McCALLIE BLUE TORNADO
Division II-AAA East/Middle // Pete Potter Field at Spears Stadium, 500 Dodds Ave., Chattanooga, TN 37404 Ralph Potter
AT THE HELM
(107-65 in 14 years here; 174-97 overall)
HEROES ASSEMBLE!
The Blue Tornado return 3 off., 5 def. starters.
SUPER POWERS
Not having to rely on just one go-to guy means any number of skill-position talents can make plays for McCallie’s option offense. That amount of weapons will also be counted on to take the focus off the two young QBs — junior Kristopher Bowman (6-1, 190) and sophomore De’Angelo Hardy (5-10, 170) — who have bright futures but lack experience.
POSSIBLE KRYPTONITE
The biggest unknowns heading into the season are along the OL and in the secondary, where youth and inexperience dominate the lineup. And the questions surrounding those young QBs will need to be answered by the time the team gets into the heart of the region schedule.
SPIDEY SENSE TINGLING
Few programs could have its defensive coordinator resign and replace him with an assistant on staff who has college coaching experience. But that’s exactly the luxury
McCallie enjoyed by having Rick Whitt agree to take over the defense this season. With his experience and talent to work with up front, the Blue Tornado could be even more stout on that side of the ball than last season.
HERE I COME TO SAVE THE DAY!
The Blue Tornado have a nice mix of senior talent at the skill positions and along the line, starting with a pair of big-time college prospects in TE Jay Gibson (6-5, 235) and
DE Jorden Starling (6-5, 230), as well as WR Rico Dozier (5-10, 180), who had more than 700 receiving yards last season and is another recruit. Also expected to be senior leaders are OL River Henry (6-3, 250), LB Adams Robinson (6-1, 195) — the team’s leading returning tackler with more than 80 stops — and RB Xavier Brooks, who ran for more than 500 yards last year. Senior WR Hakim McMorris (6-3, 200), the state champion decathlete, obviously adds incredible athleticism to the position.
UP, UP AND AWAY!
Provided the young linemen step up, and one of the two talented QBs take control of that position, the potential is there for McCallie to advance even further than last year’s quarterfinal run.
The schedule, past the season opener against Chattanooga Christian, is once again difficult as the Blue Tornado must travel to Madison Academy (Ala.), which is led by former Boyd-Buchanan head coach Grant Reynolds, and Blessed Trinity (Roswell, Ga.) which reached the Peach State’s 6A quarterfinals last year. There is also a nonregion game against Knoxville Webb, which played in the Division II-A state title game last year, as well as league home games against two-time defending state champ Brentwood Academy and perennial power Ensworth.