The midseason mark in the Knoxville area for the 2026 TSSAA football season is already here.
Teams that started the year strong hope to ride the wave through the end of October, while region play will give the less fortunate a shot to recoup their season and make the playoffs.
Before launching into the back half of the 2026 TSSAA football season, let's take a moment to reflect on the top games, plays and storylines from the beginning.
Best TSSAA football game in Knoxville area at midseason
Once again, the best game of the first half of the season was one of the first. Alcoa came to Maryville and left with its third straight win over the Rebels after a thrilling 43-42 double overtime ending.
The game was tied at halftime, but the Tornadoes eventually took a 28-14 lead in the fourth quarter. Alcoa quarterback
Thomas Manu left with injury, opening a window for Maryville to tie the game and push it past regulation. In the last play of the game, Manu returned and floated a two-point conversion to Haynes Hawkins to deliver the win.
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CAK, South-Doyle, Sweetwater historic starts among biggest surprise
A handful of teams in the Knoxville area have gotten off to hot starts. CAK is undefeated five games into the season. The Warriors haven't begun a season with a 5-0 record since 2020, when they finished 11-1.
Both Sweetwater and South-Doyle began with four straight wins. Sweetwater's fourth win was its biggest, defeating Kingston 23-20 and notching its first 4-0 start since 2012. South-Doyle offense eclipsed 34 points in its opening four wins. The Cherokees had their first loss of the season in Week 5 against Gibbs.
Hardin Valley pushing for playoffs
Speaking of historic, Hardin Valley has its eyes set on its first playoff appearance since 2018. The Hawks are 4-1 and 1-1 in Region 2-6A with an experienced senior group, led by quarterback Riley Matz. They have tough remaining region games against likely playoff teams Maryville, Oak Ridge and Cleveland.
Greenback, Jellico remain undefeated
Both Greenback and Jellico missed the Class A playoffs in 2025. In 2026, they both are angling for a postseason berth. Greenback's rushing offense has worn down opponents all season with over 1,500 yards and 23 touchdowns as a team.
For Jellico, the defense has stood out with two shutouts in their first two games. The Blue Devils held Hampton, who was ranked ahead of them in the TSWA Class A football poll, to 22 points in their 36-22 win in Week 5.
Cooper Newman closing in on TSSAA history among top storylines
Newman is on pace to hold theTSSAA football records for most career passing touchdowns and passing yards by the end of this season. The UConn commit is currently at 16 passing touchdowns on the year, and he needs just four more to break former CAK quarterback Charlie High's record of 131. The passing yards record is a bit further away ― Newman needs 1,230 more to break Trinity Christian Academy's Kyle Akin's record of 11,122 yards.
Will Oak Ridge host a playoff game?
The race to host a playoff game in Region 2-6A heated up last week after Oak Ridge's surprising 35-14 loss to Cleveland. The Wildcats still have region games against Bradley Central, Hardin Valley and Maryville to close the season. Another loss, especially before the Maryville game, could threaten their chances of hosting.
Can Anderson County hold on to region title streak?
Anderson County isproud to be the nine-time Region 2-4A champions. Extending that streak to 10 might be the toughest challenge any team has to face in the Knoxville area. The Mavericks (3-2) are a perfect 3-0 in region play, but still have games at Gibbs and against South-Doyle. They close the season at Alcoa, who certainly remembers how last year's Region 2-4A title went.
Bold Predictions
A Knoxville team will reach the Division II-AA state championship
Coming into the 2026 season, Region 2-5A looked like the most competitive region in the Knoxville area. That title has shifted to Division II-AA East. Grace Christian (4-0), CAK (5-0) and Lakeway Christian (5-0) are all undefeated and have a chance to make a deep playoff run.
Last year, both Grace and CAK won a playoff game before losing to Battle Ground Academy (the state champion) and Lausanne, respectively. Lakeway did not make the postseason. Each team still has to play each other to determine the region champion, which could produce some of the best games in the second half of the season.
Clinton-Halls will play for last playoff spot
Assuming West, who had a brutal three-game stretch against Maryville, Central and Alcoa, finishes the season strong, the final Region 2-5A playoff spot could come down to a Week 11 game between Clinton and Halls. Halls is once again looking to rebuild its season following a 0-4 start. Clinton secured two big early region wins over Karns and William Blount.
West plays both teams in Week 7 and 8. If the Rebels win both games, Halls' regular season finale at Clinton on Oct. 29 could have some extra weight.
Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: TSSAA football's best moments, historic starts among Knoxville area's midseason report
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