Mt. Juliet's playoff path runs through Cookeville on Friday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m.
The Golden Bears (5-3, 2-1 Region 4-6A) travel to Jelly Watson Stadium to face the Cavaliers (3-5, 1-2) in a game that will reshape the four-way tie atop the region. Four teams sit knotted at 2-1 in region play with two games left, according to standings published by the Lebanon Democrat. Mt. Juliet, Lebanon, Gallatin and Green Hill all hold identical region records.
A loss would drop the Bears to 2-2 in region play and complicate their postseason path with one game remaining. A win would keep Mt. Juliet in the thick of the race heading into the regular-season finale at Green Hill.
The tiebreaker picture is tangled. Mt. Juliet holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Gallatin but not over Lebanon, the Lebanon Democrat reported. The Green Hill tiebreaker is still pending. That means the Bears cannot afford a stumble against a Cookeville team that has won just once in region play.
Both teams won in Week 9. Mt. Juliet beat Wilson Central 37-7, while Cookeville shut out Farragut 34-0.
The rest of the region picture plays out simultaneously Friday. Lebanon (6-2, 2-1) hosts Gallatin (6-2, 2-1) in what the Lebanon Democrat called "one of the key puzzle games remaining in Region 4-6A." Green Hill (6-2, 2-1) hosts winless Wilson Central (0-8, 0-3).
Coach Trey Perry, who reached his 100th career win at Mt. Juliet on Sept. 25 against Northeast, according to a Yahoo Sports report, carries a 100-53 record in 14 seasons leading the program. Perry took over for his father Roger in 2013. Running backs Jeremiah Steele and Eli Driver combined for five touchdowns and 213 rushing yards in the Sept. 25 win that gave Perry his milestone.
In the regular-season finale the following week, Green Hill hosts Mt. Juliet, Gallatin travels to Wilson Central and Lebanon goes to Cookeville.
