Thursday, October 29, 2009 3:54 am

While it won't be known until after Friday night's action whether Cannon County will host a TSSAA football playoff game next week, it is likely the Lions will be on the road should they bumble tonight's opportunity to claim a share of the District 8-AA title.

Cannon County plays its final regular season and district game of the 2009 season tonight when the Lions welcome Upperman to Fred Schwarz Field. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

The Lions (5-4 overall, 3-1 in District 8-AA) enter the contest having already secured their first playoff appearance since 1995. However, the stakes for Cannon County remain high.

A win over Upperman (0-4, 1-8) will assure the Lions at least a tie for the district title, which they have not won since 1978. It would also give Cannon County its second winning season in 31 years.

Even if they win tonight, the Lions will have to wait until Saturday morning to find out where they will begin playoff action (at home or on the road) and who their opponent will be.

The best scenario for the Lions, one which would virtually assure them a home playoff game, would be for Smith County to lose at York Friday, and for Livingston Academy to win at DeKalb County.

The brackets for the 2009 TSSAA football playoffs will be released on Saturday during a two-hour live broadcast from 7:00 am to 9:00 am (CST).

The Road to the BlueCross Bowl presented by the Tennessee Governor's Highway Safety Office will be hosted by Tennessee High School Football sportscasters Chad Withrow, Chris Eakes and Murphy Fair from Nashville’s 104-5 The Zone’s (WGFX) studios. TSSAA staff will also be on hand to give input on the show as well.

“We are excited to have the opportunity to be a part of the excitement of the Blue Cross Bowl,” said Brad Willis, Program Director of 104-5 The Zone. “We have been committed to covering high school athletics for some time, and this opportunity helps us to increase that level of participation.”

The two-hour selection show will be carried by various stations across the state, and a live audio stream will be provided on the 104-5 The Zone and TSSAA websites (www.1045thezone.com and www.tssaa.org). The brackets will be posted on both websites after they are announced on the broadcast.

“We are very excited about the selection show on 104-5 The Zone,” stated Bernard Childress, Executive Director of TSSAA. “We are very appreciative to Citadel Nashville not only for their interest in doing this show, but the coverage they give to high school football throughout the year.” Childress also added, “This will add to the excitement of the football playoffs and create a feel for high school football fans across the state similar to what fans of the NCAA basketball tournament have had for years.”