Here are the candidates for the Guardian Foundation Repair top Knoxville area football team entering the 2026 TSSAA football season. Voters have until noon on Aug. 13 to submit their responses.
Knox News reserves the right to remove an individual from a poll if it suspects any voting irregularities.
Alcoa: Alcoa's first year in Class 4A football was almost a clean sweep. It didn't win the Region 2-4A title after a Week 11 loss to Anderson County, but the Tornadoes used the loss to fuel their playoff run to an 11th straight TSSAA state championship.
Anderson County: The Mavericks pulled off the upset of the year, defeating Alcoa 31-30 to end the regular season. They reached the quarterfinal round of the Class 4A playoffs and lost in a close 28-21
game to Greeneville.
Knoxville Catholic: Catholic earned a playoff win in 2025 in one of the toughest divisions in TSSAA football before a second-round loss to the eventual Division 2-3A champions, Baylor.
Knoxville Central: Central finished as the runner-up in Region 2-5A with multiple one-score victories. Their luck ran out against Halls in the Class 5A quarterfinals, 28-21.
Eagleton: Eagleton made an unprecedented run in the Class 2A playoffs, reaching the semifinal round and winning District 2-2A.
Gatlinburg-Pittman: The Highlanders almost had a perfect season in 2025 as they went undefeated up until a loss to Westview in the Class 3A state championship game.
Gibbs: Gibbs could prove to be one of the most dangerous teams the Knoxville area in 2026. The Eagles won a Class 4A playoff game last year and took down Anderson County on the road.
Grace Christian: Grace has repeated a 9-3 record in the past two seasons and reached the DII-AA quarterfinals each time. Last year, they lost to Battle Ground Academy, who cruised to a state title.
Greeneville: Greeneville played in some of the best Knoxville area games last year with a double-overtime showdown against Sevier County and a Class 4A quarterfinal win over Anderson County.
Halls: The Red Devils are coming off their best season in 30 years, turning an 0-3 start into a Class 5A semifinal appearance.
Jefferson County: The Patriots finished as the runner-up in Region 1-6A behind Dobyns-Bennett, but they notched a big win over Powell before losing in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs.
Maryville: After a Week 1 loss to Alcoa, Maryville swept through the rest of its schedule until it ran into Blackman in the Class 6A quarterfinals.
Oak Ridge: The Wildcats opened their first year in Clas 6A football with a 9-0 record before losing the season finale to Maryville and an upset at home against Science Hill.
Powell: Powell won its first Region 2-5A title since 2022 and began the playoffs with a blowout win over Morristown West. The Panthers fell short in the second round against Lincoln County, 39-37.
Sevier County: The Smoky Bears, coming off a state title in 2024, found their way back to the Class 5A title game against Page again in 2025. This time, Page emerged victorious with a 21-14 win.
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: Vote for the Guardian Foundation Repair top Knoxville area team for 2026 TSSAA football season
