Two-hundred fifty-nine days had come and gone since McCallie School won its third straight TSSAA Division II-AAA football state championship.
William Riddle, MVP of last December's BlueCross Bowl title win at Finley Stadium, had taken his quarterback skills to East Tennessee State, along with superb wide receiver Xavier Gaillardetz. Defensive demons James Howard and Kenzy Paul had also graduated.
If Friday night's season opener against visiting Chattanooga Christian School wasn't necessarily the start of a rebuilding year, it was nevertheless a reminder that growing pains usually accompany significant change.
At least they did for McCallie everywhere save the win-loss column, with the Blue Tornado leading the Chargers 14-0 at halftime on the way to a 28-7 win, the program's 17th victory in a row dating to the 2020 playoffs.
Afterward, a somber McCallie coach Ralph Potter told his team: "If you thought you were good, you're not. We've got a ton of work to do."
The fruits of such labor may begin to surface next Friday night, when Woodward Academy invades from Georgia in a showdown of elite private schools at Finley. A week after that comes a rematch with Nashville's Montgomery Bell Academy, a DII-AAA East/Middle Region foe McCallie swept last year, with the second win for the state title.
Never one to look too far ahead, Potter spoke only of the next opponent in his postgame remarks to his players, advising them that "Woodward is a very good football team."
CCS junior Boo Carter is a really good player who caught six passes for 117 yards and rushed for the Chargers' only touchdown Friday.
"He's so electric," said McCallie junior defensive lineman Carson Gentle, who has committed to Tennessee.
Added Potter: "You really can't prep for him."
But the Chargers similarly struggled to contain Blue Tornado running back Tario Price, who finished with 138 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Jay St. Hilaire hit Carson Lawrence for a 33-yard touchdown pass on McCallie's first possession of the game, and Choosen Lokombe capped the victors' scoring with a 25-yard interception return in the second half. Sawyer Smith was 4-for-4 on extra points.
"We've still got some stuff we need to work on," Price said. "We're still learning game chemistry."
And for at least the first week of the season, they were still adding to that winning streak.
Contact Mark Wiedmer at mwiedmer@timesfreepress.com.