Hawks miss playoffs, but win at Ooltewah
Ooltewah — Two consecutive season-ending victories weren’t quite enough to propel the Hardin Valley Academy football team into the TSSAA Class 6A playoffs.
Despite missing the postseason in 2025, the Hawks won five games and cracked the win column in Region 2-6A for the first time since 2020. They won two league games, posting victories against Bearden and Cleveland.
The Hawks (5-5) closed out the season on a winning note last week as they routed Ooltewah, 42-7, Friday night.
The season and wins over Cleveland and the Owls left Hardin Valley coach Tyler Wynn feeling upbeat about the program’s future.
“We’re heading in the right direction,” Wynn said. “We didn’t meet our end goal but I’m
very proud of these guys.
“We’re taking steps and we probably overshot what most people thought we would do. We had two region
wins and those were big for us. Resilience was a key for us this year and our kids bought in and they played for each other and our kids never quit.”
Playing on the road last week, the Hawks posted one of their most dominant victories of the season.
Quarterback Riley Matz threw a pair of touchdown passes in Southeast Tennessee as he connected with tight end Logan Holbrook on both scoring strikes. The touchdown passes covered 43 yards and 31 yards respectively.
The Hawks also dominated things with their ground attack as Sam Mann, Harrison O’Dell, Nic Rivers and Brody Lamb ran against the Owls.
Hardin Valley’s victory in the 2025 season finale and the recently completed campaign represented a complete team effort, Wynn said.
“I felt like our seniors gave us great leadership and our underclassmen played for our seniors,” Wynn
said. “These kids all bought in and they all really played for each other, and obviously, our kids displayed toughness and resilience.”
