Baylor’s current players may have watched “That 70s Show,” but they don’t remember when the Red Raiders were that ’70s show on the local high school football scene.
In the coming days they’ll probably learn a lot more about the elite group they’re joining after their performance Friday on the field named for the architect of the three Baylor squads that played in state-championship games.
The 2010 team is headed to a state final, too, after a convincing 33-14 victory over Battle Ground Academy in a TSSAA Division II-AA semifinal on E.B. “Red” Etter Field.
Baylor (10-1) will play Ensworth on Dec. 2 at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville at 8 p.m. EST. Ensworth, which provided the Red Raiders’ only loss, edged Brentwood Academy 20-19 on Friday.
Etter was head coach at Baylor from 1970 to ’83 and guided teams to Class AAA state finals in 1972, ’73 and ’77. The only championship came in ’73, when the Red Raiders also were declared mythical national champions.
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Most recently Baylor came close in 2006 – current head coach Phillip Massey’s first season – losing to Brentwood Academy in a semifinal.
“I’m excited to be going,” Massey said. “Mainly I’m excited for our kids. They’ve really worked hard. It’s gratifying to see the kids’ work and effort pay off. Hopefully we can take it one step further and bring a state championship back to Baylor.”
Middle linebacker David Helton knew “1970-something” was the last time the Red Raiders played for a state championship. He played a key role against the Wildcats with 14 tackles.
“Being in this position,” Helton said, “I couldn’t picture a better year.”
One of Helton’s eight unassisted tackles was an emphatic shot on scrambling C.J. Beathard with 2:05 left in the third quarter, but the BGA quarterback had been introduced to Baylor’s 6-foot-4, 220-pounder much earlier. Although midway through the first quarter Beathard connected on a 30-yard pass to Josh Smith, thanks to his diving catch, a blitzing Helton unloaded on him shortly after he released it and that got a loud response from the Red Raiders side.
“They knew then we were going to show up the rest of the game,” Helton said.
Baylor quarterback Jacob Huesman did most of his damage on the ground with 15 carries for 182 yards and three touchdowns, and running back George Porter added 68 on 18 rushes. But Huesman’s s arm helped get the Wildcats’ defense loosened up.
He hit on his first four passes and went 5-for-6 – all in the first half. His 117 passing yards included 37-yard scoring strikes to wide receiver Charbo Clark and Helton, from tight end.
“That’s definitely one of the best feelings I’ve had on a football field,” Helton said. “I haven’t had many touchdowns. On my touchdown catch they were all bunched up. They were blitzing from somewhere every single play, and we caught them at a bad time.”
The Red Raiders forged their 21-0 halftime lead by outgaining the Wildcats 199-94, not having a penalty or a turnover, and forcing BGA (7-6) to punt five times. Massey said the game’s three phases combined was as solid a half they’ve played all year.
“Our intention in the second half was to milk the clock as much as we could,” Massey said. “We knew with their backs to the wall they would throw it, and we didn’t want to make the game any longer than it had to be.”
Contact Kelley Smiddie at ksmiddie@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6653.
