All eyes will be on Burley Stadium on Friday night for a Class 4A state semifinal clash that will feel more like a state championship game when Greeneville meets Alcoa.
Both teams have spent most of the year ranked at the top of Class 4A and in the latest USA Today/ TSWA poll Greeneville and Alcoa are tied at No.1. Both teams are 12-1 on the year, and both teams have state title aspirations.
“It’s going to be a state championship type game,” Greeneville coach Eddie Spradlen said. “It’s two of the better teams in the state regardless of classification going at each other. It’s going to take a great effort from our team to beat a really talented team. Alcoa presents a big-time challenge but we are glad to have this opportunity. Our kids are excited, and that’s what it’s all about.”
Greeneville is coming off of a 28-21 win over Anderson County last week in the state quarterfinals, and it took the Devils best effort yet to top the No.3 ranked team in the state. Anderson County is lone blemish on the Tornadoes’ record as they handed Alcoa a 31-30 loss in the final game of the regular season.
“This is a special football team. I’m really proud of them, of how they have stepped up. The bigger the game the harder they seem to play,” Spradlen said. “We have to continue to do the things we have done to get to this point. When you get into games like this you better be in the best shape you can be. That starts in the weight room, and all of the stuff that Glen Evatt and our training staff does. We have to be at our best this week.”
Alcoa is coming off a 38-13 win over Red Bank in its quarterfinal contest and is returning to the state semifinals for the 13th consecutive season. The Tornadoes have scored an average of 47.7 points per game in the postseason and will be led by prolific passer and Mr. Football finalist Thomas Manu.
Manu comes into the game having thrown for 2,717 yards on 206 attempts while completing 80 percent of his passes. He has 43 touchdowns and one interception.
Manu will be the third quarterback Greeneville has faced this year who is a finalist for Mr. Football along Bronzden Chaffin of Upperman and Cooper Newman of Sevier County.
Manu’s favorite target will be junior Jamir Dean who has a handful of Power Five offers to go with 844 yards and 14 touchdowns. JaColby Cooper and Jaylen Penson each have over 30 catches, 500 receiving yards and seven touchdowns for Alcoa. The Tornadoes will be without leading rusher Condis Cherry on Friday due to an ankle injury.
“The quarterback is what makes them go and we have to find ways to make him uncomfortable,” Spradlen said. “I expect them to go to the air as much as anybody we’ve seen, very similar to last week with Anderson County. We can’t give up deep balls, and we have to limit the big plays. They will get in the endzone, but we can’t give up the big one.”
When the Greene Devils have the ball Spradlen wants to establish the running game and bowl over the Tornadoes three-man front line. For much of the year that effort has been led by quarterback Caden Baugh who is also a Mr. Football finalist. Through 13 games Baugh has run for 1,137 yards on 133 attempts with 14 touchdowns.
Last week Tegan Begley emerged as the primary back and ran for 114 yard while Greeneville as a team rushed for 327 yards against Anderson County. Jude Dyer and Maddox Bishop will also continue to be counted on to gain yards on the ground.
“Defensively they will line up in a three-man front and play a five-man shell in the secondary,” Spradlen said. “We have to win up front and establish the run game against them. Upperman was able to run the football on them in the first half. We have to be physical up front and get our run game going.”
Spradlen also knows that his team can not be one dimensional and they will look for ways to get the ball to receivers Zaydyn Anderson, Taren Claridy and Cole Franklin. The trio has combined for 34 touchdowns this season.
Friday’s meeting will mark the third year in a row Alcoa and Greeneville have met on the gridiron. The 2023 went to halftime tied and was ruled a no contest after a weather delay. Last year at Alcoa the Tornadoes pulled away to a 31-13 win in the second half.
Alcoa leads the all-time series between the two teams 3-2. Greeneville’s last win came in 2011, 42-14. Alcoa comes into the game having won 10 consecutive state championships in Class 3A, but this is the program’s first year playing in 4A.
The Tornadoes last playoff loss came against CPA in the 2014 Class 3A State Championship Game.
Alcoa leads all programs in Tennessee with 23 state championships and 19 of those have come since 2000. The last time the Tornadoes lost a state semifinal game was in 2003, but in 2011 and 2012 they were eliminated in the quarterfinals by eventual state champion CAK. 2003 was also the last time a team that did not win the state championship eliminated the Tornadoes.
The last time Alcoa lost to a public school in the playoffs was against Loudon on November, 12 1999.
Greeneville is making its ninth state semifinal appearance in program history and is looking to get back to the state championship game for the first time since 2018.
If you can’t make it to Burley Stadium on Friday the game will be broadcast live on WGRV 99.5 FM. But after the crowd made such an impact against Anderson County Spradlen implores everyone to show up and make some noise on Friday.
“This place was rocking on Friday. My hat is off to our fans, that was probably as loud as I’ve ever noticed and it made a difference,” Spradlen said. “We have to have that same environment this week. You could see a different energy in our guys when our fans are backing them like that.”
One last ride for the seniors at Burley Stadium tonight. Everything is at stake.
Greeneville vs. Alcoa pregame coverage starts at 6:30 on 99.5 FM WGRV#FirstHorizon pic.twitter.com/6x8DPkN8jS
— GreeneSportsZone (@GSportsZone) November 28, 2025
GAMETIME.
GREENEVILLE.
ALCOA.
99.5 FM WGRV #FirstHorizon pic.twitter.com/WpssRXS7aZ
— GreeneSportsZone (@GSportsZone) November 28, 2025
