It’s time for the playoff matchup you have grown accustomed over the last few years. On Friday night all eyes will be on Burley Stadium as Anderson County visits Greeneville for a meeting between two of the best teams in Class 4A in the third round of the TSSAA playoffs.
“We need to get back to the semifinals and if it’s going to happen it will be against a big time opponent in Anderson County,” Greeneville coach Eddie Spradlen said. “I expect a four-quarter battle. They have four or five kids that have power-five offers and its going to be a challenge for us on Friday night.”
This will be the fourth year in a row that Greeneville and Anderson County have met in the state quarterfinals. Last year Anderson won 28-14 in Clinton and in 2023 Greeneville won 28-17.
This will be the eighth time in nine years the two teams have met in the playoffs and the 10th time they have played in 11 years. Greeneville has won seven of those nine contests. The last time Anderson County won in Greeneville was in 2004. The last time the Mavericks won a playoff game in Greeneville was 1994 when current head coach Davey Gillum was sophomore running back at Anderson County.
Greeneville is ranked No.1 in the state in Class 4A in this week’s TSWA/USA Today Poll while the Mavericks come in at No.3. Greeneville is looking to make it back to the semifinals for the first time since 2023. It is the biggest game of the year to this point for both teams, but Spradlen wants his team to play loose and confident.
The Greene Devils and Sevier County, in Class 5A, are the only teams from Region 1 still playing football, and that will mean a lot more eyes will be on Friday’s contest.
“You can’t play with nerves in this one. We just have to let it loose and play football. This is the only game being played east of Sevier County so there will be a lot of attention on this one. But we can’t let the moment be too big,” Spradlen said.
Over the offseason Anderson County added more than a handful of transfers from Bearden and none of them have been more impactful than running back Jayzon Thompson.
Thompson leads the Mavericks in rushing with 1,732 yards on 187 carries with 24 touchdowns in 11 games. He also has 385 receiving yards and four more scores. Last week in a 44-14 win over Stone Memorial he ran for 128 yards and three touchdowns.
“They have a power-four level running back. He’s really explosive when he touches the ball,” Spradlen said. “I don’t know that we stop him, but we have to limit him. He can’t just come in here and run wild.”
For much of the year the Mavericks had to lean on Thompson because 16-year-old freshman quarterback JD Gillum was injured. Now Gillum is back in the lineup and in last week’s win he was 21-of-25 for 220 yards and three touchdowns. His first game back was October 17 in an 80-20 win over Union County where the Mavericks threw the ball 24 times and attempted one run play.
Anderson County comes into the game with a 9-2 record. The Mavericks are averaging 42.8 points per game and allowing 20.9 points per game. The Mavericks are the Region 2-4A champions after beating Alcoa 31-30 in the final game of the regular season.
Greeneville brings its own high-powered offense into the contest. The 11-1 Greene Devils are scoring 48.1 points per game and holding opponents to 9.7 points per game. The only common opponent on the two schedules is Volunteer who Greeneville beat 42-7 on October 17, and Anderson County beat 37-21 on November 7.
In Spradlen’s mind Friday’s outcome will be determined at the line of scrimmage, and he will look for his offensive line to pave the way for the Devils’ variety of playmakers.
“Everything starts with our offensive line,” Spradlen said. “We need them to give us the opportunity to make plays, and when they give us the opportunity to make plays we have to make them. Whether its running or throwing we have to move the football.”
Senior quarterback Caden Baugh has led the Greene Devils all season and enters Friday’s contest with 2,470 passing yards, 996 rushing yards and 48 combined touchdowns. Receivers Zaydyn Anderson, Cole Franklin and Taren Claridy all have over 500 receiving yards. Anderson leads that effort with 1,152 yards on 38 catches with 18 touchdowns.
If you can’t make it to Friday’s game Greene Sports Zone has you covered. As always, the game will be broadcast on WGRV 99.5 FM, and it will streamed live as our First Horizon game of the week on the Greene Sports Zone Facebook and YouTube pages.
Greeneville vs. Anderson County LIVE Friday night at 7:00!
Don't miss these two juggernauts square off; tune in to GreeneSportsZone's Facebook or YouTube page, as well as the Radio Greeneville Facebook page. #FirstHorizon pic.twitter.com/nJertYwpRF
— GreeneSportsZone (@GSportsZone) November 19, 2025
ALMOST THAT TIME!
Playoff football is coming at you live on Friday night with pregame coverage starting at 6:30. Watch GHS vs. AC on GSZ's Facebook or YouTube page, or listen in on 99.5 WGRV.
We'll see you there. #FirstHorizon pic.twitter.com/XW1jNtmKXA
— GreeneSportsZone (@GSportsZone) November 20, 2025
IT'S TIME.
GREENE DEVILS. MAVRICKS.
99.5 FM WGRV, GSZ Facebook, GSZ YouTube, https://t.co/771uyEOrH9#FirstHorizon pic.twitter.com/5JdPhnRrJH
— GreeneSportsZone (@GSportsZone) November 21, 2025
