After winning the Class 1A state championship last year and losing 18 seniors, many thought South Pittsburg would need to rebuild, and rebuild they did. With only 4 seniors on the 2024 team, the Pirates are back in the state championship game.

The Pirates were able to wear down a massive Coalfield defensive front, rushing 40 times for 263 yards, while the defense struck hard and fast in the 31-6 semifinal win Friday night at Beene Stadium.

Dayon Cooper finished with 140 rushing yards a TD, and was 4-of-5 passing for 75 yards with a touchdown pass to his brother Vonn. JaMychal Buckner had two TD runs and an interception in the fourth quarter.

In winning its 10th straight game this season, South Pittsburg (12-2) also earned the 100th playoff win in program history and will attempt to win its eighth state championship. The Pirates will play MASE (11-1), which rallied late from multiple scores down to defeat previously unbeaten and top-ranked McKenzie 40-34 in Friday’s other 1A semifinal. The game at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga will kickoff at 2 p.m. on Friday. Hear the contest on The River 104.9.

Sam Pickett returned the opening kickoff 78 yards for a score, and the Marion County Warriors never looked back as they blew away York Institute 42-0 in the TSSAA semifinals on Friday night in Jasper. The victory puts the Warriors back in the BlueCross Bowl state championship game for the first time since 2016.

The Warriors limited York to 87 yards of total offense and never ran a play on Marion’s side of the field in the second half.

Warrior Mason Mays ran for two touchdowns, while quarterback Tilton Pickett was 9 of 10 passing with 128 yards and two touchdown passes.

Marion County is 12-2 this season and will face Milan (13-1) at 2 p.m. Saturday. You can hear the state championship on The River 104.9.

Marion County will be making its 10th appearance in a state final. The Warriors won their fourth and most recent championship in 1995, and the others were in 1994, 1992, and 1990.

One of the best teams in Sequatchie County High School football history saw its season come to a close in the state Class 3A semifinals on Friday night. It’s a game you heard on Country Roads 93.3.

After falling in the season opener at Bledsoe County, the Indians won 12 straight games to earn just the third state semifinal appearance in program history. They lost to state powerhouse Alcoa 38-3.

Sequatchie junior playmaker Austin Griffith finished with 65 total yards on six touches as he concluded a breakout year with 1,204 total yards (740 rushing, 464 receiving) and 12 touchdowns.