Late Friday night, his McCallie School football team having just beaten Father Ryan 48-21 to remain undefeated through eight games this season, Blue Tornado coach Ralph Potter told his players, "I've never had a good team that didn't have to come from behind to win a game like this."
That the Blue Tornado are pretty good is without question. Their average margin of victory now stands at 27 points a game. McCallie has gone on the road to beat both traditional Division II-AAA juggernaut Brentwood Academy and bitter archrival Baylor, and its East Region record is 4-0 with one league game remaining - the Nov. 1 regular-season finale against Ensworth.
McCallie was anything but good in Friday's first half at Spears Stadium, though, falling behind the Fightin' Irish (1-7, 0-4), who have now lost seven straight games.
"This is why the only thing that matters," Potter told his team afterward, "is how you play that night."
Fortunately for McCallie, B.J. Harris comes to play every night. Carrying the ball but 13 times, the junior rushed for 259 yards and three touchdowns, those runs covering 65, 90 and 62 yards.
Asked if he'd ever had such a performance, Harris broke into a grin and said, "Maybe in little league."
Yet Father Ryan, which had taken a 7-0 lead in the first quarter after intercepting McCallie quarterback DeAngelo Hardy, recovered well enough from the first two Harris scores to lead 21-19 at halftime thanks to touchdown passes from D.C. Tabscott to Christian Smith and to Josh Pfeifer.
"We were asleep in the first half. It was (a lack of) focus," said McCallie senior offensive lineman Adam Smith, who also said he and his teammates received a "stern talking-to" from Potter during the break.
Said Harris: "I told DeAngelo as we were walking to the locker room, 'We're fixing to get it.'"
After trailing the Irish 212-210 in total yardage at halftime, the Blue Tornado outgained Father Ryan 276-94 the final two quarters, when Hardy was particularly strong, tossing two touchdowns and running for 53 yards.
McCallie's Eric Rivers made two touchdown catches in the game, including the go-ahead score with 1:01 left in the third, and Thompson Byrd snagged a 36-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter.
McCallie hosts Florida's Clearwater Academy International next Friday night, and as with every other game, Smith is happy he'll be blocking for Harris.
"Words can't describe," he said, "how great it is to have B.J. at running back."
Especially on those nights you sleep through the opening half.
Contact Mark Wiedmer at mwiedmer@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @TFPWeeds.