McCallie's Deangelo Hardy (10) tries to get past Baylor's Grayson Panter (33) during the intracity rivals' matchup last October at Baylor's Heywood Stadium.When the prep football season kicks off in two weeks, both Baylor and McCallie in Division II-AAA will be looking to scratch a seven-year itch.
That's how many seasons it has been since one of Chattanooga's large private schools has advanced past the semifinal round to play for a state championship.
McCallie has put together one of the best offensive lines in its region after averaging more than 36 points per game last year before falling in the state semifinals to Brentwood Academy, which went on to win its third straight title. The return of junior quarterback Deangelo Hardy - one of the area's most athletic dual-threat players - behind that stout line should put the Blue Tornado on the short list of Division II-AAA contenders.
The 5-foot-10, 185-pound Hardy is a very good option quarterback who has improved as a passer and has a wealth of talent around him at the skill positions. That includes sophomore running back B.J. Harris (5-10, 195), who already has offers from several Football Bowl Subdivision programs after a breakout varsity debut.
"Deangelo is the kind of guy you want leading your team," McCallie coach Ralph Potter said. "There are some guys who get better in the tougher moments, and he's one of those guys. Our biggest concern is keeping the kids healthy and fresh, because we've got more than usual having to go both ways.
"We haven't had too many big linemen, but there's good size now and we believe they can play. We're very old on the front line defensively and have three seniors starting at linebacker. We need more depth there and in the secondary, but we like what we've got among our starters."
Linebackers Kris Bowman (6-1, 205) and Quindarrius Dunnigan (6-4, 230) plus noseguard Cameron Stewart (6-3, 310) lead a solid front seven on defense, and coaches love the range and toughness free safety Brandon Benn (6-0, 185) brings to the secondary.
With a good nucleus of starters back from a team that was inconsistent last season, Baylor expects the tough lessons learned to pay off with a better finish.
On defense, the Red Raiders should be better up front, an area where they struggled at times in 2017. Talented lineman Christian Harris (6-3, 260) and linebacker Cooper Lewis (6-3, 215) - both are being recruited by multiple college programs - will take on more leadership on that side of the ball.
On offense, senior quarterback Lorenzo White (6-3, 190) will be in charge of an inexperienced group. He enters his third season as the starting quarterback and threw for more than 1,400 yards last season. He'll likely need Mekos Baker (6-3, 170) to step up and become a big-play threat at receiver.
As the Red Raiders look to rebound from last year's disappointing season, one thing is certain - it won't take long to know the direction this year is headed. The first three opponents all played in state finals last season.
"We're certainly not easing into it," Baylor coach Phil Massey said. "It doesn't get much easier, either. It's not a forgiving schedule, but our players have been very motivated to not let what happened last season repeat itself."
Making the schedule even tougher is the lack of experience returning. The Red Raiders must replace their leading rusher, leading receiver, top scorer and kicker on offense, plus half of their defensive backs.
"We may have more guys seeing action on both sides of the ball, at least until some of the younger guys are ready," Massey said. "A lesson we learned last year is that a player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player."
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.