At a young age Jaylon Sanderfer turned heads in the Scenic City youth football league at the Lakeside Youth Sports Complex.
Now, the 6-foot-2, 220-pound punishing senior running back and outside linebacker will look to try and help Boyd Buchanan School bring home its first TSSAA state championship in 20 years in Thursday’s 11 a.m. BlueCross Bowl Division II-AA title bout against Christ Presbyterian Academy.
After the Buccaneers had their past two postseasons end on the road to CPA (12-1) — who is in the state championship for the sixth straight season — Sanderfer and his teammates will look to pay the Lions back this time in home territory. The two will kick off the first of nine BlueCross Bowl title bouts to be held at Finley Stadium between Thursday and Saturday.
“Playing in a state championship game is something I never thought of when I started high school. I was just working hard to get a starting spot,” said Sanderfer, who took off with the starting tailback role as a sophomore, rushing for nearly 1,100 yards, including a career-high 313-yard game.
“To be able to go all the way through the playoffs and be here in this moment to play a CPA team that knocked off dudes I still call my brothers is a special opportunity. To be in the state title game with this group of guys is a beautiful thing.”