Gossett: Hunter Maynor keeps posting big numbers

photo Soddy-Daisy quarterback Hunter Maynor looks for an open receiver.
Arkansas-SEMO Live Blog

Soddy-Daisy quarterback Hunter Maynor may have been unsung entering the 2014 high school season, but it's unlikely that he is being overlooked.

The senior left-hander is making a name for himself week by week and now has six of the area's top 15 passing performances to date, the least of which was a 13-18-0, 244-yard showing in the Trojans' season opener vs. Hixson.

The best? A Chattanooga-area record 451-yard performance when he completed 29 of 46 throws with no interceptions. He also has had passing totals of 380, 337, 312 and 295 yards.

In a close loss Friday to Rhea County, he had another five-TD night -- four passing, one rushing -- and now has 21 TD passes and six rushing scores. He threw for 337 yards.

Maynor also has a shot at the area's single-season passing record, currently held by ex-McCallie standout B.J. Coleman with 2,927 yards. Maynor, who's averaging better than 300 yards per game, has 2,162 yards with three games to play.

By the way, other schools will continue to see Maynor after he completes his football career. He qualified for the state wrestling tournament last year and is expected to be a mainstay on the baseball Trojans' pitching staff.

• There are two area quarterbacks I know of who started for high school varsities as eighth-graders, and both are still playing. Lookout Valley's Evan Walker, now a sophomore, took over about midseason of his eighth-grade year and Scottsboro's Bo Nix, the son of head coach Patrick Nix, made his first start Friday against Fort Payne.

• On the subject of quarterbacks, Fort Payne is still looking for a replacement for injured Alan Smith, and coach Paul Ellis had four players throw passes in their successful quest for the TopCat trophy against Scottsboro. Logan Ellis threw for 128 yards and a TD and Jay Tyler Ellis completed four of seven attempts.

Fort Payne, by the way, is ranked 25th among Alabama's Class 6A teams. The Wildcats are 6-1 overall and 5-0 in Region 7-6A. The other team from the area listed in the ratings is North Jackson (No. 30 in 4A).

• Best games this week:

• Baylor tries to do what McCallie could not when it hosts Brentwood Academy. The Red Raiders lost last week to Oakland, second-ranked in Class 6A, while Brentwood was pummeling McCallie 59-24. If you've been out of pocket, that was McCallie's first loss of the season. After posting a 3-1 record against a murderers row of ranked opponents (Bowling Green, Ky., Ensworth, Baylor and BA), McCallie finally gets a well-deserved week off.

• Hixson goes to Red Bank and it's probable that the winner of this one will win 6-AA. Hixson is coming off an open date while Red Bank last week secured a hard-fought 14-7 win over East Ridge. It should be ball control vs. big play.

• The inner-city championship is on the line this week when Brainerd visits Tyner. Both have wins over Howard, Tyner's coming Friday night and snapping the Rams' winless string at 6.

• Boyd-Buchanan has now won two straight but must set aside its rally over South Pittsburg last week, and that's still a big rivalry, and concentrate on Copper Basin in a key District 5-A game.

• Somebody (Knoxville Carter) finally got the best of McMinn Central (7-1), but it is probable that the Chargers players were looking ahead to this week's game against unbeaten Loudon. This one should decide the 5-AA championship.

• Walker Valley at Cleveland is a game that will decide the Bradley County championship. Both already have bested Bradley Central. Cleveland has scrambled back into the 5-AAA race and currently stands second, a game back of unbeaten and league-leading Ooltewah.

• In Alabama, Ider, North Jackson and Valley Head are on the road seeking to improve their region standings. Scottsboro and North Sand Mountain are the only teams in the immediate northeast Alabama area that are home this week, and both are in region games. Fort Payne is the only one of the bunch stepping out of region play, traveling to Gardendale.

• Don't know if this one is yet considered a rivalry, but Heritage plays at Ridgeland. A key Georgia game where standings are concerned finds Gilmer County at Southeast Whitfield. Both are 5-1 overall and 2-1 in region play.

Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him at Twitter.com/wardgossett.

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