Here are some notable numbers to know regarding this year’s BlueCross Bowl, which kicks off Thursday morning at Finley Stadium.
Nine TSSAA football state championships will be awarded during the three-day event, which Chattanooga is hosting for the fifth consecutive year. Three games will be played each day — at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. — and there is the chance of an area team winning a title Thursday (Baylor in Division II-AAA), Friday (South Pittsburg in Class 1A) and Saturday (Marion County in Class 2A).
0: Number of interceptions thrown by Baylor senior quarterback Briggs Cherry in 201 attempts. The Louisville signee has completed 75% of his passes for 2,800 yards and 29 touchdowns this season without having thrown a pick.
3: Previous meetings between McKenzie and South Pittsburg with a state championship on the line. South Pittsburg has won all three of those, with the Pirates prevailing 14-7 in 2023 and 24-21 in 2021 at Finley Stadium, as well as 52-20 in 2007, when the BlueCross Bowl was held at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro.
4: Consecutive Division II-AAA state championship games in which Baylor has appeared. After failing to reach the title game for a decade, the Red Raiders have now played for a championship every season since Erik Kimrey took over as head coach.