For the first time since the November 2020, there’s a team over than the Oakland Patriots at the top of the High School Football America Tennessee Top 10 high school football rankings, powered by NFL Play Football.
Reigning Division II-AA champ Lipscomb Academy starts 2022 at the top of our statewide rankings created with our proprietary algorithm. The Mustangs, who are led by former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer, are also highly-ranked nationally. LA is No. 29 in the HSFA 100 national rankings.
Difer’s team will find-out if the ranking is warranted as three of its first four games are against teams ranked in our preseason Top 200 national rankings. The Mustangs open on the road against No. 65 Milton (Georgia) and No. 17 Thompson, which has won three straight Alabama 7A titles.
After playing Goodpasture Christian at home on September 2, Lipscomb will host Maryland’s Calvert Hall, which is ranked No. 152 in our preseason poll.
Later in the season, Dilfer will match wits against with fellow former NFL QB Ingle Martin, who has led No. 7 Christ Presbyterian Academy (CPA) to three state championships.
In 2020, Martin beat Dilfer and Lipscomb Academy for the Division II-AA. Dilfer got revenge in last year’s championship game.
Two-time defending 6A champ Oakland starts the season at No. 2 after finishing No. 1 in our poll in 2020 and 2021. The Patriots’ 2022 schedule includes matchups against No. 7 CPA and No. 9 Ravenwood. They will also play three-time defending Midsouth Association of Independent Schools champ Madison-Ridgeland Academy from Mississippi. MRA is ranked No. 143 nationally.
Oakland brings a 30-game win streak into the season.
McCallie, preseason No. 3, will be looking for its fourth straight Division II-AAA state title. Like Lipscomb Academy and Oakland, the Blue Tornado is nationally-ranked, starting the season at No. 52.
No. 4 Maryville has two preseason Top 10’s on its schedule. The Rebels will play defending 5A champ Powell (No. 10) on August 26 and its annual rivalry game against No. 5 Alcoa on September 9.
7-time defending state champ Alcoa starts a new era without Gary Rankin, the state’s all-time leader in coaching wins. After stepping-down with the Tornadoes at the end of last season, Rankin took the head coaching job at Boyd Buchanan.
Longtime assistant Brian Nix is the new leader of the Alcoa program.
Aside from Lipscomb’s trip to suburban Atlanta, this weekend’s big game will be No. 8 Montgomery Bell Academy traveling to No. 9 Ravenwood.
High School Football America Tennessee Top 10
| Team | Record | 2022 National Ranking |
| No. 1 Lipscomb Academy | (13-1) | 29 |
| No. 2 Oakland | (15-0) | 39 |
| No. 3 McCallie | (14-0) | 52 |
| No. 4 Maryville | (13-1) | 109 |
| No. 5 Alcoa | (13-1) | 124 |
| No. 6 Christ Presbyterian Academy | (11-3) | 217 |
| No. 7 Summit | (14-1) | 226 |
| No. 8 Montgomery Bell Academy | (9-4) | 265 |
| No. 9 Ravenwood | (10-2) | In Top 1000 |
| No. 10 Powell | (13-2) | In Top 1000 |
Editor’s Note: The High School Football America national, regional and state rankings are developed using our proprietary algorithm.
