Maybe it was the full moon occasionally shining through the numerous clouds. Maybe it was the understandable challenge for the McCallie football team of attempting to return to earth after winning the past two TSSAA Division II-AAA state titles.
Or maybe it was simply a case of Chattanooga Christian School coach Mark Mariakis devising one heck of a game plan against the Blue Tornado on the Chargers’ home field at the foot of Lookout Mountain.
But whatever it was, as McCallie coach Ralph Potter watched CCS star Boo Carter race 15 yards in front of the Blue Tornado’s closest defender on his way to an 80-yard catch-and-run touchdown toss from quarterback BJ Holland, he turned to those around him and asked, “What happened?”
And he was not alone, for the proceeding extra-point kick by Lane Travis’s would briefly put the Chargers on top 7-6.
Then reality set in, as has been the case for most of the past two seasons whenever the Blue Tornado are fierce and focused.