Concord Christian defeats Fayette Academy in TSSAA playoff opener
Concord Christian Defeats Fayette Academy in Opening Round
Former Tennessee quarterback Steve Matthews led Concord Christian School to a 49-21 victory over Fayette Academy in the opening round of the TSSAA Division II-A playoffs on Nov. 7, 2026, marking the first postseason win in program history, Vols Wire reported.
The Lions established control early at Bill Clabo Field in Farragut, Tennessee, jumping out to a 35-0 lead by the end of the first quarter. On the game’s very first offensive play, freshman quarterback Dylan Brown connected with Dasani Moulden for an 80-yard touchdown pass with 11:50 remaining in the opening period.
Matthews explained that the fast start was a deliberate strategy against Fayette Academy’s offensive scheme. “We knew they had a long trip and we wanted to come out and score early,” Matthews told Vols Wire. “We like to start fast, especially against a Wing-T team, try to get them in a hole to where it gets them in a hole, where it takes them out of what they like to do. We wanted to get ahead of them because teams that run the Wing-T have a hard time catching up when they get behind.”
Lions Advance to Face Friendship Christian
Brown finished the contest completing 10 of 12 passing attempts for 289 yards, throwing three touchdowns and one interception. Sophomore running back Maurice Smith added 114 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just five carries for the Lions.
With the opening-round victory, Concord Christian improved its record to 8-3 on the season. Fayette Academy’s record was 6-5.
The Lions advance to host Friendship Christian School in Lebanon, Tennessee, on Nov. 13, 2026. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST at Bill Clabo Field in Farragut.
Friendship Christian enters the matchup with a 9-2 record. Matthews noted that his young squad faces a demanding challenge against the Commanders.
“We have young guys and this is new to them,” Matthews said, as reported by Vols Wire. “Friendship Christian is a good, tradition-rich program. They’ve been here before and they’re coming in here to win. I told the guys after the game that things are only going to get harder. We played Halls earlier this season and we beat them. We were pretty high coming off that game, and we went out and laid an egg. I hope we learned from that.”