It's hard to believe that the TSSAA football regular season is already at the halfway point.
Despite how the temperature may feel outside, we are past the first five weeks of the season and we've seen a ton of standout performances, breakout teams and surprises in that time.
Here's our midseason report for the Tennessee high school football season.
Ranking top individual performances
1. Bo Bryan
BGA takedown St. Michael Catholic on ESPN. In front of a national audience on ESPN, Battle Ground Academy went down to Alabama in Week 1 to take on Philip Rivers and St. Michael Catholic. In his first game as starter, Bo Bryan did not disappoint, throwing for 379 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-18 victory. The 2025 DII-AA champion proved it has reloaded and is ready to defend the title this season.
Stream Tennessee HS football games live on NFHS Network
2. Henri Perry
Perry does it all for MBA. Not many defensive backs are logging heavy minutes on special teams, but MBA's Henri Perry did it all in a 40-36 win over Franklin Road Academy in Week 3. He finished with two interceptions, four field goals, four PATs, a successful onside kick and a 14-yard run on a fake punt. Perry's Swiss Army Knife mentality has the Big Red sitting at 5-0.
3. AJ Jackson
Smyrna stuns Rockvale with Hail Mary. Smyrna games aren't for the faint of heart, and this isn't the last time we'll be talking about the Bulldogs. In Week 5, AJ Jackson rushed for 69 yards and a touchdown and threw for 178 yards and two touchdowns, one of which found the gloves of RJ Williams with no time left to stun Rockvale, 28-21.After starting out the year 0-2, the Drama Dogs have won three in a row.
Ranking best TSSAA football games at midseason
1. Smyrna 22, Oakland 21
After losing by a point in back-to-back games against Brentwood and Hendersonville, the Bulldogs turned it around against Oakland in Week 3. Oakland has dominated this rivalry, having not lost to Smyrna since 2011 and winning six Class 6A state titles in that stretch. Down by two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs came back and, with 33 seconds left, opted for a two-point conversion. Quarterback AJ Jackson connected with Jordan Edwards for the successful try as Smyrna went on to snap Oakland's 15-game win streak. It was the first time Oakland coach Kevin Creasy had ever lost to Smyrna and Oakland's first regular-season region loss since 2023.
2. Brentwood 20, Page 14
Another titan fell in Week 4 as Brentwood had its breakout moment against Page. The Bruins built up a 14-0 halftime lead and added six more points in the second after a lightning delay to hold off a Patriot comeback. It snapped Page's 17 game win streak. It was Page's first loss since falling to Sevier County in the 2024 TSSAA Class 5A state championship game. Brentwood quarterback Gavin Strang threw for 161 yards and Parker Cates rushed for 59 yards and two touchdowns.
3. Springfield 27, East Nashville 26
It's starting to feel like a special season for five-star prospect Jermaine Cobbins and the Yellow Jackets. Facing off against an East Nashville team that had lost two of its last four games by a point, it came down to the wire once again. On fourth and long, with 25 seconds left and down by six, Cobbins pulled in the game-winning touchdownto keep Springfield perfect on the year. Things won't get easier for Springfield as it travels to another 4A squad in Pearl-Cohn on Sept. 25.
Breakout player at TSSAA football midseason
Carter Pray, Grace Christian, So.
Keep an eye on this sophomore quarterback and undefeated Grace Christian in the second half of the season. Carter Pray is leading the area in passing offense at 85-of-110 passing for 1,336 yards and 12 touchdowns. It's a massive jump for Pray, who played just five games last season and logged 119 yards passing. His arm and the Lions will truly be put to the test in the second half of the season against Davidson Academy, Goodpasture, Franklin Road Academy and Battle Ground Academy.
Best coaching job in Nashville area
Michael Stroup, Gallatin
In reality, there are a number of different ways we could have gone with this. Lipscomb Academy's Trent Dilfer has turned things around quickly. Chris Chauvin has MBA perfect at 5-0. Smyrna coach Mark Williams has been in one nail-biter after another. Scott Stidham has Nolensville looking dangerous in Class 5A, and former Tennessee football standout Montario Hardesty has Lawson (4-1) off to its best start in the program's short history.
But could a perfect season be brewing in Gallatin? The Green Wave are 5-0 and avenged last season's loss to Green Hill with a 23-21 win in Week 5. Stroup has his team off to their best start in seven years, when the Green Wave went 8-0 in 2019.
Surprise team
We knew Dilfer's return to Lipscomb Academy would bring a different look to the Mustangs, but didn't expect a leap into the top of Division II-AAA. Despite sitting at 3-2, this team could easily be 5-0, losing to McCallie in overtime by a field goal and to Knoxville Catholic by a point. The Mustangs' 35-point win over Ensworth, 49-14, in Week 5 has definitely turned some heads.
Reach The Tennessean and The Leaf-Chronicle's high school writer, Jack Williams at jackwilliams@theleafchronicle.com and on the X platform @jackgwilliams.
He also helps write The Tennessean's high school sports newsletter, The Bootleg.Subscribe to The Bootleg here.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Ranking best TSSAA football games, breakout player at midseason in Nashville area
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.
