There is always that last football game at home.
Such was the case Friday night at McCallie, where the Blue Tornado opened their quest for a third consecutive TSSAA Division II-AAA state crown by scoring the first 56 points of a 59-20 thrashing of Father Ryan at Spears Stadium.
The outcome was expected given that the Blue Tornado (9-2) also routed the Irish (1-10) on Sept. 5 at the same venue, 52-0. What was different was that this was it for a senior contingent that includes linebackers Gabe Abercrombie and Cooper Gentle.
“It hit me this week, but tonight was when I really felt it,” Gentle said. “The starters came out of this game early, and you could kind of feel that next generation coming up. It’s pretty sentimental. I’ve played with Gabe since second grade, and it’s pretty sentimental to know that it’s the last time on this field.”
Said Abercrombie: “I knew it was going to be like this all week, but it’s feeling more real now. I just talked to my mom, and she said she feels like she’s about to cry. I’m actually feeling more grateful than sad. I can remember a lot of the good.”