McCallie's first unbeaten football season in 20 years and a third consecutive TSSAA Division II-AAA state championship has yielded an impressive haul of six Blue Tornado players earning a spot on the Tennessee Sports Writers Association's all-state team for the 2021 season.
A total of 14 Chattanooga-area players were honored in D-II as all-state teams for all three classes in the private school division were announced Wednesday night. Baylor placed five on the DII-AAA squad, while Silverdale Baptist Academy led the local DII-AA contingent with a pair of honorees.
Nashville's Lipscomb Academy, which won the DII-AA state title, tied Alcoa of Division I's Class 3A for the most all-state players across all classifications with nine apiece.
The Blue Tornado's six-pack of players, all seniors, were evenly split between offense and defense: quarterback William Riddle, receiver Xavier Gaillardetz, offensive lineman Cooper Rumfelt, defensive lineman James Howard, linebacker Aaron Crowder and defensive back Kenzy Paul.
Baylor's all-state players are running back Caleb Hampton, offensive lineman Brycen Sanders, defensive back Evan Haynie and linebackers Dacorian Jones-Montgomery and Trey McDonald. Hampton, Haynie and Sanders are all juniors, while the two linebackers are seniors.
In DII-AA, Silverdale offensive lineman Kyle Shoemaker and athlete Brett Rogers, both of them juniors, were joined by Chattanooga Christian sophomore defensive back Boo Carter.
Riddle threw for 3,075 yards (averaging 256.3 per game) and 43 touchdowns, while Gaillardetz made 65 catches for an area-best 1,413 yards and 18 touchdowns, and Rumfelt graded out as the best blocker on an offense that averaged 40 points per game.
On the other side of the ball, James Howard, who had 50 total tackles, 14 for loss and five sacks, was joined by Crowder, the Blue Tornado captain who had 48 solo tackles and two sacks, and Paul, a Duke signee who intercepted three passes, broke up 13 passes and was also one of the team's leading receivers with 10 touchdowns.
Baylor's Hampton, a 5-foot-10, 215-pounder who is also one of the state's top baseball prospects, finished with 1,513 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns, much of which came running behind Sanders (6-6, 280), a four-star prospect with multiple college offers.
McDonald, who signed with Virginia, finished the season with 96 tackles and three sacks, while Jones-Montgomery had 70 total stops and Haynie led the Red Raiders with four interceptions to go with 31 solo tackles.
Silverdale's Rogers quarterbacked the Seahawks to the second round of the playoffs, where they lost to Lipscomb. He threw for 1,383 yards, rushed for 737 and had 27 total touchdowns this past season, with Shoemaker paving the way for the offense to score 40-plus points seven times.
Carter, who also led Chattanooga Christian in rushing with 1,197 yards (10.7 per carry), had 30 solo tackles and 21 assists to go with four interceptions and four pass breakups in the secondary.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.
Staff file photo / Baylor running back Caleb Hampton, left, was one of five Red Raiders on the TSWA's all-state football team announced Wednesday night, with offensive lineman Brycen Sanders, defensive back Evan Haynie and linebackers Dacorian Jones-Montgomery and Trey McDonald the others.TSWA ALL-STATE FOOTBALL TEAMS
DIVISION II–AAAOffenseQB — J.D. Sherrod (Briarcrest Christian), William Riddle (McCallie), Kenny Minchey (Pope John Paul II); RB — Dallan Hayden (Christian Brothers), Caleb Hampton (Baylor); WR — Mac Owen (Memphis University School), Xavier Gaillardetz (McCallie), Jacob Page (Ensworth), Colin Cook (PJPII); OL — Hayden Todd (Knoxville Catholic), Patrick Kutas (Christian Brothers), Brycen Sanders (Baylor), Cooper Rumfelt (McCallie), Grayson Morgan (Montgomery Bell Academy); ATH — Marcel Reed (MBA); K – George Laster (Brentwood Academy).DefenseDL — Drake Carlson (Father Ryan), James Howard (McCallie), Gabe Fisher (MBA), Keyron Crawford (Briarcrest Christian); LB – Eli Jones (Knox Catholic), Aaron Crowder (McCallie), Trey McDonald (Baylor), DaCorian Jones-Montgomery (Baylor), Cole Becker (Father Ryan); DB — Javis Mynatt (Knox Catholic), Max Carroll (Briarcrest Christian), Kenzy Paul (McCallie), Evan Haynie (Baylor), James Reed (Father Ryan); ATH — Tommy Winton (Knox Catholic); P – Josh Turbyville (Knox Catholic).DIVISION II–AAOffenseQB — Luther Richesson (Lipscomb Academy), Jack Patterson (Northpoint Christian), Cade Law (Christ Presbyterian Academy); RB — Alexander Broome (Lipscomb Academy), Craig Cunningham (Lausanne Collegiate), J.D. Dunn (Christian Academy of Knoxville); WR — Jackson Thomason (Northpoint Christian), London Humphreys (CPA), Jr. Sherrill (Lipscomb Academy); OL — Kyle Shoemaker (Silverdale Baptist), Evan Carney (CPA), Glenn Seabrooks (Davidson Academy), Brandon Solis (Lipscomb Academy), Luke Westerman (Lipscomb Academy); ATH — Brett Rogers (Silverdale Baptist); K — Otto Niendorff (Webb-Knoxville).DefenseDL — Malachi Harrison (CAC), Kendyle Ball (Davidson Academy), Josiah Jackson (Franklin Road Academy), Sam Roush (Lipscomb Academy), Myles Saulsberry (Lausanne Collegiate); LB — Langston Patterson (CPA), Ben Bolton (Lausanne Collegiate), Koa Naotala (Lipscomb Academy), Edwin Spillman (Lipscomb Academy), Joey Bonifacio (Webb-Knoxville); DB — Courtland Simmons (Davidson Academy), Boo Carter (Chattanooga Christian), Jayden Lyles (Lipscomb Academy), Andersen Kail (Christ Presbyterian Academy); ATH — Chi McNeil–Harrison (CAK); P — Bobby Council (Franklin Road Academy).DIVISION II–AOffenseQB — Bradford Gaines (Donelson Christian Academy), Aden Hooper (Middle Tennessee Christian), Garrett Weekly (Friendship Christian); RB — Steele Haynes (University School of Jackson), Joshua Strickland (Nashville Christian), Ashton Jones (DCA); WR — Dayton Sneed (DCA), Brock Montgomery (Friendship Christian), Tyler Byrd (Tipton-Rosemark); OL — Jacob Bates (Nashville Christian), David Lyles (DCA), Aidan Francis (DCA), Josh Wade (The King’s Academy), Aleric Watson (Middle Tennessee Christian); ATH — JaMarion Thomas (Mt. Juliet Christian); K — Braden Ducharme (DCA).DefenseDL — Aiden Humes (Nashville Christian), Kevin Bradley (Nashville Christian), George Steih (Grace Christian Academy-Franklin), Nick Donato (The King’s Academy), Josh Jones (USJ); LB — Collins Malone (Columbia Academy), Na’Kelin McAfee (The King’s Academy), Will Keltner (Trinity Christian Academy), Brady Russell (DCA), Carter Murphy (Grace-Franklin); DB — Tyler Morris (Nashville Christian), Zeke Connaster (The King’s Academy), Eli Wilson (Middle Tennessee Christian), Marshaun Bowers (The King’s Academy); ATH — Paris Pridgen (Clarksville Academy).