Maryville visits undefeated Science Hill in a long-running rivalry, while Riverdale, Oakland and Ravenwood look to tighten their grip on region races across Class 6A.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Region races tighten and a longtime East Tennessee rivalry returns to the spotlight as Tennessee high school football continues Friday.
Maryville travels to undefeated Science Hill in the week’s marquee non-region matchup. The Rebels (6-1) have won 15 straight against the Hilltoppers (6-0), including a 23-17 escape in Johnson City in 2024 and a 42-7 playoff win last season. Science Hill running back Kiantai Harris faces a Maryville defense featuring three Division I linebacker commits. Maryville quarterback Will Jones, a Jacksonville State pledge, led the Rebels past Cookeville 38-7 two weeks ago.
In Region 3-6A, Riverdale (6-1, 4-0) visits Siegel (2-5, 2-2). The Warriors have outscored opponents by an average of 45-8 since a Week 1 loss to Knoxville Catholic and control their path to a region title. Oakland (6-1, 3-1) hosts La Vergne (0-7, 0-4). The Patriots, led by junior running back Jacob Vaughn’s 724 yards and eight touchdowns, have rushed for more than 1,800 yards as a team. Blackman (4-3, 2-2) plays at Smyrna (4-3, 3-1) in a game that affects both playoff positioning and the chase for second place.
Ravenwood (5-2, 3-0 in Region 6-6A) hosts Shelbyville (1-5). The Raptors are coming off a 63-28 win at Independence in which Caden Pace rushed for 193 yards and Brooks Brown threw five touchdown passes. Brentwood (7-1, 4-0 or 5-0 depending on the latest region count) is idle. Green Hill travels to Lebanon in Region 4-6A. Beech visits Gallatin.
In Region 2-6A, Oak Ridge (6-1) plays at Hardin Valley (5-2). Cleveland (6-1) is at Bearden (0-7). Maryville’s region schedule resumes next week against Bradley Central.
Other Friday games include Summit at Coffee County, Wilson Central at Mt. Juliet, Huntland at Eagleville, Rockvale at Tullahoma, and Stewarts Creek at Knoxville Webb. Many Middle Tennessee programs have an open date because of fall break.
Playoff positioning in Regions 3-6A and 6-6A is the clearest storyline. Riverdale and Oakland remain the top two in Rutherford County. Ravenwood and Brentwood sit atop the Williamson County region. Science Hill and Maryville enter Friday as the highest-profile unbeaten and one-loss programs on the eastern side of Class 6A.
