Rossview at Brentwood | Class 6A First-Round Preview

Brentwood brings an 8–2 record and a passing game with several proven targets into Friday’s Class 6A playoff opener against Rossview. The Bruins, Region 6’s No. 2 seed, host the Hawks (4–6), Region 5’s No. 3 seed, at 7 p.m. on Nov. 6.

Brentwood averaged 28.3 points during the regular season and allowed just 13.7 per game. Rossview averaged 13.5, making early stops especially important if the Hawks want to keep the game within reach. Brentwood’s edge is through the air. Junior quarterback Gavin Strang (#10) completed 70 percent of his passes for 1,372 yards and 14 touchdowns in seven reported games. Parker Emerson (#6) averaged 62.4 receiving yards per game, while Jones Merrill (#4) averaged 39.8 and caught three touchdown passes. The toughest player to account for may be Parker Cates (#20). He scored five rushing touchdowns and four receiving touchdowns in the posted stats, giving Brentwood a way to punish a defense that commits extra bodies to coverage.

Rossview’s player to watch is quarterback Dawson Deer (#9). In the available games, Deer averaged 100.3 passing yards, and running back Christopher Hercules (#2) averaged 43.7 receiving yards. That makes Hercules an outlet worth watching when Brentwood linebacker Hudson Turner (#86), credited with four sacks in the posted stats, gets into the backfield. Karter Brooks (#44) is a factor on both sides. He averaged 23.7 rushing yards and 11 tackles in his reported games. Rossview’s player stats cover a limited sample, but the Deer-to-Hercules connection is the clearest offensive strength in those numbers. The matchup may turn on first down.

If Brooks and the Hawks can keep Brentwood behind the chains, Rossview has a chance to shorten the game and give Deer more meaningful possessions. If Strang has time to work and Cates is finding room on the ground, the Bruins can dictate how Rossview has to defend every series.