Mt. Juliet head football coach Trey Perry is a finalist for the Tennessee Titans High School Coach of the Week. The nomination follows the Golden Bears' 26-10 upset of previously undefeated Gallatin in Region 4-6A play.

The Titans Community account announced the Week 7 nominees on Monday, Oct. 5. Sports editor David Wilson reported Perry's inclusion among the three finalists statewide.

The program, presented by Whataburger, nominates three Tennessee high school coaches each week. Fans vote online, and the winner's program receives a $2,000 grant from the Titans Foundation. Voting is open at the Titans Coach of the Week page.

Perry's nomination stems from the Golden Bears' Thursday, Oct. 1, upset of Gallatin at Roger Perry Field/Elzie Patton Stadium. The game was moved up a day because of weather.

Gallatin entered at 6-0, the lone unbeaten in Region 4-6A. Senior safety Josh Patterson blocked a punt and scooped it for a score, giving Mt. Juliet a lead it never relinquished. The lead held. A third-quarter safety pushed the margin to 16-7. Junior running back Eli Driver carried five times for 42 yards on a key drive, including a two-yard touchdown. Quarterback Yonas Gizaw scored in the final minutes to seal it.

"We're not young no more, and we finished it tonight," Perry told Main Street Media after the Oct. 1 game.

The victory improved Mt. Juliet to 4-3 overall and 1-1 in region play. After a 1-3 start, the Golden Bears have won three straight and outscored opponents 109-36 during that stretch, according to the Lebanon Democrat.

The nomination caps a strong stretch that includes another milestone. Perry earned his 100th career win at Mt. Juliet on Sept. 25, a 34-12 victory over Clarksville Northeast, as mtjuliet.com reported. He took over the program in 2013 from his father, Roger Perry, and is 100-53 in 14 seasons. The elder Perry went 266-93 across three decades at Westmoreland, Portland and Mt. Juliet.

Gallatin head coach Michael Stroup won the same Titans honor for Week 5, when the Green Wave were still unbeaten. Perry now has a chance to bring the award to the other side of the same region rivalry.

Mt. Juliet is off for fall break during Week 8. The Golden Bears return for the final three games of the Region 4-6A schedule after the break.