There is an anxious buzz making its way throughout Bradley County. And for good reason.
As the prep football season approaches, high-level additions joining already talented rosters should make both Bradley Central and Cleveland more serious challengers atop TSSAA Region 2-6A, as well as statewide.
While the Bears have two players ranked among the state’s top 10 college prospects, Cleveland’s storyline includes not only new coach Chandler Tygard implementing one of the fastest-paced offenses in the state, but several skilled newcomers who will help make that offense go for the Blue Raiders.
The Bears and Blue Raiders are the only two Chattanooga-area teams that compete in 2-6A, which is stacked with perennial championship contenders from the Knoxville area — Bearden, Farragut, Maryville — as well as Hardin Valley.
Cleveland proved its potential last year by snapping Maryville’s 144-game streak of region wins, which dated to the 2000 season, but the Blue Raiders couldn’t feed off the momentum from that victory, eventually missing the playoffs and making a coaching change during the offseason. The Rebels, meanwhile, rebounded to go on to share the regular-season region title with Farragut, then reached the state semifinals before falling to eventual champ Murfreesboro Oakland for a third straight year.