TSSAA football BlueCross Bowl Class 6A championship: Oakland vs Beech score updates

Oakland will be playing for its third consecutive Class 6A state title and fourth in five years and Beech will be playing for its third state title when the two meet in the TSSAA BlueCross Bowl state championship game at Chattanooga's Finley Stadium Saturday (7 p.m. kickoff).

The Patriots (13-1), ranked No. 1 in the final Associated Press poll and No. 3 in the Super 25 poll, defeated Brentwood (56-33) in the 2020 state title game and knocked off Summit 43-26 in the 2021 BlueCross Bowl. Oakland has won six state titles (1984, 1998, 2008, 2018).

Beech (13-1), ranked No. 6 in the final AP poll and No 10 in the Super 25, won 5A state titles in 2009 and 2012. The Buccaneers fell in the 2017 5A title game to Knox Catholic.

The Buccaneers defeated Bartlett 50-39 in the semifinals while Oakland defeated Maryville 38-15 in the semis.

PREDICTIONS:Predicting every Tennessee high school football state champion in 2022 BlueCross Bowls

WHAT TO KNOW:Everything you need to know about all nine TSSAA state football championship matchups

Follow for live updates and scores throughout the 6A state title game:

Oh. My. Oakland.

Oakland takes 42-6 lead. Running clock begins

Oakland quarterback Kade Hewitt hit Quincy Jackson in stride for a 57-yard TD pass to take a 42-6 lead with 21 seconds left in the third quarter.

Hewitt is 3-of-5 passing for 65 yards. A running clock is now in place.

Hey. It's Eric Taylor again

Taylor scored on a 4-yard TD run with 3:00 left in the third quarter to extend the Patriots' lead to 35-6.

Taylor has 18 carries for 175 yards and four TDs.

The Eric Taylor show

Eric Taylor scored his third touchdown of the night to give Oakland a 28-6 lead in the TSSAA Class 6A BlueCross Bowl. Taylor scored on a 4-yard TD run with 4:30 left in the third quarter to cap a three-play, 17-yard drive.

For those keeping track, Taylor now has 17 carries for 171 yards with three TDs.

Eric Taylor, y'all. That's the update

Oakland senior Eric Taylor capped a 96-yard drive with a 1-yard TD for his second of the night to give Oakland a 21-6 lead with 7:27 left in the third quarter.

Taylor started the drive with an 83-yard run after Oakland's defense stopped Beech at the Oakland 4.

Three plays later, Taylor was in the end zone. Taylor has 16 carries for 167 yards and two TDs to take the early lead as favorite for Class 6A championship game MVP.

Oakland 14, Beech 6

Wow. Beech got a much-needed score.

JP Courtney threw a 9-yard TD pass to Trent Sheely with 28 seconds left in the first half to trim the lead to 14-6.

However, the PAT failed.

Oakland 14, Beech 0

Oakland's lead grew to 14-0 after Eric Taylor scored on an 11-yard TD run to cap a 16-play, 91-yard drive.

Taylor had 14 carries for 83 yards with a TD. Kade Hewitt has eight passing yards and 25 rushing yards.

Oakland has 137 yards to Beech's 37 total yards.

Oakland leads after first quarter

Oakland leads 7-0 after first quarter in the Class 6A BlueCross Bowl against Beech in an all-Midstate championship game to wrap up the 2022 season.

Oakland's Kade Hewitt is 2-of-3 passing for eight yards and 16 yards rushing. Teammate Eric Taylor has four carries for 20 yards.

Beech's Darius Johnson has three carries for 25 yards and 12 total yards of offense.

Oakland takes early 7-0 lead

Oakland took the opening drive 40 yards on eight plays to take a 7-0 lead on Mason Bell's 3-yard TD run with 7:53 left in the first quarter.

Eric Taylor set the drive up with a 29-yard kickoff return. Taylor also had 20 yards on four carries on the drive.

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This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: TSSAA football playoffs: BlueCross Bowl Oakland vs Beech score updates