There may come a time when the 2017 McCallie football team misses 2016 quarterback Robert Riddle, the Mr. Football finalist with the golden arm and deceptive speed who's now playing for Mercer.
But that time wasn't Friday night against Chattanooga Christian in the season opener for both schools atop McCallie's Pete Potter Field at Spears Stadium.
Taking his first snap from center as the starter in an official game, sophomore QB Deangelo Hardy ran 90 yards for the Blue Tornado's first score of the season. By the time he went to the bench for good late in the second period, he'd rushed for 102 yards and two touchdowns on two carries, passed for 105 yards and two other touchdowns and provided McCallie with far more firepower than needed to topple the outmanned Chargers 55-0.
"I was nervous on the first drive," Hardy said. "But I got the jitters out pretty fast."
Asked what he was happiest about, his passing or his running, he said, "My first touchdown pass. I knew I could run the ball, but I've been working on my passing all summer."
Chattanooga Christian has been working all summer to move into TSSAA Division II football. It's in DII-AA, McCallie in DII-AAA.
"I thought we got ourselves in position to tackle them quite a bit," Chargers coach Mark Mariakis said. "But being in the right spot to make a tackle and tackling these guys are two different things."
Yet Mariakis was clearly proud of his team's effort, especially running back Mondo Ellison, who rushed for 76 yards.
"This is where you want to be," he said. "We played one of the best teams in Tennessee tonight, and we never quit."
Rico Dozier and Shannon Walker caught TD passes for the winners. Xavier Brooks had a 62-yard scoring run and Kris Bowman ran one in from 10 yards out. Melvin Tobar took a fumble recovery 64 yards for a score. Alec Earp kicked six of seven extra-point opportunities.
But after Jack Murphy scored early in the third quarter, McCallie ran out the clock rather than run up the score. Its lone pass of the final half was a 13-yarder to John Tessman.
"It was a good way to start the season," said Blue Tornado coach Ralph Potter. "We've got a long way to go, but we got to get out in front of people tonight."
And get way out in front on the scoreboard.
Contact Mark Wiedmer at mwiedmer@timesfreepress.com.