Player: Terrell Robinson
The 6-foot-3, 190-pound senior quarterback and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga commitment paced South Pittsburg in both passing and rushing and led the Pirates to the Class 1A state championship game. He was named Tennessee's Mr. Football Class A Back of the Year and finished with 1,898 passing yards, 1,400 rushing yards and a combined 49 touchdowns. In the secondary he intercepted seven passes, returning one for a TD, and was named the defensive most valuable player in the state-final loss.
Coach: Derrick Davis
In his 10th season as head coach at Polk County, his alma mater, he guided the Wildcats to the first 10-0 regular season in program history. Polk County won a league championship (District 5-AA) for the first time since 1985 and advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in seven years. The Wildcats' average margin of victory was 37-12, including five shutouts, against a schedule that included South Pittsburg, McMinn Central and larger classification foes Bradley Central and Walker Valley.
Jared Duke
Walker Valley
Senior Lineman
The 6-foot-6, 330-pound Ole Miss commitment was credited with 40 pancake blocks.
Dillon Graham
Grundy County
Senior Lineman
Grundy ran mostly behind the 6-3, 285-pound tackle, who also had 41 solo tackles, seven for loss.
Tyler Griffith
South Pittsburg
Senior Lineman
He was the top blocker for a team that rushed for 3,405 yards and averaged 398 yards of offense.
Montel Hale
North Jackson
Senior Athlete
He had team highs of 1,306 yards and 21 touchdowns receiving and 618 yards and 11 TDs rushing.
Raquis Hale
South Pittsburg
Junior Running back
A hurt ankle slowed him for three games, but his 9.5 yards per carry led to 1,077 yards and 18 TDs.
Malcolm Jones
South Pittsburg
Senior Receiver
He had 910 receiving yards, 12 TDs, 1,600-plus all-purpose yards and a record state-final kick return.
Lupe Martinez
Sequatchie County
Senior Kicker
He was 7-of-9 on 3-point tries and set a state record with three 40-yarders (44, 47, 52) in one game.
Chip Norwood
Cleveland
Senior Lineman
He helped the Blue Raiders average nearly 6 yards per rush and qualify for the Class 5A playoffs.
Terrell Parks
Cleveland Senior
Running back
He ran for more than 1,200 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 7 yards per carry.
Cameron Tallent
Rhea County
Junior Quarterback
He threw for 1,943 yards and 14 touchdowns against a difficult schedule for the Golden Eagles.
Jovani Taylor
North Jackson
Junior Receiver
He averaged 17 yards per catch and finished with 1,101 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns.
Taylor Williams
Polk County
Senior Lineman
He had eight pancake blocks and was considered the best blocker on a team that ran for 3,281 yards.
Second team
Jared Allen: Polk County, junior, athlete
Austin Arnwine: McMinn County, senior, lineman
Matt Green: McMinn Central, senior, lineman
Brett Holland: Bledsoe County, senior, lineman
Chris Johnson: Rhea County, senior, receiver
Blake McAmis: Bradley Central, senior, lineman
Josh Moss: McMinn Central, senior, receiver
John Nolan: Grundy County, senior, running back
Seth Phillips: Polk County, sophomore, offensive line
Jakoby Reynolds: South Pittsburg, junior, lineman
Will Richard: North Jackson, senior, quarterback
Conner Vestal: McMinn County, senior, lineman
Teams of the year
1. Polk County (11-1): The Wildcats finished the regular season unbeaten, claiming their first district title in 24 years, before bowing out in the second round of the 3A playoffs.
2. South Pittsburg (11-3): The Pirates were dominant against 1A competition until a two-point loss in the final seconds of the Class 1A state championship game.
3. North Jackson (9-4): After failing to win their region for the first time in five years, the Chiefs rebounded to advance to the 4A quarterfinals.