Stories from Wednesday, November 2, 2016

For the second time in as many seasons, the 4-4A region championship and number one seed in the TSSAA state playoffs came down to the final regular season game between Marshall County and Page. And for the second consecutive season, every major media outlet in middle Tennessee was on hand to watch the Tigers (9-1, 5-0) overwhelm the Patriots (6-3, 4-1) in an anticlimactic 51-0 Marshall County victory.

The Forrest Rockets traveled to Jackson County Friday night with a chance to complete their first unbeaten regular season since 1980, but the Blue Devils outplayed Chapel Hill and came away with a 20-14 win. "I was disappointed for the seniors because it was their last chance to break it, but we've still met all of our other goals and still have several more to play for," Forrest coach Brent Johns said. "It was tough but, we don't have time to dwell on it. We have to bounce back and put our focus on the playoffs."

The Bulldogs did it and they did not need help from anyone else as they traveled to Richland Friday night and came away with a 14-0 win, qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in three years. "I'll tell you what, this team has made me one proud coach this year and they have come out and competed in a very tough region and given themselves a chance to win every night that we had the opportunity to get on the field," Randolph said. "Making the playoffs was the first step which I am so proud of them, but now we want to compete and try to win a playoff game."

The LMS basketball squads followed the same pattern as the season opener with the Tigerettes winning and the Tigers losing. The Tigerettes, behind a balanced scoring, attack took down Richland 32-23 with Dionna Crutcher leading the way with 10 points.

The Associated Press' Top 10 teams in each of Tennessee's six Division I non-financial aid classifications and in the combined Division II financial aid classification as selected by Tennessee AP-member sportswriters and broadcasters. With first-place votes in parentheses, records through October 31, total points based on 10 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 10th-place vote: