Grace Baptist Academy Golden Eagles

Grace Academy quarterback Jared Thompson (5) passes the football to a teammate during their prep football jamboree scrimmage game against Sale Creek Saturday, Aug. 17, 2013, at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Pedal to the metal

There's only a slight difference between team cohesion and brotherhood.

Grace Baptist Academy's Golden Eagles have both.

They have four sets of brothers playing football. Those eight players fill up nearly a third of the roster.

The on-field brotherhood exists beyond blood, especially in the backfield.

Junior quarterback Jared Thompson has a knack for getting the ball to Alex Blandon, even if Blandon has to shove a rushing linebacker before getting open to catch a pass and turn upfield.

"I've seen and coached teams where we have good talent and no cohesion, and they lost," coach Bob Ateca said. "I've seen teams with good cohesion but not as much talent who have won more games."

Ateca said Thompson and Blandon are friends, but they haven't haven't planned college visits together because they're in different classes and have different friends on a day-to-day basis at the small private school.

And they have different personalities - a nice blend.

"Jared is real outgoing and he's a rah-rah guy and is the life of the party at practice," Ateca said. "Blandon takes care of his business and doesn't talk as much."

That's OK.

"Jared is big - so big as a quarterback that he's bigger than four of our offensive linemen," Ateca said. "Blandon is lighter in the tail and moves well."

Size and speed is a good combination - a brotherhood at Grace.

Capsule by David Uchiyama; contact at duchiyama@timesfreepress.com or follow on Twitter: @UchiyamaCTFP