. “It’s a game that’s been played since 1982, and these other schools we’ve not played them as long. I think through the years the sheer number of times we’ve play that game creates a rivalry. This is my 10th season here and in the nine years we’ve played 14 times.

“We’re the oldest two (largest-classification) high schools in the county and the ones with the most tradition. Most of the years we’ve played this game, it’s meant something. Usually it’s been for the region or district championship and the second meeting is usually to advance. I think we’ve met three or four times in quarterfinals the last nine years.”

The Bruins-Rebels game, which is played at Franklin this Friday, has been the final game of the season for just the third year in a row. The matchup used to be around week 8 or 9, and then went to week 4 under a previous realignment.

“When they redrew it three years ago, we drive the 10^th week and that’s pretty fitting, that’s probably when we ought to play.”

No one’s ever attached a name to the game – and Crawford says there’s no need.

“I don’t think it needs a name; it’s Brentwood vs. Franklin. All the cutesy names, the Battle of the Woods or whatever, that’s just manufactured to try to make it a rivalry. This thing doesn’t need any manufacturing.”

Crawford also said the rivalry is a fierce one on the field, but that the programs keep it a respectful one in the years he’s been involved along with former FHS coach Rim Johnson and current Rebel coach Craig Clayton.

“As big a rivalry as it’s been, it’s been a fun rivalry,” the Bruins coach said. “It’s been a fierce rivalry, but it’s not been a cheap-shot rivalry. It’s one of those games that high school football is about, there’s great respect for both sides. Other than this evening, we all get along. It’s a unique situation, but that’s the way it should be.

“. . . I hope our kids and their kids enjoy Friday -- but I hope our kids enjoy it better.”

 

When Franklin has the ball

Franklin’s offense is built around strong-armed quarterback Matt Kuivenen, who is being looked at by Syracuse and other big-time programs.

“There’s no doubt it starts with him,” Crawford said. “For three years he’s played a whole lot of football for them and won a whole bunch of games.

“He’s certainly been a thorn in our side. I’ll be glad to see that young man graduate. He’s a good player who knows where to go with the football, he doesn’t force things, and he does good job taking care of it. I think he’s gotten better at throwing it down and making something happen with legs. He’s not real fast, but he’s smart about running the ball.”

Nicholas Coffey blocked the tying kick by Blackman. (Photo by Peg Fredi for BHP).

Kuivenen has a couple of top receivers he likes to get the ball to, and the Rebels also have a decent tailback. Franklin creates some problems similar to Blackman, but throws it better and doesn’t have an I’Tavius Mathers, Crawford said.

The defensive line continues to be the most consistent unit for the Bruins, and Nicholas Coffey was a one-man wrecking crew in last week’s 17-14 win over Blackman.

“I think Nick Coffey had his best game, he was by far the most active,” Crawford said. “He had several tackles for loss, several sacks, blocked the (game-tying) kick, and impacted the interception by hitting the quarterback when he threw the ball. I think he had a huge impact on last week’s game and it was good to see.”

When Brentwood has the ball

Franklin has two huge defensive tackles and made it tough on the Bruins running inside in last season’s BHS district-clinching victory. Crawford said making the read and executing the pitch to try to get positive yards will be key.

“And we’ve got to continue to try to find something in the passing game that our kids can execute,” he said. “We think Chudi (Echetebu) is a known quantity. Obviously, they’ll try to stack the box and we’ve got to have somebody step us and give us some offense.”

The Bruins’ O-line has also been a strength recently. “I think the offensive line has got to get us some wins during the course of the game,” Crawford said.

The Brentwood coach said getting the team’s sixth victory last week, an upset over Blackman with Mathers sidelined, helped take some pressure off this game.

“I think it was really big for us,” Crawford said. “We were able to relax a little this week and prepare this week without having the playoff thing hanging over our heads.”

Playoff anticipation

Little did anyone know that back in the Bruins’ District 11-AAA opening defeat by Independence that the district championship would be decided on that game – as well as Franklin’s 5-3 loss to the Eagles.

“I think Independence has been somewhat of a surprise team. But again, they had a lot of their teams back,” Crawford said. “There strength lies in the senior class and junior class. This new school (Summit) has kind of devatstated their ninth- and 10th-grade classes.

“When you’re playing with a bunch of seniors, you’re usually pretty good. That’s something right there, and we thought they were going to be good on defense but they’re better than advertised. And we all knew about (kicker Landon) Foster and the impact he’d have.”

The TSSAA plans to have playoff brackets announced and discussed on an early evening radio show on 104.5-FM The Zone in Nashville. But they still are supposed to be up on the website before then, probably by mid-afternoon – although playoff coaches traditionally have met to swap film early Saturday mornings.

“The word we’re getting because of the three criteria in three years – which tells us all something I hope, that it’s broke and not fixable – but they’re still a lot of teams (on the bubble) on the bottom of things,” Crawford said. “What happens if a team in Memphis (falls out), and one in Quad 3 goes west, who does it bring into quad 3? There are those kinds of scenarios. … I know they’re going to be scrambling.”