Why Battle Ground Academy Could Be Tennessee's Most Underrated Team Entering 2026

After further review, the ruling on the field stands.

High School Football America (HSFA) released its annual preseason list featuring the top 300 high school football programs in the country this week. Nine teams from Tennessee made the cut.

Baylor led the way at No. 11, followed by Oakland (18), McCallie (38), and Brentwood Academy (84). The next wave featured Alcoa (103), Ravenwood (151), and Ensworth (202), with Maryville (205) and Page (232) rounding out the final two spots.

That nine should’ve been 10.

The Biggest Omission

Defending Division II-AA state champion Battle Ground Academy was left out in the cold.

Over the last two seasons, BGA is 24-4 with back-to-back appearances in the state title game. They return a roster brimming with Power 4 prospects on both sides of the ball. They dominated the Division II-AA playoffs and return one of Tennessee's deepest rosters.

They are unequivocally one of the best 300 teams in the country, and certainly better than the 10th or 11th best team in Tennessee.

They deserved a seat at the table. Instead they were left standing on the porch. On the outside looking in

The Eye Test vs. The Algorithm

HSFA co-founder and editor-in-chief Jeff Fisher, doesn't agree. He steadfastly defends his formula; I believe what I’ve seen with my own two eyes.

“I strongly dislike preseason opinion polls,” Fisher explains. “In 2012, I refused to release our first ranking until the fourth week of the season because I felt you couldn't accurately judge teams before then.”

He goes on to explain why the algorithm left BGA out of the mix and what they can do to elevate their position when toe meets leather later this summer.

“Regarding Battle Ground Academy, they are currently sitting just outside the Top 300. The algorithm heavily rewards out-of-state matchups against elite competition. For example, last year St. Thomas Aquinas (FL) was our national champion over Buford (GA) because Buford stayed entirely in-state, whereas St. Thomas Aquinas played a national schedule.”

Agree To Disagree

Fisher’s poll—the ever-popular HSFA 300—debuted in 2012 as a pure opinion poll. One man. One poll. One opinion..Thousands of options.

By 2013, Fisher had created and developed his own algorithm, relying solely on data. No eye test No human bias. No late night second-guessing. He guards the details of his "secret sauce" like a nuclear launch code, but admits “it factorially analyzes on-field performance, strength of schedule, and team history.”

His system is designed to evaluate what happens on the field and the results speak for themselves. According to Fisher, 69 percent of the teams that make his preseason rankings poll finish the season ranked. ‘It reflects the reliability of the system,” he says.

It's that reliability that compelled the NFL to join forces with the HSFA. “We've been working with NFL Play Football since 2020, It's a sponsorship like any other sponsor in any other business.”

The Schedule That Could Change Everything

To his credit, Fisher notes that BGA is tracking in the right direction.

“Battle Ground is doing the right thing by upgrading their schedule this year with teams like St. Michael Catholic (AL) and Milton (GA), Because the algorithm relies on a bit of historical data alongside current schedules, Battle Ground is steadily gaining ground. If they pick up a few quality wins against this elevated schedule, they will absolutely climb into the rankings.”

Best team in Tennessee? I’d imagine Baylor, McCallie, and Brentwood Academy would have a lot to say about that. But if you want me to believe there are nine teams inside this state border better than BGA right now, I can’t get down with that.

Fisher believes Battle Ground Academy will eventually play its way into the rankings. Jay Pace believes it already has. The good news? They'll settle it on the field.

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