KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Knox County has just two teams remaining with a chance to win a state championship, Powell (11-2) and West (11-2).
The Panthers and Rebels have met three times in the playoffs with West winning the last matchup back in 2019 in the state quarterfinals.
According to Powell coach Matt Lowe, this is the matchup everyone in Knoxville has been waiting on. He says the key to advancing to the 5A state championship game is simple: slow down the Rebels run game.
“Their run game in general is as good as we’ve seen all season long,” Lowe said. “We’ve got to be able to make plays. We’ve got to be able to find a way to slow down their run and be able to run the ball ourselves. I think that’s one of the big keys for both squads on each side is establishing the line of scrimmage.”
Kickoff for Friday’s state semifinal matchup is set for 7 p.m. at West High School.
