For three Tipton County teams, the regular season is over and every game from here could be the last.

Covington, Munford and Brighton all open the TSSAA playoffs tonight, each with something different to lean on: a Covington backfield that ran for nearly 4,000 yards, a Munford team that has won five straight behind a Mr. Football semifinalist, and a Brighton squad that found its footing in the final two weeks.

Here’s a look at all three first-round matchups.

Covington carries a season’s worth of grit into playoffs

Covington is taking nearly 4,000 rushing yards to Memphis tonight. The Chargers would like to bring back a playoff win and the chance to play one more Friday night.

Covington enters its Class 3A playoff opener against Melrose at 7-3 as Region 7’s third seed, while the Golden Wildcats finished 6-3 and earned the second seed in Region 8.

For the Chargers, the way forward looks familiar. Get behind the offensive line, spread the carries around and make the opponent’s defense keep tackling.

Covington finished the regular season with 3,957 rushing yards and 56 rushing touchdowns while averaging nearly 396 rushing yards per game and 8.9 yards per carry.

That production starts with a backfield that gives opponents no opportunity to catch their breath. Freshman star Cordarius Byars led Covington with 933 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. Nic’kylan Murray added 789 yards and 11 scores, quarterback Colby Labermeier rushed for 714 yards and nine touchdowns, and Makaviyon McKinnie contributed 656 yards and seven scores.

Four runners, all past 650 yards. For a defense preparing for Covington, picking one player to stop only gets the job started.

Melrose has been giving opponents plenty to worry about, too. The Golden Wildcats closed the regular season with five straight wins, outscoring those opponents 246-12 and recording four shutouts. But the competition behind those numbers deserves a closer look. Those five teams finished a combined 13-36, and none had a winning record.

Across the full regular season, Covington’s opponents finished a combined 53-47, compared with 38-51 for Melrose’s opponents. The Chargers faced five teams with winning records and beat two of them. Melrose faced two and lost both games. Opponents’ records do not account for every difference in competition, but they help explain why the Golden Wildcats’ recent scores should not intimidate Covington.

Covington’s three losses came against Westview, Haywood and Dyersburg. Dyersburg escaped with a 28-27 victory. Westview handed Covington a 63-27 loss in the finale, leaving the Chargers with plenty to correct before postseason play.

Even against Westview, Covington ran for 230 yards and four touchdowns. Murray gained 84 yards, Byars scored three times and Labermeier added 69 yards and a touchdown. The Chargers kept finding the end zone, but their defense could not keep pace as Westview’s Graham Simpson passed for 410 yards and seven touchdowns. That makes tonight’s defensive response just as important as anything Covington does on offense.

Melrose running back Reginald Banks rushed for 230 yards and three touchdowns in last week’s 54-0 win over Memphis East, and quarterback Otis Morris threw for 202 yards and three scores. Those numbers came against a Memphis East team that finished 0-10 and did not score all season. Still, Banks and Morris are threats Covington has to account for in the running and passing game.

The Chargers need to keep Banks from breaking tackles and turning short gains into long runs. Their secondary must also hold its assignments when Morris looks downfield. Getting Melrose into difficult third downs would give Covington a chance to get its running game back on the field and settle into the kind of possessions that wear on an opponent.

The Golden Wildcats are led by Cedrick Wilson Sr., a Melrose alumnus and former Tennessee Volunteers receiver who returned to coach his alma mater this season. Wilson won a national championship at Tennessee and later a Super Bowl with Pittsburgh.

Covington has some history on its side in this matchup. The Chargers eliminated Melrose in three consecutive first-round games, winning 24-12 in 2017, 49-6 in 2018 and 48-6 in 2019. Melrose won the teams’ 1997 quarterfinal meeting 22-7.

Those games belong to earlier teams. This Covington group has its own opportunity tonight and enough dependable runners to make the trip worth it.

The Chargers do not need one player to take over. They need the line opening holes, the backs protecting the ball and the defense finishing tackles. Put those pieces together for four quarters, and Covington has a chance to make its tougher regular-season road count.

Kickoff is at 7 tonight at Melrose Stadium, 2619 Park Ave. in Memphis. Fans can purchase tickets through GoFan and get directions to the stadium. General admission is $8, plus a $1.40 service fee.

Munford opens playoffs at home behind Mr. Football semifinalist Starks

Munford has spent much of the fall making opponents chase its running backs. Even kicking the ball away hasn’t always meant giving somebody else a turn.

Now the Cougars bring that combination of offense, defense and opportunistic onside kicks into the Class 5A playoffs, hosting Dickson County tonight. Munford finished 9-1 and won Region 8, earning the top seed and a home opener against Region 7’s fourth seed, which enters at 4-6.

The postseason arrives with another reason for Munford fans to celebrate. Junior Tay Starks was named one of five Class 5A semifinalists for the Tennessee Titans Mr. Football award Wednesday. The three finalists will be announced Nov. 24.

For anyone who has watched Starks this season, the recognition matches what he has done on the field. His reported statistics include 19 rushing touchdowns and an average of 106.8 rushing yards per game. He has been the leading threat in a backfield that also features Jaheim Smith, averaging 54.8 yards per game with eight rushing touchdowns, and Qua Bell, averaging 46.9 yards per game with five scores.

That gives Dickson County a difficult place to start. Starks demands attention, but Munford has other runners capable of taking advantage when a defense leans too heavily his way.

The results have been convincing. Munford swept its four region games by a combined 214-28. The Cougars shut out Kingsbury and Memphis Overton, beat Brighton 42-7 and closed with a 41-21 victory at Memphis Central.

And then there are the onside kicks. Munford has been good enough at kicking and recovering them that opponents might reasonably ask whether a kickoff comes with a return policy.

The extra possessions are more than a novelty. They can send an opposing defense right back onto the field against Starks and company, turning one scoring drive into the beginning of another before the other offense gets a chance to answer.

Still, Munford’s success has involved more than scoring in bunches. The Cougars recorded four shutouts during the regular season and showed they could handle a close game, too, beating Germantown 15-13. Their only loss came against Whitehaven. Since then, Munford has won five straight.

Dickson County will try to slow that momentum with a ground game led by senior Martez Stewart, whose statistics show an average of 101.5 rushing yards per game and seven rushing touchdowns. Junior receiver Ellis Hamrick averages 69.4 receiving yards per game and has five touchdown catches, giving Munford another player to keep track of when Dickson County goes to the air.

Keeping Stewart contained would help Munford force Dickson County into longer passing situations. On offense, the home team needs the same blocking and ball security that have allowed its backfield to control games throughout the fall.

There is a reward beyond tonight’s result. A Munford victory would bring the winner of Station Camp and James Lawson to town Nov. 13 for the second round.

First comes Dickson County, though. Munford has earned the home field, put together a dominant region run and placed one of its own among the state’s Mr. Football semifinalists. Tonight’s game gives the Cougars a chance to turn a good regular season into something that lasts well into November.

Kickoff is at 7 tonight at Munford High School, 1080 McLaughlin Drive in Munford. Fans can purchase tickets through GoFan and get directions to the school. General admission is $8, plus a $1.40 service fee.

Brighton rides two-game win streak to Henry County

Brighton has picked a good time to start putting things together.

After winning their final two regular-season games by a combined 83-32, the Cardinals head to Paris tonight looking to keep their season going against Henry County. Both teams enter the Class 5A playoff opener at 5-5, with Brighton seeded third in Region 8 and Henry County hosting as Region 7’s second seed.

The Cardinals earned that trip with a strong finish. A 34-13 win at Millington was followed by a 49-19 victory over Memphis Overton, giving Brighton consecutive wins for the first time since opening the season 2-0. After going 1-5 in the middle of the season, the Cardinals enter November with something to build on.

They have already shown they can finish a close game. Brighton opened with a 23-22 victory over PURE Academy and followed it by beating Dyersburg 32-28. The Cardinals also know how little separates winning and losing after falling to McCracken County by a point. That experience could matter tonight if the game comes down to one possession.

Henry County’s record suggests an even matchup, but the Patriots have played a demanding schedule. They opened with a 31-28 victory at Haywood and faced Beech, Page and Brentwood during the regular season. Henry County stayed within five points of Page and closed with a 31-28 loss to Kirkwood in the game that decided the region championship.

Brighton should expect a team comfortable playing a physical game and unlikely to be rattled if the score stays close.

The Cardinals’ offense features running back Jakarion Burrell and quarterback Michael Gilliland. Establishing the running game would help Brighton sustain drives and give its defense time between possessions.

On the other side, Brighton must account for Henry County running back Antoine Banks and senior quarterback Ayden Spellings, who also contributes on the ground. The Cardinals will need to finish tackles and stay disciplined when the quarterback keeps the ball. Winning on first and second down would help Brighton get off the field and get its offense back to work.

A victory would send Brighton into the second round Nov. 13 against the winner of Page and Portland.

For now, the Cardinals have one trip to make and one game to win. Their last two outings have given them reason to feel good about how they are playing. Carrying that confidence into Paris, and backing it up with another complete game, would give Brighton’s late-season turnaround a much bigger payoff.

Kickoff is at 7 tonight at Henry County High School in Paris. Fans can purchase tickets through GoFan and get directions to the school.