Powell Takes On Sevier County In The Second Round

By Aiden Gallagher

 After a big win over Tennessee High in the first round, the Panthers hit the road to take on Sevier County. The Panthers come into the matchup fresh off a 42-14 win over Tennessee High, and the Smokey Bears come in fresh off a 51-20 victory over Central. This will be the first real test of the playoffs for both teams. Powell comes into the game ranked 4th in 5A while the Smokey Bears are ranked 8th. The game should be one of the best this week with two ranking teams duking it out for a spot in the final eight. 

Matchup History:

   Not much to go over here because the Panthers have never played Sevier before. Despite the two teams never playing an interesting topic peaks its head. This is the farthest the Panthers have traveled in almost a year and Seveir is nearly 15 miles farther than anywhere else they have traveled this year. 

Impact Players:

Powell:

  Panthers QB Duece Rodgers has been elite for most of the year. His legs have given issues for opposing defenses all year long but he has also developed an arm over the past few weeks to form a dangerous combination. Rodgers will need to have a big game this week to get the Panthers into the Quarterfinals.

Sevier:

  LB Tyler Mann comes into the game averaging 14 tackles per game. If that number isn’t enough he also adds 40 rushing yards to his list. The two-way player has shown he is one of the best in 5A and will need to have a big-time performance to get his Sevier over the hump.