Baylor's Brendon Harris gains yards in the game against MBA Friday, October 23, 2015 at Baylor. DIVISION II-AA AT A GLANCE
Team to beat: Any one of five teams could end the season hoisting the gold ball, but Brentwood Academy returns plenty of talent from last year’s state championship team, including quarterback Jeremiah Oatsvall, making the Eagles the favorite.Watch out for: Baylor. There are questions at quarterback and linebacker, but there is also talent at those positions. If young players step up, the Red Raiders have the size and talent to compete with anyone.Best game: Baylor at McCallie. These two have one of the state’s best overall rivalries, regardless of classification. When the Red Raiders travel to face the Blue Tornado on Sept. 30, playoff seeding as well as pride will be on the line.Dream schedule: None of Father Ryan’s four nonleague opponents had winning records last season, including two that won just three games each.Nightmare schedule: McCallie’s nonregion schedule begins with a road game against Georgia’s Peachtree Ridge, which reached the second round of the Class 6A state playoffs last year, followed by Murfreesboro’s Blackman, which reached the 6A quarterfinals last year, and also includes Blessed Trinity, a Georgia Class 3A team that won its region last season. Seven of the Blue Tornado’s 10 opponents reached the postseason last year.Players to watch: Baylor junior defensive back Brendon Harris already has multiple scholarship offers from Southeastern Conference programs, and receiver Emanual Williams could have a breakout season. McCallie has a host of college prospects, including lineman Giovanni Hightower, quarterback Robert Riddle, running back Shawn McColley and receiver/defensive back Tyrik Stewart, who is coming off an injury that kept him off the field last year. MBA senior Ty Chandler is one of the top running back prospects in the state, and Brentwood Academy quarterback Jeremiah Oatsvall has already committed to Austin Peay.Predicted order of finish: Brentwood Academy, Baylor, McCallie, MBA, Ensworth, Father Ryan, Pope John Paul II.
The task Baylor and McCallie face is one of the toughest in Tennessee prep football.
When the season kicks off, Chattanooga's two Division II-AA programs will try to find a way to pry loose the mid-state teams' grip on the state championship. Nashville-area schools Brentwood Academy, Ensworth and Montgomery Bell Academy have claimed the past six state titles and are expected to remain contenders this fall.
But both Baylor and McCallie have closed the talent gap, with each now having multiple college prospects on the roster.
Baylor's biggest obstacles are settling on a quarterback and finding a replacement for fullback/linebacker Ryan Parker, a Mr. Football award winner last year and a player who was equally important on both sides of the ball.
"You just don't find those type guys very often," Red Raiders coach Phil Massey said. "Ryan was very special, but we have some guys who are ready for their turn to show what they can do."
Trusten McArtor, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound junior transfer from Austin, Texas, has the dual-threat talent to win the quarterback job, and the Red Raiders have plenty of weapons on the outside as well.
It begins with junior Brendon Harris, who already has scholarship offers from Clemson, LSU and South Carolina, among others. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Harris, who likely will play defensive back in college, should have plenty of chances to make plays at receiver this season, along with Emanual Williams (6-2, 190), a speedy transfer from Tullahoma.
Up front, Walker Culver (6-5, 250) has a scholarship offer from Colorado and Cole Johnson (6-0, 250), who sat out last season after transferring from Signal Mountain, should help on both sides of the line. Baylor's offensive line will have three starters weighing 300-plus pounds.
McCallie made offseason news by hiring former Marion County head coach Ricky Ross, who guided that program to consecutive state title games in his first two seasons, to become its defensive coordinator. Ross also worked in Georgia as the defensive coordinator at Calhoun, helping that program become a perennial state power.
Senior quarterback Robert Riddle (6-3, 185), who took over the starting job early last season, is the unquestioned leader on offense. He also will have no shortage of receiving options, including Rico Dozier, Walker Fannon, T.J. Hall, Tyrik Stewart and Kendall Watson, and he's joined in the backfield by bruising running back Shawn McColley (6-0, 200).
Junior tight end Jay Gibson (6-5, 235), who sat out last season, could also emerge as a nice target in addition to helping up front.
"Robert has a really good arm, but what's really been impressive about him is his accuracy," Blue Tornado coach Ralph Potter said. "He's really shown a lot more confidence over the offense from last season, too.
"We've got a good mix of experience returning and some new guys that hopefully will be able to step in and help us."
As for the mid-state powers, Brentwood Academy, which held off MBA by one point in double overtime for last year's championship, returns all-state quarterback Jeremiah Oatsvall and talented junior receiver Cam Johnson. MBA brings back senior Ty Chandler, who is one of the state's top running back prospects and arguably the most exciting player in D-II.
Ensworth welcomes back nearly every starter from last year's team and is expected to return to its status as one of the tougher teams in the league.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.