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Black Friday is Blount County Friday.

It's the same ritual you've had since the century changed; get up, go shopping, eat, go to the game, make your reservations for Murfreesboro.

It's as traditional as the turkey on Thursday and the appearance of Santa hats by Monday.

The only thing different about this Black Friday was a plethora of announcements from the TSSAA reminding fans that the BlueCross Bowl is now in Cookeville.

The faces may have been different -- Riverdale instead of Red Bank or Morristown West, but Alcoa treated Elizabethton like every other team that has stood in its playoff path the last 29 games.

Maryville meanwhile found a way to ease the tension of the unknown entity early. The Rebels treated Riverdale, which had allowed 14 points total in the playoffs and was plus-10 turnover margin to an opening stanza stunner of 28 points -- 14 from a pair of Warrior fumbles.

"We haven't made many this year," said Riverdale coach Ron Aydelott, now 0-3 against Maryville for his career. "We picked a great team and an inopportune time for that to happen."

A 42-30 victory over a four-time state champion speaks volumes for Maryville's transition to the top level of Tennessee football. For a Red Rebel team that has heard the doubters say all season that they couldn't play 6A, the résumé of teams who can attest different has grown long and distinguished.

"If we had lost a few, they'd say it's OK, that we're adjusting up to the higher level," said Maryville coach George Quarles. "But we didn't want to say that; our players didn't want that. We've worked hard to have the opportunities to play some big programs. I'm proud of these guys and how hard they've worked this year."

Alcoa can look and see a perfect season in its sights -- something that five losses to Maryville over five straight title years made impossible. A 34-7 win at Elizabethton leaves the Tornadoes one step away from 15-0 -- a first for a team chasing the six-peat.

So despite all the changes in classifications, the highly debated playoff system and seedings, come the first weekend in December, I-40 will be filled with Blount County license plates headed west for title hopes and Blue Cross dreams.

"I hear from people all the time about how good football might be from here or there but it's pretty good here in Blount County," Quarles said. "Alcoa has obviously had a great season and we have, too. It'd be good if we could go to Cookeville and get two."

After all two in December is almost a holiday tradition.

Marcus Fitzsimmons is a sportswriter for The Daily Times who enjoys reading comments and snide remarks posted to this column online at www.thedailytimes.com