As William Riddle looked to his football future by signing with East Tennessee State University on Wednesday, it was a good time for the McCallie senior to reflect on the past.
After all, the journey that made Riddle "the most accomplished quarterback" in school history - McCallie coach Ralph Potter's words - was a long one. While many saw what the 6-foot-2, 186-pounder did for the Blue Tornado on Friday nights this past fall while leading them to their first undefeated season since 2001 and shattering program records, there were so many more hours outside of games that made such success possible.
And that process didn't start last year.
"When I was young, my goal was to one day start for McCallie," said the soft-spoken Riddle, who won the starting job four games into his junior season. "I was willing to do whatever it took to win the starting job. I was also going to do whatever I had to in order to help us win."
McCallie's flawless season was capped by a third straight TSSAA Division II-AAA state championship. Along the way, Riddle completed 68.3% of his passes for 3,075 yards (16.6 yards per completion), 43 touchdowns and just six interceptions in 12 games. He was a finalist for the Tennessee Titans Mr. Football award in DII-AAA, and he was selected MVP of McCallie's BlueCross Bowl victory over Montgomery Bell Academy at Finley Stadium that clinched the program's third straight state title.
Riddle credited teamwork for the Blue Tornado's success, and that showed up in his highlight games - including against Chattanooga Christian and Knoxville Catholic, when he threw six touchdown passes against each. A combined eight players were on the receiving end of touchdowns in those two games.
"The key to our success really started in the summer when we all got together at camp," said Riddle, who also rushed for a touchdown against Knoxville Catholic. "We really built great chemistry and locked in together. Our offensive coordinator Joel Bradford did an outstanding job of getting our passing concepts down so we could get the ball out and dish it out to those guys. It was a lot of fun to see come together and an incredible ride."
In addition to a talented group of receivers, Riddle had a clean pocket to operate in thanks to a stout offensive line that was a big reason McCallie averaged 40 points per game.
Riddle set single-season program records for passing yards and touchdowns. He surpassed not only BJ Coleman's 2,927-yard season in 2006 but also his career total for touchdown passes by seven, with Riddle finishing with 60 in less than two seasons as a full-time starter.
"When you talk about how good a quarterback is, their win-loss record tells it all," McCallie coach Ralph Potter said. "William fought for everything he earned and is leaving here as the most accomplished quarterback McCallie has ever had."
McCallie also celebrated on Wednesday the signings of Kenzy Paul (Duke), who played receiver and cornerback, and defensive standouts Thomas Pilon (Furman) and Matthew Plunkett (Georgetown).
"I had never played corner before coming here," Paul said. "Starting from nothing to where I am right now having a chance to go to Duke is something I am so thankful and blessed for."
Pilon had 13 tackles for loss and five sacks in 2021, while Plunkett had 13 tackles for loss and four sacks in his final two seasons.
"What made us a championship team was we were all together and extremely strong," Pilon said. "Coach (Richard) Henderson is the best strength coach I have ever been around. He really helped my strength, speed and explosiveness."
Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / From left, McCallie football team captains Cooper Rumfelt, John Kohl McAdams, William Bell and Aaron Crowder walk out to midfield at Finley Stadium for the pregame coin toss at the TSSAA Division II-AAA BlueCross Bowl on Dec. 2. McCallie beat Montgomery Bell Academy 28-7 to win its third straight state title.Sticking together
Christian and Christopher Lewis made it known to college recruiters that they were a package deal, and Wednesday the Calhoun twins made it official by celebrating their joint decision to play for Berry College.
This past fall, Christian passed for 2,675 yards and 27 touchdowns, while Christopher, a linebacker, had more than 120 tackles while helping lead the Yellow Jackets to a state runner-up finish in GHSA Class AAAAA. Now they're headed to the next county over to play for Berry College, the NCAA Division III program that launched within the past decade and has quickly become a winner in the Southern Athletic Association.
The Lewis twins were joined at a ceremony at the school by five senior teammates who will play at the next level.
One of those, receiver Cole Speer, signed with Georgia during the early period in December, while three of the players are headed for service academies: Kendrick Kirby (Army), Gage Leonard (Navy) and Quin Smith (Air Force). Brendan Gray, a receiver, will join the twins at Berry.
"This group is special," Calhoun coach Clay Stephenson said. "They have left their mark on Calhoun football, and our program is in a better place because of the dedication and commitment from these seven players."
Staff photo by Robin Rudd / Christian Heritage senior Solomon Locke (3), a versatile contributor on both sides of the ball for the Lions, has signed with UTC.Staying close
The families of a pair of senior stars from Christian Heritage School in Dalton won't have to travel far to watch their kids play college football next season. Two-way starter Solomon Locke is going to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, while three-year starting quarterback Christian Thomas is headed to Berry in Rome, Georgia.
Locke rushed for 1,374 yards and 10 touchdowns while totaling 451 receiving yards and five touchdown catches as a senior. On the other side of the ball, he played linebacker and had 104 tackles (14 for loss) and four sacks while forcing a pair of safeties.
Thomas amassed more than 6,000 yards of total offense in three seasons and helped guide the Lions to a region championship in 2020.
"Both have had fabulous careers here at CHS and have been instrumental in laying the foundation for future teams," Lions coach Jay Poag said. "They hold virtually every school record that one can hold, and they certainly leave huge shoes to fill. It will be fun to watch them continue to develop and chase their dreams of having success at the next level. I think both have made excellent choices of the colleges that they will be attending."
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com and follow him on Twitter @PMacCoon. Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com and follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.