Several days after last year’s TSSAA Division II-AAA BlueCross Bowl at Finley Stadium, as he was still recovering from the disappointment of a hard-fought loss to rival McCallie — the second to the Blue Tornado in 2023, but this one with a state championship on the line — Baylor football coach Erik Kimrey was asked what made that matchup so difficult.
“We knew it would be tough for us, particularly up front, because they’re just a little bit bigger and stronger than we are at some spots,” Kimrey said at the time.
Fast-forward to this past Friday night, after Kimrey and his staff had addressed the team’s needs during the offseason, and it didn’t take long to realize those points of concern are now a team strength and the main reason behind the top-ranked Red Raiders’ 44-12 home win against No. 2 McCallie. That set a record for the most points Baylor has scored against the Blue Tornado in a series that dates to 1905 (the previous high was 39 in 1928).
Behind an offensive line of center Jimmy Bryson (6-4, 280), tackles Charlie Edgeworth (6-foot-7, 330 pounds) and Gabriel Osenda (6-8, 320), and guards Xavier Wade (6-5, 295), Teague Johnson (5-11, 235) and Jon King (6-3, 295) — with the latter two rotating at one spot — Baylor running backs David Gabriel-Georges and Shekai Mills-Knight combined to average 11.8 yards per carry while rushing for 329 yards and four touchdowns.
“This game is about getting a hat on a hat and letting 1 (Mills-Knight) and 0 (Gabriel-Georges) do their thing,” Kimrey said Saturday. “Last night we did that. People don’t talk enough about (offensive line coach) Josh Willoughby, honestly. He’s one of the best in the country and does a fantastic job of having those guys up front prepared.”