Cookeville can clinch a Class 6A playoff spot by beating Lebanon at home on Friday, Oct. 30, and it can still get in with a loss. Under TSSAA’s playoff possibilities, updated Oct. 27, the Cavaliers (4-5) miss out in only one case: Lebanon wins and Mt. Juliet beats Green Hill on the same night.
Three Region 4 games on Friday settle the order: Lebanon at Cookeville, Mt. Juliet at Green Hill and Gallatin at Wilson Central. TSSAA lists Wilson Central as mathematically eliminated. The top four seeds play in the first round on Friday, Nov. 6.
Cookeville sits in a three-way tie at 2-2
TSSAA’s region standings, updated Oct. 25, show Green Hill and Lebanon at 3-1. Gallatin, Cookeville and Mt. Juliet are 2-2, and Wilson Central is 0-4.
According to its TSSAA schedule, Cookeville lost 21-14 at Gallatin on Sept. 11, beat Wilson Central 43-0 on Sept. 18, lost 21-7 at Green Hill on Sept. 25 and beat Mt. Juliet 34-17 on Oct. 23. The Cavaliers have won their last two games, including a 34-0 win at Farragut on Oct. 16.
Can Cookeville lose and still make it? Five questions answered
Does beating Lebanon guarantee a spot? Yes. In every TSSAA scenario where Cookeville beats Lebanon, the Cavaliers are seeded, either No. 2 or No. 4.
Can Cookeville lose and still get in? Yes, if Green Hill beats Mt. Juliet. TSSAA then lists Cookeville as the No. 4 seed whether Gallatin or Wilson Central wins. Both of those lines carry an “H,” TSSAA’s code for a seed won on head-to-head results. Cookeville beat Mt. Juliet 34-17 on Oct. 23.
How does Cookeville get the No. 2 seed? It must beat Lebanon, and Wilson Central, which is 0-9, must beat Gallatin. That is the only path to No. 2, and it works whichever team wins Mt. Juliet at Green Hill.
What does the question mark on TSSAA’s page mean? If Mt. Juliet, Cookeville and Gallatin all win, TSSAA lists Cookeville at No. 4 but shows seeds 1 through 3 as “? D.” Its key says a deep tie means “teams are still tied on overall wins and need a deeper tiebreaker.” By the standings, that combination would leave five teams at 3-2 in region play. TSSAA does not yet name the other three seeds.
Who would Cookeville play on Nov. 6? Region 4 teams meet Region 3 teams in the first round, according to the 6A bracket. As the No. 4 seed, Cookeville would play Region 3’s No. 1 in Game 105. TSSAA’s Region 3 scenarios make that the winner of Friday’s Oakland at Riverdale game; both teams are 8-1. As the No. 2 seed, Cookeville would play Region 3’s No. 3 in Game 104: Smyrna if Oakland wins, or Oakland if Riverdale wins. The bracket does not list sites or kickoff times yet.
All eight Friday outcomes for Cookeville
| Mt. Juliet at Green Hill | Lebanon at Cookeville | Gallatin at Wilson Central | Cookeville’s seed | Nov. 6 opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mt. Juliet wins | Lebanon wins | Gallatin wins | Out | None |
| Mt. Juliet wins | Lebanon wins | Wilson Central wins | Out | None |
| Mt. Juliet wins | Cookeville wins | Gallatin wins | No. 4 (seeds 1-3 undecided) | Region 3 No. 1 |
| Mt. Juliet wins | Cookeville wins | Wilson Central wins | No. 2 | Region 3 No. 3 |
| Green Hill wins | Lebanon wins | Gallatin wins | No. 4 | Region 3 No. 1 |
| Green Hill wins | Lebanon wins | Wilson Central wins | No. 4 | Region 3 No. 1 |
| Green Hill wins | Cookeville wins | Gallatin wins | No. 4 | Region 3 No. 1 |
| Green Hill wins | Cookeville wins | Wilson Central wins | No. 2 | Region 3 No. 3 |
Lebanon has the better record against shared opponents
Lebanon is 7-2 and has outscored opponents 269-112. Its losses came against Nolensville, 21-14, and Green Hill, 22-19. Cookeville has outscored opponents 209-167. The two teams have played five of the same opponents this season:
- Wilson Central: Cookeville won 43-0; Lebanon won 34-0.
- Mt. Juliet: Cookeville won 34-17; Lebanon won 28-7.
- Siegel: Cookeville won 42-14; Lebanon won 28-14.
- Gallatin: Cookeville lost 21-14; Lebanon won 20-13.
- Green Hill: Cookeville lost 21-7; Lebanon lost 22-19.
TSSAA’s schedule lists Lebanon at Cookeville without a kickoff time. The 6A final is set for Saturday, Dec. 5, at 7 p.m. in Chattanooga.
Top image: File photo: Cookeville High School in Cookeville, Tennessee, seen across a grass field in 2016. Photo: Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons