The Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Awards will be presented to the top football players in nine classifications of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association on Monday, December 2, 2019, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. For the 18thconsecutive year, the top kicker in the state will be recognized with a Mr. Football Award, regardless of classification.

Five semifinalists are announced in this release for each classification and the Kicker of the Year category. There are six classifications in Division I and three in Division II. Three finalists for each category will be announced by Mike Keith on the Titans website at www.titansonline.com on Tuesday, November 19 at 11:00 a.m. CST / 12:00 p.m. EST. The three finalists for each award will be the ones invited to attend the awards luncheon at Nissan Stadium, where the winner of each award will be announced.

Forrest senior running back and safety Nick McClendon earned one of the five semi-finalists spots in Class 2A.

Despite missing two games, McClendon leads the team in rushing with 1,348 yards on 134 attempts that works out to a gaudy 10.1 yards average per rush.

McClendon also leads the Rockets with 16 touchdowns on the season with 15 coming in the ground game and one receiving TD.

On defense, McClendon leads Forrest in tackles and sacks for a defense that has surrendered just 9.1 points per contest.

Trousdale County leads Class 2A defenses with a 5.5 per game average while top-ranked Peabody gives up 6.2 and Meigs County 7.0.

The Rockets went in to Summertown with a 6-0 record on October 4 and came away with a hard-fought 13-6 win with McClendon rushing for a tough 106 yards on 16 carries and one touchdown.

McClendon was visibly sick during the contest and it was later found out that he had appendicitis and had surgery the next morning.

On Sunday morning, McClendon was back at film study, not wanting to miss anything and two weeks later he took the field versus Lewis County and rushed for 177 yards on 20 carries, including a 71-yard touchdown as the Rockets won 16-13 to claim the Region 5-AA championship.

The fourth-ranked Rockets and Peabody, both 10-0 are the only two unbeaten teams remaining in Class 2A and Forrest has the home field advantage and would host Peabody at the Murrey E. Holton Memorial Field in Chapel Hill in a semifinal game on Friday November, 29 if both squads win their first three playoff games.

The Class 2A title game of the Blue Cross Bowl State Championships is at Tennessee Tech University's Tucker Stadium on Saturday, December 7 at 11 a.m.

The Rockets entertain Hickman County (5-5) Friday in the first round of the playoff chase and Peabody hosts the Memphis Academy of Health Sciences (6-4).

A committee of statewide sports writers selected winners based on performance in the 2019 regular season. Academics and character were also taken into consideration. High school head coaches and members of the media nominated the finalists.

"We are very excited and appreciative about being involved with the Tennessee Titans for the 13th consecutive year,” stated Bernard Childress, Executive Director of the TSSAA. “They have helped make the recognition of these 50 student-athletes, their families, and schools possible. The sponsorship of the Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Awards and numerous contributions to high schools across the state since the team moved to Tennessee have meant a great deal to the member schools of the TSSAA.”

This is the 35th year that the Mr. Football Awards have been presented to Tennessee’s best high school football players. A Mr. Football trophy will be presented to the winners of each category. A Mr. Football plaque will be presented to the other two finalists in each category. The other semi-finalists will each receive a certificate.

More than 400 people, including the 30 finalists, their families, coaches, school administrators and members of the media from all parts of the state, are expected to attend the 2019 luncheon.

Mike Keith, play-by-play voice of the Tennessee Titans, will emcee the awards presentation. A live videostream of the awards will be provided at www.titansonline.com.

2019 Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Semifinalists

DIVISION I, CLASS 1A

Hunter Ensley, Huntingdon

Cameron Reed, Huntland

Tanner Snyder, Lake County

Ronto Tipton, South Pittsburg

Holden Willis, Greenback

DIVISION I, CLASS 2A

Cooper Baugus, Peabody

Nick McClendon, Forrest

Martavius Ryals, Tyner

Aaron Swafford, Meigs County

Terry Wilkins, Fairley

DIVISION I, CLASS 3A

Grey Carroll, Alcoa

Treyveon Foster, Austin-East

Donoven McCallister, Upperman

James Moore, Stratford

Logan Nardozzi, Fairview

DIVISION I, CLASS 4A

Tim Coutras, Nolensville

Rivers Hunt, Hardin County

Will McDonald, Livingston Academy

Bryson Rollins, Elizabethton

Ty Youngblood, Greeneville

DIVISION I, CLASS 5A

Spencer Briggs, Gallatin

Ja’sean Parks, Beech

Cade Walker, Page

Colton Webb, Powell

Elijah Young, South-Doyle

DIVISION I, CLASS 6A

Cade Chambers, Maryville

Bryson Eason, Whitehaven

Andrew Mason, Ravenwood

Conner Murphy, Blackman

Lincoln Pare, Houston

DIVISION II, CLASS A

Caedan Clark, Jackson Christian

Kevin Davis, Trinity Christian

Kemari McGowan, MTCS

Rube Scott Rhea, Fayette Academy

Zack Tilley, The King’s Academy

DIVISION II, CLASS AA

Austin Hill, ECS

Eli Morris, Boyd Buchanan

Dietrick Pennington, ECS

Cooper Riggs, Grace Christian Academy (Knoxville)

Nick Semptimphelter, BGA

DIVISION II, CLASS AAA

DeAngelo Hardy, McCallie

Elijah Howard, Baylor

Keshawn Lawrence, Ensworth

Jabari Small, Briarcrest

Omari Thomas, Briarcrest

KICKER OF THE YEAR

Luke Akers, Ravenwood

Jackson Carver, Westview

Alen Karajic, East Hamilton

Paxton Perry, Brentwood Academy

Zeke Rankin, Alcoa