Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 9/30/16. McCallie’s Shawn McColley (2) runs the ball in for a touchdown while playing Baylor School during the first half of play at the Blue Tornado’s home field on September 30, 2016. McCALLIE 49, FATHER RYAN 14
The Star: McCallie junior Rico Dozier caught three touchdown passes from senior quarterback Robert Riddle, covering 64, 28 and 33 yards. Up Next: McCallie plays next Friday at Brentwood Academy (7-2), which had a first-round bye.
Friday’s second-round Tennessee playoff pairings
(All kickoffs at 7 p.m. local time) CLASS 6A Bradley Central (9-2) at Blackman (8-3) CLASS 5A Farragut (10-1) at Rhea County (9-2) Walker Valley (7-4) at Ooltewah (9-2) CLASS 3A East Ridge (6-5) at Red Bank (8-3) Notre Dame (7-4) at Sequatchie County (11-0) CLASS 2A Watertown (10-1) at Marion County (10-1) Meigs County (10-1) at Forrest (10-1) CLASS 1A Fayetteville (9-2) at South Pittsburg (10-1) Whitwell (6-5) at Columbia Academy (10-0) DIVISION II McCallie (7-4) at Brentwood Academy (7-2) Baylor (7-4) at MUS (10-0)
It took McCallie’s offense less than four minutes to turn Father Ryan coach Brian Rector’s worst fears into reality.
“They’re just so much better than us in space,” Rector said after watching the host Blue Tornado jump in front 14-0 at the 8:05 mark of Friday night’s first quarter on its way to a 49-14 win in a TSSAA Division II-AA playoff at Spears Stadium.
“I’m proud of our guys, but they’ve got a heck of a quarterback over there.”
That quarterback, senior Robert Riddle, threw five touchdown passes – including a 61-yarder to Kendall Watson and a 64-yarder to Rico Dozier in the opening minutes – to end most of the suspense over whether McCallie could defeat the Nashville school for the second time this season.
“They’re well coached and their kids play really hard,” said Blue Tornado coach Ralph Potter. “But we have a little more talent than they do right now.”
One of the most talented of those players is junior Dozier, who caught three of Riddle’s TD tosses, including a 28-yarder on the final play of the opening half to put the Blues up 35-14 at the break after the Irish had twice pulled within a touchdown.
Asked what it was like to catch passes from Riddle, who almost always seems to put the ball in the perfect spot, Dozier said, “It’s kind of like playing with (New England Patriots quarterback) Tom Brady. You feel like Brady’s receivers must feel. The ball’s always right where you want it.”
McCallie (7-4) now faces Brentwood Academy (7-2) for the second time in three weeks, the Blue Tornado having lost 42-32 at home to the Eagles on Oct. 28. The rematch will be at Brentwood.
“You’ve got to control what you can control,”Potter said after watching Watson and Shawn McColley each add two touchdowns to Dozier’s three and Alec Earp hit all seven of his extra-point kicks. “We can do better than we did against them here.”
Especially if Riddle keeps reminding his teammates of Brady.
Contact Mark Wiedmer at mwiedmer@timesfreepress.com