Boyd Buchanan’s undefeated run has been extended by Jaylon Sanderfer’s legs.
Just more than a month after undergoing ankle surgery, the 6-foot-2, 220-pound senior running back rushed for 113 yards and three touchdowns Friday night — all in the second half of the Buccaneers’ 36-24 comeback win over Davidson Academy to earn a spot in the TSSAA Division II-AA BlueCross Bowl at Finley Stadium.
Boyd Buchanan (13-0) will next face Nashville’s Christ Presbyterian Academy (12-1) at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 30. It will be the fourth appearance in a state final for the Bucs, whose 2003 Class 1A title is their lone championship.
Sanderfer had not been used on offense throughout the playoffs, and Bucs coach Gary Rankin was not planning to use him in Friday’s game, but trailing 17-10 in the second half forced a change.
(READ MORE: Final scores and photos from Friday night’s Chattanooga-area prep football games)
“He just took over the game,” Rankin said. “He was going to win the game by himself if that’s what it was going to take.”
Boyd Buchanan led 10-0 early after a 41-yard field goal by Ethan Lane and a 32-yard touchdown run by Sebastian Jones, but the rest of the first half belonged to Davidson Academy (10-3). Bears quarterback Knox Roberts threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to Will Breece and tied the game at 10 on a 21-yard field goal to end the half.
Caden Stroud put the Bears up 17-10 in the third quarter with a 4-yard run, but that’s when Sanderfer took over, scoring on a 21-yard run to tie, followed by a 10-yarder to give the Bucs a 24-17 lead early in the fourth quarter.
The Bears pulled even on another Stroud touchdown run, but Sanderfer answered on the next drive with a 23-yard score that gave the hosts the lead for good with 35 seconds remaining. Davidson had a chance to win, but David Green’s 95-yard interception return for a touchdown on the final play punctuated the Bucs’ victory.
“It’s all about facing adversity,” Sanderfer said. “You have to know how to take it on whether you’re losing or winning. We handled it appropriately like we always do and got the job done. Now it’s time to go to state.”
Rankin, the all-time leader in wins and state titles among Tennessee prep football coaches, said he has been surprised at how far the Bucs have come in just his second season at Boyd Buchanan.
“Nobody expected us to be where we are right now, and that’s probably including me,” Rankin said. “But we put it together somehow. This is probably one of the top three biggest surprises in my coaching career. This just wasn’t supposed to happen this year.”
Contact Jim Tanner at sports@timesfreepress.com.