Main Street Preps This Week

Could 2023 be the year Pearl-Cohn football finally breaks through? Coach Tony Brunetti sure hopes so. His Firebirds (14-0) face Upperman (14-0) in the TSSAA Class 4A BlueCross Bowl state championship game on Saturday morning. Pearl-Cohn hasn't won a state title since earning back-to-back Class 4A crowns in 1996 and 1997. Host Russell Vannozzi interviews Brunetti and previews all nine BlueCross Bow...

Like clockwork, Christ Presbyterian Academy football is set to return to the TSSAA Division II-AA BlueCross Bowl. The Lions (12-1) will make their sixth straight state championship game appearance on Thursday, Nov. 30 when they face Boyd Buchanan (13-0). CPA coach Ingle Martin joined today's show to discuss how his team made it back to Chattanooga and what to expect from coach Gary Rankin's Buccan...

Franklin Road Academy football coach Justin Geisinger likes to talk about the process rather than the results. Geisinger insists that he and his staff don't dwell on the outcomes of games, instead focusing on program-building. That formula seems to be working for the Panthers (11-1), who face CPA (11-1) in Friday's Division II-AA state semifinals. Show host Russell Vannozzi caught up with Geisinge...

Few teams have qualified for the TSSAA football playoffs as consistently as Page over the last two decades. The Patriots, which are back in the postseason for the 16th straight time, host Tullahoma in the second round on Friday. Ahead of that game, Page coach Charles Rathbone joined the show to discuss how his program's expectations have been elevated by back-to-back Class 5A runner-up finishes an...

Under first-year head coach Damien Harris, East Nashville football has picked up right where it left off. The back-to-back Class 3A runner-up Eagles (8-2) enter the TSSAA playoffs as the No. 1 seed from Region 5-3A with plenty of juice for another deep postseason run. Harris joined this week's episode to give an assessment of his team to host Russell Vannozzi, who also talks area storylines and fi...

More than a decade has passed since Riverdale football last beat Oakland in 2012. Could this be the year the Warriors finally take the Battle of the Boro? Riverdale coach Will Kriesky joined this week's show to preview the rivalry matchup and highlight some of his team's top players like quarterback Braden Graham, wide receiver Brock Montgomery and Michigan State commitments Jaylen Thompson and Ke...

This season brought a new wrinkle for Oakland football coach Kevin Creasy: his son Kyler at starting quarterback. After suffering a broken collarbone early in the season, Kyler returned to action in late September. Kevin joined this week's show to provide an update on his son's status, talk about running backs Daune Morris and Ashton Jones (along with other emerging stars), and discuss how his pro...

Nashville Christian football coach Jeff Brothers knew his 2023 team would require some patience. The back-to-back Division II-A runner-up Eagles graduated their leading rusher, top four pass catchers and a number of key contributors on defense. After opening the season with three consecutive losses, Nashville Christian (3-3) has won three straight to enter Friday's game against Columbia Academy (4...

Hillsboro football will be tested often over the next month of Region 6-5A play. The Burros (5-1) enter the meat of their schedule starting Friday at Nolensville (5-1). Coach Anthony Brown joined the show to discuss how his team has played so far, why two-way senior Kaiki Baker is indispensable and what he thought about former Burros star Matthew Jackson earning a roster spot with the Tennessee Ti...

Brentwood coach Clint Finch doesn't take the easy route when it comes to scheduling non-region opponents. Despite having already played teams like Brentwood Academy, Henry County and Hendersonville, the Bruins (5-0) remain unbeaten halfway through the regular season. Finch spoke on the impact of transfer QB Baylor Hayes, how Brentwood may enjoy more than a decade of WR production from a single fam...

What does Father Ryan football get following its biggest win in recent memory? A showdown with Montgomery Bell Academy, which the Irish have not beaten since the 1997 Clinic Bowl Division II state title game. Father Ryan coach Brian Rector discusses how his team took down Brentwood Academy 56-21 last week, why senior QB JoJo Crump is so valuable and what needed to change after the Irish finished 2...

Overlook Antioch's football team at your own risk. The Bears snapped their 22-game losing streak with an 18-15 win at Cane Ridge last week, and if coach Devin Arnold has his way, the program's turnaround has only just begun. Arnold and junior lineman Takhyian Whitset join this week's show to discuss how Antioch has returned to being competitive. Host Russell Vannozzi also talks other Nashville-are...

Phillip Stevenson was out of coaching in 2020. Inspired by the loss of his father that year, Stevenson eventually re-entered the ranks as Glencliff's head coach in 2022. After another 0-10 finish last season, the Colts earned their first victory since 2018 on Aug. 25. Hear the inspiring story of Stevenson and the Colts on this week's episode, along with high school football analysis from host Russ...

Davidson Academy began its 2023 football season with a feat that's eluded the Bears for the past two years: beating Nashville Christian. Coach Jonathan Quinn and quarterback Knox Roberts join the Main Street Preps High School Football Preview Show to discuss that win and more about the Bears expectations for this year. Hosts Tyler Palmateer and Russell Vannozzi also break down Week 1 and look ahea...

Pro Football Hall of Famer Kevin Mawae has coached and played in hundreds of games. Friday will be the first time Mawae takes the field as a high school head coach, and a tough challenge awaits as his Lipscomb Academy team is set to host national power IMG Academy. Mawae joined the Main Street Preps High School Preview Show to discuss his first six months on the job, what to expect from the Mustan...

Find team rosters if you're headed to a high school football game in Tennessee next week. Numerous players transferred schools during the offseason, leading show hosts Tyler Palmateer and Russell Vannozzi to discuss potential reasons behind all the movement. Later, they rattle off way-too-early candidates for the 2023 Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Awards and discuss Metro Nashville football storyl...

Patrick "PJay" Smith Jr. is right where he always wanted to be. After two standout basketball seasons at Division II Lee University, Smith hit the transfer portal this spring and landed at Furman, fresh off a trip to the NCAA tournament. The former Goodpasture star guard details his journey through the college ranks in this week's episode. Hosts Tyler Palmateer and Russell Vannozzi also take a mom...

David Wilson is hitting the ground running in Robertson County. The Trevecca graduate joined Main Street Preps and The Connection this month as a sports reporter, just in time for the 2023 high school football season. Hosts Tyler Palmateer and Russell Vannozzi get to know David in this week's episode and close the show by discussing Nashville's top football storylines.

Brentwood Academy point guard Tyler Tanner joins the show to explain why he committed to Vanderbilt basketball over Belmont and Murray State. He discussed how he approached his recruitment, what excites him about playing for coach Jerry Stackhouse, and his relationship with BA alum and current Cleveland Cavaliers star Darius Garland. Hosts Tyler Palmateer and Russell Vannozzi close the episode by...

In a wide-ranging episode, MSP This Week hosts Tyler Palmateer and Russell Vannozzi welcome recent Goodpasture baseball graduate Carson Rucker and former Pearl-Cohn long snapper Wesley Schelling for interviews. Hear how Rucker reacted to being selected by the Detroit Tigers in the MLB Draft and what his older brother Jake has meant to his baseball career. Plus, listen to Schelling detail the unlik...

Like many football prospects of his caliber, Charlie Becker wanted to make his college decision before his senior season. The Father Ryan wide receiver committed to Indiana on June 22 over offers from Iowa and Northwestern, among others. He joined this week's episode to talk about why he landed on the Hoosiers and what he hopes to accomplish in his final year with the Irish. Hosts Tyler Palmateer...

Houston High's baseball career has been full of twists and turns. His senior season at Lipscomb Academy was canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and a year later, he tore the UCL in his throwing elbow during his first pitching appearance for Union University. On this week's episode, High talks about the "stubbornness" that kept him going and eventually led him to the success he's having now...

John Jenkins is keeping his NBA dreams alive. He plans to return to G League Ignite next season for another crack at landing an NBA contract. On this week's episode, Jenkins details his journey from starring at Station Camp High and Vanderbilt, dealing with an injury setback in his second year with the Atlanta Hawks and navigating the ups and downs that come with overseas hoops.

Before AJ Russell was stacking up All-America honors with Tennessee baseball, he was a star pitcher at Franklin High. Coach Wally Whidby joined MSP This Week to give insight on Russell's impressive freshman season, along with his thoughts on Franklin's team outlook for 2024. Host Russell Vannozzi closes the show by reviewing Main Street Preps' All-Midstate Players of the Year for each spring sport...