The Bulldogs upset #2 Oakland and provide an interesting shakeup to the standings.
SMYRNA, Tenn. — Smyrna High School stunned previously unbeaten Oakland 22-21 on Friday night in a Region 3-6A matchup, ending a long drought against its Rutherford County rival and snapping the Patriots’ lengthy winning streak. Quarterback AJ Jackson connected with Jordan Edwards for a two-point conversion with 33 seconds remaining to give the Bulldogs the lead for good. Smyrna had scored a touchdown in the final minute to pull within 21-20 before going for the conversion rather than settling for overtime. Oakland led 21-7 late in the fourth quarter. Smyrna scored with about 2:30 left to cut the deficit in half. The Patriots then fumbled on the ensuing possession, setting up the Bulldogs’ final drive and the decisive conversion. The victory marked Smyrna’s first win over Oakland since 2011.
It improved the Bulldogs to 1-2 overall and 1-0 in region play after they opened the season with consecutive one-point losses. Oakland fell to 2-1 overall and 0-1 in the region. “We didn’t want to go into overtime,” Smyrna coach Mark Williams said. “We knew we were going for the two. Our goal going into this week, after two tough losses to open the season, was to finish games. Our kids made the decision they were going to finish this game and they stepped up big.” The loss ended a 17-game winning streak for Oakland, which finished 15-0 and claimed a Class 6A state title in 2025.
The Patriots entered the game ranked No. 1 in the statewide poll and have won five Class 6A titles since 2020 under coach Kevin Creasy. It was Creasy’s first loss to Smyrna and Oakland’s first regular-season defeat to a region opponent since 2023. “Oakland is a very, very good team,” Williams said. “But our guys have to believe that they belong here. A win like this, it’s huge for our program but we also understand this is a tough region. But this shows that we can compete.”
For Smyrna, the result provides early momentum in a competitive region and validates a resilient start despite the two narrow defeats. The Bulldogs can build confidence heading into the rest of their region schedule, knowing they can finish close games against top competition.
Oakland remains a strong contender with its recent championship pedigree but must regroup after the unexpected setback. The Patriots will look to bounce back quickly in region play to maintain positioning for a deep postseason run, as they have done consistently in recent years.
