Moments after Signal Mountain's thrilling 22-21 win over Chattanooga Christian on Friday, Eagles senior TaDarrell Hodge paused before answering the lingering question he just heard and one that likely is echoing across the Tri-State high school football scene.
What's the difference between this Signal team and the one last year that struggled so much?
"Those guys right there," Hodge said, waving his arm and pointing at his celebrating teammates. "They come in and bust their tail every day. There's no comparison (between this year and last year), really."
Hodge is right. There is no comparison.
Not for second-year coach Ty Wise, who handled the wheel during last year's 1-9 firestorm. Not for a hard-working roster that is loaded with guys who play both ways.
"Two weeks in a row," Wise said. "We really have a group of young men who are starting to buy in to what we have established and what we want this program to be."
Not for CCS coach Mark Mariakis, who said the difference in the Eagles is clear.
"They are playing as one, as a family, this year," Mariakis said. "Last year it didn't look like they had the buy-in from everyone. This year they do. They are a good football team that plays physical and hard."
By the end of the night, Hodge, who had three tackles for loss and a sack, was wearing No. 55, ditching his normal No. 3 so he could fill in for an injured offensive lineman.
And Signal (2-3) needed every extra effort from each Eagles player Friday night.
CCS started quickly, using a couple of big plays from quarterback Matthew Mercer and a big interception return to build a 14-0 halftime lead and a 21-7 advantage midway through the third quarter.
But the lead on the scoreboard was not indicative of the play in the field. Or the momentum.
"We told them at halftime to focus on winning the third quarter, and we did that," Wise said. "We are a team that wants to play great defense and control the ball and be physical. These guys are starting to really believe they can win games in the fourth quarter."
And why not? After Mercer staked the Chargers to the 21-7 lead with a 43-yard scoring run, speedy sophomore Travion Williams, who put the Eagles on the board with a 56-yard run earlier, returned the kickoff 95 yards to pull the Eagles within a touchdown and deliver on Wise's request to win the third quarter.
That set the stage for a final drive that punctuated Wise's clear declarations of "buying in" and "belief."
After forcing a three-and-out, Signal got the ball with a little less than four minutes left. Fourteen plays, 55 yards and 3:49 later, Collin Wiegert's 2-yard touchdown brought the Eagles within a point. Wise sent kicker Scott Payne out to try to tie the game, but Mariakis called time out.
With the extra time - and with the extra chance to look his players in the eyes - Wise sent his offense back on the field. Last week, the Eagles toppled Tyner in a similar manner, running the ball between the tackles.
The decision and the score were the same Friday, but Wise called for a toss to Williams, who beat the Chargers to the front right corner of the end zone for the winning points.
And set the stage for a celebration that in truth has been 18 months in the making.
"I can't put it into words, really," Wise said afterward, "considering everything the program has been through in the last year and a half. This is very gratifying for the players and our coaches and our fans, considering the hard times we went through to get here."
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com and 423-757-6343.