Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 10/3/14. Baylor School players take the field as they prepare to battle McCallie School during the rival game at the Blue Tornado’s home field (Spears Stadium) on October 3, 2014. It’s the similarities – things that neither side would admit to having in common with the other – that actually make the football rivalry between Baylor and McCallie (or McCallie/Baylor, depending on your loyalties) so special.
From the perspective of outsiders, the two private schools mirror one another. From the knowledgeable coaching staffs and talent level on the field to the academic accomplishments and pristine campuses, the only thing that distinguishes one side from the other are the blue or red school colors.
Of course this year the distinction was made clearer by the McCallie students who produced a hype video that as of Thursday evening had more than 110,000 online views and was linked by USA Today and Bleacher Report websites.
And as is usually the case, the amount of crossover – families with a current interest in both programs – only makes tonight’s renewal of the rivalry all the more intriguing.
When seventh-ranked McCallie travels across the river to play third-ranked Baylor, Kristin Richardson will be among the Red Raiders cheerleaders helping to hype the crowd. Across the field, her dad, McCallie defensive coach Chris Richardson, will be doing all he can to make sure everyone in red sits quietly, with no reason to cheer.
McCallie head coach and alumnus Ralph Potter once worked on the Baylor staff for seven years, including three as head coach (1994-96). There was even a two-year span when he was a Red Raiders assistant while his father, the late Pete Potter, was still the head coach at McCallie.
“When my dad was still coaching here and I was on the Baylor staff, we just chose not to talk about the game at all for that week,” Ralph said this week. “We both knew if we did we’d just have to lie to each other anyway.”
The schools are tied together by more than those examples and the loose Windsor knots worn by students. There’s also a common willingness by players to set aside personal goals for the betterment of their teams, including examples of a few seniors this season changing their positions – moves that not only could help determine tonight’s outcome but also make both teams more formidable in the playoffs.
For the past two years JaVaughn Craig had built an impressive resume as McCallie’s quarterback. He entered his senior season as a college prospect and with the belief that he could help lead the Blue Tornado on a state-title run. But just a couple of games into the season it became clear that McCallie needed help to make its secondary more athletic.
Craig was told he would be changing positions, and while he could still be used situationally at quarterback, his primary roles would now be at free safety and receiver, making room for talented junior Robert Riddle to take over the offense.
“It wasn’t tough to change positions at all,” said Craig, who originally planned to go to Baylor but changed his mind prior to his freshman season. His mother, LaShandra Rivers, taught seventh- and eighth-grade math at Baylor for two years before taking a similar job at McCallie this fall.
“Coach Potter said it would help the team, so I was all for it,” Craig continued. “It just took some time to get used to backpedaling and reading the quarterback. I try to think like a quarterback before the snap and during the play to anticipate where he’s going with the ball. All that matters to me is winning more games.”
The move may also pay off for Craig’s recruitment. He was getting recruited mostly by FCS schools as a quarterback, but since making the switch, the 6-foot-2, 190-pound athlete has gotten added attention from bigger programs, including Louisville, Notre Dame, Auburn, Georgia Tech and Mississippi State, all of which project him to play safety.
Similarly at Baylor, brothers Henry and Will Moore have been content to make whatever adjustments were needed to improve their team. It appeared they were set to play linebacker for Baylor’s defense and either tight end or fullback on offense, but both were asked this year to become undersized linemen. Each is about 6-1, 210 pounds, with Henry starting at right guard and Will at defensive tackle and each serving as the other’s backup at those positions.
“I was ready to be a linebacker and maybe get some carries at fullback, but when the coaches said the best way for me to help the team and stay on the field was to put my hand in the dirt, I said let’s go,” Henry said.
The Moore brothers (they’re actually triplets, although brother Rob plays soccer instead of football) grew up in this rivalry with both parents, both grandfathers, an uncle and an aunt having attended Baylor.
“Just getting to be a part of a game like this is awesome,” Will said. “To actually get to be on the field and play in it is even more special, so we were willing to do whatever it took to be out there helping our team.”
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.