In a season of firsts for the Chattanooga Christian School football program, the biggest feat yet is 48 minutes of game clock away.
The Chargers, who have risen to No. 4 in the state rankings for Division II-AA, travel to Knoxville to face second-ranked Webb with the East Region title on the line in a regular-season finale Friday night. In its 14-year history, CCS (8-1, 5-0) has never won a region crown, while the Spartans (8-0, 5-0) have been the standard for the TSSAA’s midsized private schools for many years, having won eight state championships.
“We have to bring the same mentality that’s carried us this far and treat this like our backs are against the wall, like it’s a playoff game,” Chargers first-year coach Phil Massey said. “We don’t have to play outside of who we are but just do what we’ve been doing, because that’s good enough.
“Respect is something you have to earn. That’s not just given. Webb traditionally has gold balls and numerous region titles, so they have earned that recognition whereas we’re still trying to earn it.”
Since a season-opening loss to McCallie, the Chargers have eight straight wins, none by fewer than 17 points. They have outscored those eight opponents by an eye-catching average of 51-10, scoring 62-plus points three times, including the past two games.