High School Sports Saturday with Tate Mathews

Head Coach Clint Finch of the Brentwood Bruins joins the show to share an inside look at how the Bruins are gearing up for the 2026 high school football season. Coach Finch praises his team's hard work throughout off-season training and preseason scrimmages, highlighting the dramatic physical transformation and impressive pocket presence of junior quarterback Gavin Strang. He also breaks down the depth of the Bruins' receiving corps, key defensive improvements and turnover focus, and the unique challenges of a road-heavy early schedule before heading into a home-field second half.

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Oakland Patriots Head Football Coach Kevin Creasy joins the show to provide a detailed report on how the defending champions are looking in preseason practice. He breaks down recent scrimmage performances against Lipscomb Academy and McCallie, discusses the development of sophomore quarterback Cam Morton and versatile weapon Dante Cameron, and highlights an elite defensive unit led by linebackers and safeties like Adrian Peebles and Colin Mitchell. Coach Creasy also previews Oakland's tough early-season schedule, including upcoming matchups with CPA, Clarksville, and a special road trip to Centerville, Ohio.

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Tate welcomes in Josh Colbert, founder of the Performance Therapy Institute, to talk about pre-season athlete health, proper hydration, and how to prevent common sports injuries before they start. Plus, Josh shares some hilarious and unexpected real-world injury stories from the clinic.

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Tate talks to Tom Kreger about recent high school football scrimmages, focusing on the matchup between Lipscomb Academy and the Oakland Patriots. The conversation highlights standout player transfers, upcoming games broadcasted on ESPN, and ongoing evaluations of player eligibility and transfer paperwork by Rutherford County officials.

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Tate Talks with Blackman High School head football coach Will Hester on August 1st to recap the Blaze’s recent scrimmage against Montgomery Bell Academy (MBA). Coach Hester characterizes the low-scoring contest as a defensive-dominated scrimmage, noting that while both teams executed some good plays, there remains significant room for offensive improvement before the season kicks off in three weeks. The conversation highlights Blackman's solid tackling performance, the ongoing healthy competition between their two promising quarterbacks, and the team's shift toward practicing game-day headset communication. Looking forward, Coach Hester details their upcoming scrimmage against Hendersonville, touching on the routine challenges teams face as school starts back up, while both agree that Middle Tennessee continues to be a hotbed for high-caliber quarterback talent.

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Tate speaks with Franklin Admirals head football coach Josh Atkins following a successful scrimmage against Riverdale to kick off August. Coach Atkins highlights early offensive execution—specifically praise for the offensive line, a converted fourth-down 40-plus yard touchdown run by quarterback Ryder Greg, and the return of broad receiver/tight end Bronx Brusscato—while acknowledging defensive communication growth against Riverdale's speedy receivers. The discussion emphasizes the team's strong running back tandem of Joseph "JoJo" Penaya and sophomore Corey Cook, as well as unique team bonding, such as an ongoing tradition with kicker Henry Ruth, who earns a ketchup sandwich for every touchback. Looking ahead to next week's scrimmage against Rockvale and their season opener against LaVerne in 20 days, Coach Atkins stresses sharpening execution and focusing on incremental improvements to build a complete, disciplined squad.

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This episode of High School Sports Saturday centers on the kickoff of the Tennessee high school football preseason, highlighting recent scrimmage performances and key storylines heading into the new season. Coach Will Hester of the Blackman Blazes discussed his team’s defensive battle against Montgomery Bell Academy, while Coach Josh Atkins of the Franklin Admirals recapped their strong offensive line play and running depth against Riverdale. Additional scrimmages included a 0–0 tie between Lipscomb Academy and Oakland. Tom Kreger of The Tennessean offered insights on regional results, player rankings, and high school transfer policies.

The show also covered two upcoming nationally televised matchups on ESPN2—Brentwood Academy vs. Baylor and Battle Ground Academy vs. St. Michael Catholic—along with the “Dandy Dozen” countdown of top regional prospects, which culminated with Keshawn Bowman ranked number one. Kreger further addressed ongoing Rutherford County compliance checks related to student-athlete transfer documentation.

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This episode of High School Sports Saturday broadcast live from the new Williamson County Schools (WCS) Innovation Center in Franklin, Tennessee, opens with WCS District Director of Athletics Coach Patrick Whitlock, who introduces the expanded Fall Media Day lineup—now featuring girls' volleyball and soccer alongside football—while highlighting the center's career-focused vocational programs (including flight simulators, cybersecurity, culinary arts, and hospitality management), the "Outside the Lines" (OTL) student media initiative, student transfer policies, and the importance of hiring quality coaches to build strong school athletic culture. First-year Centennial High School head coach Coach Chad Broadrick then details assembling his coaching staff, transitioning from defensive coordinator, and reshaping the Cougars' offense following the loss of key 2025 playmakers Mitchell Granger and Malachi Steel by leaning on five returning senior offensive linemen ahead of preseason scrimmages against Lebanon, Independence, and Father Ryan. Next, Nolensville High School head coach Coach Scott Stiddem provides an outlook on his second season leading the Knights, detailing the return of 14 starters (seven on offense and seven on defense), extensive stadium upgrades featuring new turf with heat-reducing green rubber pellets, LED lights, and a video board, his strong support for multi-sport athletes, and a challenging early schedule starting with a Thursday night season opener against Antioch on MyTV30. Nolensville senior defensive lineman Jake Centell follows, explaining how his background as a three-time state-placing wrestler enhances his leverage, hand-fighting, and physical conditioning on the field, while discussing his summer weight training regimen, interest in aviation, and college recruiting process. Senior quarterback Ryan Newell then discusses taking over as Nolensville's starting signal-caller alongside a close-knit group of classmates who have played together since middle school, explaining how his commitment to play Division I baseball at Bowling Green State University and his childhood experience in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu assist his vision and quick decision-making under pressure as the team pursues a state championship. Finally, The Tennessean high school sports columnist Tom Kreager wraps up the broadcast by reviewing the start of full-pad practices across Middle Tennessee, analyzing the commitment of five-star offensive lineman David Sanders Jr. to the University of Tennessee, spotlighting Christ Presbyterian Academy's (CPA) passing attack led by quarterback Bo Bryan and wide receivers Maximus Curry and Maddox Porter, and previewing The Tennessean's annual "Dandy Dozen" series profiling the region's top high school football talent.

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Tate speaks with Tom Kreager of The Tennessean about the upcoming local high school football season. After exchanging birthday wishes for Kreager and Coach Floyd Walker, the two discuss the transition into full-pad practices on Monday and highlight key area prospects. They analyze University of Tennessee commit DGG, comparing his physical, high-powered play style to a shorter Derrick Henry, and review Battle Ground Academy's offense led by quarterback Boo Bryan and wide receivers Maximus Curry and Maddox Porter. Additionally, Kreager provides an update on the release schedule for The Tennessean's "Dandy Dozen" player rankings before joining the media day proceedings.

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Tate speaks with Nolensville Knights head coach Scott Stidham alongside student-athletes Jake Jake Sentell and Ryan Newell to preview the program's upcoming season. Coach Stidham highlights the team's returning starters on both offense and defense, as well as offseason facility upgrades including new turf, a updated track, a video board, and LED lights. The players reflect on how competing in secondary sports—such as wrestling for Jake Sentell  and baseball and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for Newell—translates to on-field football performance through physical toughness, leverage, quick decision-making, and team leadership. The group concludes by discussing their preseason preparations, upcoming scrimmages, early schedule challenges, and their collective goal of contending for a state championship.

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