Coach Dustin Wilson couldn't have put it any better following their regular season finale against Creek Wood High School: "The playoffs are coming through Springfield, Tennessee."
For the sixth straight season, the Jackets will play into late November. This is great for both fans and players alike, but still leaves the questions: who will they play, and how far can they go?
Certainly, a two-time region champion, Springfield High stands a chance for another deep postseason run, right? Here's a breakdown of each potential opponent Springfield will play, beginning with Friday's contest versus Jackson South Side.
Springfield last faced off against the Hawks from Jackson, TN in round 2 of the 2018 TSSAA playoffs: the final score of that game being 13-6. The differences between that team from a year ago and now is practically night and day: South Side's record last year was an impressive 9-1, while this year the team sits at 3-7, losing their finale against rival Jackson North Side, 42-21.
While the fourth-seeded Hawks' region provides tougher competition than that of 5-4A, JSSHS has lost four of its last six. Home field advantage should give the Jackets' a necessary edge to advance to the next round.
If Springfield is to continue on to the second round of the postseason, their next opponent would be the winner of the Lexington vs. White House Heritage game. Although this game will be hosted by the Tigers, the Patriots are red-hot, coming off an upset win against Montgomery Central to sneak into the postseason. Either way, SHS has a good track record against both squads: winning the past three games against Heritage, and defeating Lexington 18-14 en route to the state championship game back in 2017.
Beyond the second stage is where multiple situations could play out: of the four teams Springfield could play in the quarterfinal (Jackson North Side, Creek Wood, Portland or Hardin County) the first and final team of the quartet seem most likely. Although the Indians are ranked as just the third seed in region six, this team held it close with Beech early in the season (the final score being 34-20) and is getting healthy once again. The Jackets last played at North Side in 2018, winning that game 41-34 in the TSSAA quarterfinal.
If not a home game against North Side, the Jackets would make the trek to face off against 9-1 Hardin County in Savannah, TN. The last recorded game between the Tigers and Springfield was also 2017, a 20-10 win in the first round, albeit that HCHS was a lowly 6-6 that season as opposed to the number one seed held now.
Considering that the Jackets push past the quarterfinal, the most likely team Springfield will face is Haywood High School. Most fans are familiar with the Tomcats from Brownsville, TN, as Springfield has clashed twice with this squad over the past two seasons. While the series is tied at one a piece lifetime, the odds in this scenario are likely against the Jackets: a semifinal game against Haywood would lead to the second straight away game: the last contest a 49-14 loss that sent Springfield packing.
But again, this is the postseason, where things become rather unpredictable: perhaps Haywood doesn't get the chance to play against Springfield, or the Jackets upset the Tomcats as achieved in 2017, a 35-28 shootout that saw a Springfield team lead by Bryan Hayes and Luke Petit reach the state championship.
A win in the semi-finals would most likely pit the Jackets up against undefeated #1 seed Elizabethton, barring an upset to Greeneville High, a team that only lost by three to the Fighting Cyclones in mid-October. Alongside Haywood, Jacket fans should have not-so-fond memories of the Greeneville High School Green Devils: GHS crushed any remaining fight out of SHS' Cinderella run in the 2017 playoffs, dismantling Springfield 54-13 in the class 4A state championship game.
The good news is that at least one playoff game will run through Springfield, TN. While it is enticing to look ahead towards the end of the month for a potential return to the Blue Cross Bowl, the Yellow Jackets' focus needs to be on round one. For even more potential upsets, match ups and underdogs, view the full bracket here, or stay locked in to Social Dweebs.
-Blaine Kellar is a broadcasting and journalism intern for Social Dweebs, which has covered Springfield High School football since 2018.
Comments