Shortening the game doesn’t guarantee victory against the Baylor Red Raiders, but it can lead to a more respectable outcome.
Baylor didn’t achieve a big enough lead for a running clock Friday night at Ensworth, but the Red Raiders still overpowered the Tigers 27-7. The two teams played a 19-minute first quarter and a 49-minute first half in Nashville, helping prevent Baylor from a fifth straight game of implementing the TSSAA’s mercy rule.
“We had prepared for a limited-possession game, and I thought our team stayed patient,” Baylor coach Erik Kimrey said. “Give Ensworth credit for grinding out some drives, but our defense played tremendous, and we took care of the ball.”
The Red Raiders, who are ranked No. 9 nationally by MaxPreps.com and No. 1 by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association in Division II-AAA, improved to 9-0 overall and to 4-0 in the East, clinching that region’s top seed for next month’s playoffs. Baylor has won 21 consecutive contests dating to the start of last season.
(READ MORE: Final scores and photos from Friday’s Chattanooga-area prep football games)