S

One month remains before the Coffee County Red Raiders start a new era under first-year head coach Brandon Harmon, but it’s never too early to look ahead at their 2025 schedule, which features rivalry matchups and new region opponents.

Aug. 22 at Franklin County

To kick off the 2025 campaign, the Red Raiders will travel to Winchester to take on the Franklin County Rebels.

The Rebels didn’t have much to cheer about in 2024, finishing the season with a mark of 0-10 and a last place finish in 5A Region 5. The first of those 10 losses came at the hands of Coffee County, who stormed away with a 49-0 week one win in Manchester.

Franklin County has won 14 of their previous 22 matchups against the rival Red Raiders, dating back to 2001, but Coffee County has had more success against the Rebels in recent meetings, going 4-1 in the last five years. Last time the two teams met in Winchester, which was 2023, the Raiders slugged out a 10-7 win.

Aug. 29 Vs Tullahoma

The Raiders’ 2025 home opener is arguably the marquee event of the 2025 season; the 100th edition in the historic Battle for the Coffee Pot.

Last year, Tullahoma went 6-5, finishing play in 5A Region 5 with a 4-2 record, which was good enough for a third place finish in the standings. A 23-14 first round loss to Nolensville in the 5A State playoffs brought an end to the ‘Cats’ 2024 season.

Tullahoma may have a huge advantage over Coffee County in the series’ history, leading 64-33-2, but when the two teams meet at Carden-Jarrell Field this year, those records will be all but thrown out the window.

The Red Raiders outdueled the ‘Cats in last year’s edition of the rivalry, winning 24-21 at Wilkins Stadium, but last time the series made its way to Manchester in 2023, Tullahoma dealt Coffee County a 16-0 shutout.

A win over Tullahoma this year would mark the first pair of back-to-back victories in the series for Coffee County since the 2015-16 seasons.

Sept. 5 Vs Wilson Central

In week three, the Red Raiders will remain in Manchester and play against another Wildcat team, Wilson Central.

Wilson Central went 3-7 last year, finishing sixth in 6A Region 4 with a 1-5 mark in region play.

In the last 25 years, Coffee County has faced Wilson Central a total of four times with a pair of two-game series in 2003-2004 and 2007-2008. The Wildcats beat the Red Raiders in all four of those meetings, taking the most recent matchup 49-14 in Lebanon.

Sept. 12 Vs Franklin

To end the three-game home stand, the Red Raiders will get their first taste of a new region when the Franklin Admirals come to town.

Franklin finished the 2024 campaign at 6-6, ending the regular season with a 3-2 record in 6A Region 6. The Admirals enjoyed a first round State Playoff victory with a 28-14 win over Antioch, but closed the season in the second round with a 45-13 loss to Region 6 Champions Ravenwood.

Sept. 19 at Independence

The Red Raiders will embark on their first road trip in 6A Region 6 when they travel to Thompson’s Station to take on the Independence Eagles.

The Eagles limped to last year’s State Playoffs with a 3-7 regular season record and a 2-3 mark in region play, then ended the campaign with a 20-14 loss in the first round to Stewarts Creek.

Coffee County and Independence met on the gridiron only twice before in 2011 and 2012, with the Eagles winning both games 69-7 and 42-6 respectively.

Independence tends to find their way into the State Playoffs year-in and year-out, having made the dance a total of 16 times since their inception in 2004, and in each of the last 14 seasons, resulting in a 2015 Class 5A State Title and runner-up finishes in 2007 and 2016.

Sept. 26 at Smyrna

In their final September outing and last non-region contest of the season, the Red Raiders will travel 40 miles up I-24 to take on the Smyrna Bulldogs, who ended the 2024 campaign at 5-6 with a first round playoff loss to Brentwood, 37-21.

Coffee County last played Smyrna as part of a two-game series in 2015-2016, when both teams were in 6A Region 2. The Bulldogs won both of those matchups, taking a 56-10 home win in the latest meeting.

The two teams have also met twice in the first round of the 5A State Playoffs before, with Smyrna taking a pair of victories in 2003 and 2006.

The Bulldogs have made their way to the State Playoffs in 22 of the past 23 seasons and in each of the past 12 years, winning back-to-back 5A Titles in 2006-2007 and finishing runner-up in the 2010 6A Championship Game.

Oct. 3 Vs Brentwood

In their final game before the bye-week, the Red Raiders return to Manchester to take on last year’s runner-ups from 6A Region 6, the Brentwood Bruins, who ended the year 9-3 with a second round overtime loss to Stewarts Creek in the State Playoffs.

Both teams met twice before in a two-game non-region series in 2005-2006, with Brentwood winning their 2005 meeting in Manchester, 41-10 and taking the most recent matchup 24-21 in Brentwood.

The Bruins won the Class 5A Championship in 2002 and finished runner-up in the 2020 Class 6A Championship.

Oct. 17 Vs Summit

After the fall break bye-week, the Red Raiders close out the home slate of their schedule with their first ever meeting with the Summit Spartans.

The Spartans placed fifth in 6A Region 6 last year, going 3-7 with a region mark of 1-4.

Summit played for a State Championship for three consecutive seasons from 2019-2021, finishing runner-up in the 2019 Class 5A Title Game, winning the 2020 5A Championship and finishing runner-up in their first Class 6A season in 2021.

Oct. 24 at Ravenwood

For the penultimate round of the 2025 campaign, the Red Raiders will make their first trip to Ravenwood High School to take on the defending 6A Region 6 Champion Raptors.

The Raptors have made the State Playoffs 16 times since their inaugural 2003 season, winning championships in 2005 (Class 5A) and 2016 (6A) and finishing runners up in 2006 (5A), 2014 (6A) and 2019 (6A).

Ravenwood finished the 2024 campaign a game short of their sixth State Championship Game appearance, losing to Houston 24-21 in the semifinals and ending the year at 13-1.

Oct. 30 at Shelbyville Central

To end the regular season, the Red Raiders will make a Thursday night trip to Shelbyville to face the rival Golden Eagles.

Shelbyville makes a return to Class 6A after winning the 5A Region 5 Championship in each of the last two seasons, ending 2024 with an 11-2 record and a 28-6 loss to Page in the State Quarterfinals.

The Raiders and Eagles are quite familiar with each other, having played a total of 14 times over the past 20 years, with the Golden Eagles winning nine times in that span. In last year’s week three matchup, the Golden Eagles narrowly escaped Manchester with a 32-28 win.

Full schedule for Class 6A Region 6:

Sept. 5: Brentwood Vs Summit,

Franklin Vs Shelbyville Central

Sept. 12: Coffee County Central Vs Franklin,

Shelbyville Central Vs Independence,

Summit Vs Ravenwood

Sept. 19: Brentwood Vs Shelbyville Central,

Franklin Vs Ravenwood,

Independence Vs Coffee County Central

Sept. 26: Independence Vs Franklin,

Summit Vs Shelbyville Central

Oct. 3: Coffee County Central Vs Brentwood,

Ravenwood Vs Independence

Oct. 17: Brentwood Vs Franklin,

Coffee County Central Vs Summit,

Shelbyville Central Vs Ravenwood

Oct. 24: Franklin Vs Summit,

Independence Vs Brentwood,

Ravenwood Vs Coffee County Central

Oct. 30: Ravenwood Vs Brentwood,

Shelbyville Central Vs Coffee County Central,

Summit Vs Independence