High School

Battleground Academy vs. Franklin Road Academy: Tennessee High School Football Championships preview

No. 1 vs. No. 2 in a rematch in the TSSAA Division II-AA championship game

Jay Pace

Franklin Road Academy's John Davis runs onto the field during a game against Lakeway Christian Lions on Nov. 7.
Franklin Road Academy's John Davis runs onto the field during a game against Lakeway Christian Lions on Nov. 7. / Jason Goode

The first game of the Blue Cross Bowl is a No. 1 vs. No. 2 rematch as Franklin Road Academy prepares to face Battle Ground Academy in Tennesse high school football action.

Division II-AA Championship

Battleground Academy (12-1) vs. Franklin Academy (11-1)

Thursday, December 4th, 11 a.m.

What to know

Separated by less than 10 miles of state highway in Williamson Co. these two programs are intimately familiar with one another. The latest edition of the Blue Cross Bowl is set to begin in style with a good old fashioned Williamson Co. grudge match to get things started.

FRA handed BGA its only loss of the 2025 season, claiming a 21-14 victory when they met in week six of the regular season. As if this rivalry wasn’t heated enough already, adding a Gold Ball to the mix only intensifies things between a pair of programs that don’t much like each other as it is.

Senior QB Kaedyn Marable leads a prolific BGA offense that averages 46.8 points per game. Marable, a 2025 Tennessee Titans Mr. Football finalist has been nothing short of brilliant this season. Marable, an honors student who committed to Columbia University this summer has completed 79.3% of his passes, totaling 3,438 yards and 52 touchdowns. On the ground, Marable has rushed for nearly 600 yards and a team high 12 rushing TDs. 

Marable, along with sophomore wide receiver Maximus Curry and senior Maddox Porter gives BGA one of the most productive passing offenses in Division II-AA. In his last outing, a 49-3 beatdown of Boyd Buchanan in the semifinals, Curry had a night to remember, finishing with 166 yards receiving and 3 TDs. Through 13 games, Curry, who is listed among the top WRs in the class of 2028 has piled up more than 1,200 receiving yards. iSophomore DB Evan Kellum leads a salty Wildcats defense that allows just 15.6 points per game.

FRA relies on a balanced, methodical offensive approach and a dominant defense that likes to impose its will. QB Jack Nimitz leads a Panther offense that averages 38.1 points per game. Defensively, the Panthers strength lies upfront with a chaos creating defensive line that loves to bring the pressure. In their regular season matchup, the Panthers held BGA to its lowest point total of the season at 14.

Head Coaches

Battle Ground Academy: Bobby Bentley.

Bentley is 23-4 in two seasons at BGA. Overall, he is 141-68 in 15 seasons. Bentley is widely considered as one of the best high school football coaches in the country.  Before he arrived at BGA in 2024, Bentley spent 11 years at Byrnes High School in Duncan, SC. where he built one of the top programs in America and won four straight Division II-AAAA championships. 

Franklin Road Academy: Justin Geisinger.

Geisinger is 43-7 in four seasons at FRA. Overall, he is 62-42 overall in 11 seasons. Geisinger has won at least 10 games every season since he arrived at FRA in 2022. Geisinger spent seven seasons at Pope John Paul II before accepting the head job at FRA

The Series 

BGA holds a 14-7 advantage overall. This year marks just the third time these two have met in the postseason. BGA won both of those matchups. IIn 2018, the Wildcats dominated FRA, 50-7 in the semifinal round. Last year, BGA knocked off FRA 28-21 in the semifinals to avenge a 39-14 regular season loss to FRA just five weeks earlier.

The Last Time They Met

FRA claimed a 21-14 win in week 6 of the regular season. 

Championship Pedigree

BGA has a long history of championship football, boasting six titles in all. Peter Thurmond led BGA to its first three championships, winning it all in 1995, ‘97 and ‘98. Tim Moore led BGA to a three-peat, winning it all in 2001, ‘02 and ‘03. 

FRA is looking to claim its first titl

Pick 'Em Challenge

Tell us who you think will win the game with High School On SI's Pick 'Em Challenge

How to watch

Watch on NFHS

Published
jay-pace
JAY PACE

Jay Pace is a veteran journalist who has covered high school, college and NFL football for more than 20 years. An accomplished and versatile writer, Pace boasts a unique style and powerful voice that resonates boldly with a football crazed southern audience. Known for data-driven reporting and field-level insight, he delivers reliable and authoritative coverage across every level of the sport. In a career that has included stops in Alabama, Georgia, Texas and most recently, Tennessee, Pace is one of the sport’s premiere voices for high school football. His work has been published in a number of newspapers and digital publications including The Anniston Star, CrimsonConfidential, Scout.com, and recently, OnDaMarcSports.com in addition to various regional outlets. He began contributing to High School On SI in 2025.

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