Tennessee HS Football: The Road To A Championship

By: Jay Pace

National Writer

Ondamarcsports.com

This is Part IV of a feature series in which we examine Chattanooga area playoff teams and their chances of winning a state championship. 

Today we take a look at the unbeaten Boyd Buchanan Bucs and assess their state championship chances this postseason.

Buc'n For A Championship

Team Snapshot

Record

10–0

Head Coach

Gary Rankin

36–4 in three seasons at  Boyd Buchanan.

509-84 in 44 seasons as a head coach.

17 x State Champion

Championship Path

Boyd has been dominant this season, as they have won every game by 20 point or more.

The Bucs have a juggernaut of an offense combined with a stalwart defense, that has the Bucs on the brink of a Division II-AA championship.

In just three short years, Gary Rankin has transformed this program from a team with great  potential, into a legit championship contender. Rankin’s fingerprints are all over this team as they embody the same style that carried him to 17 state championships at Riverdale and Alcoa combined.

Why They’re Dangerous

The Bucs ascribe to a physical style of play that punishes and provokes on both sides of the ball. A smart quarterback, along with a punishing ground game, and a defense that erases confidence before it erases points are all hallmarks of a classic Gary Rankin team.

Running back David Green has flown under the radar in 2025 despite being one of the best backs in the state. A game breaker who runs with a low center of gravity, Green has been unstoppable this fall.

A major reason for Green’s success is the pack of road graders upfront clearing  a pathway with striking regularity. 

The Bucs running game operates behind a veteran offensive line averaging over 260 pounds across the front, that wins by playing with excellent leverage, technique and a physical nature. 

Defense

Boyd Buchanan’s defensive identity is playing fast but under control and they bring violence behind them on every snap. This is a team that suffocates their opponents momentum. If you don’t strike early, you won’t strike at all.

Postseason Path

Next Game

2nd Round vs. Grace Christian  Franklin

7:00pm

Biggest Obstacle

The biggest threat to the Bucs road to a championship is attrition and complacency. Several key players take two-way snaps and the deeper this run goes, the more that cumulative wear matters. Is it really a good thing that this team hasn't been tested and we're two weeks away from the Blue Cross Bowl?

When you’ve beaten everyone by more than three scores routinely, it’s easy to lose the edge that playoff football demands.

Title Odds

8 out of 10

Boyd Buchanan is the most complete team in Division II-AA right now. The Bucs have elite coaching and a transcendent playmaker in Green that puts this team squarely in the championship conversation.  

Editorial Note

This Championship Path analysis is built from verified statistical trends, local coverage archives, and roster references from TSSAA/MaxPreps listings and prior-season carryovers. It’s rooted in game film identity and on-field production, not speculation or player interviews, to present an authentic, data-grounded scouting evaluation.

SMU Flexes Balance and Depth in 45–13 Road Rout of Boston College

By: Marc Henry Via Mustang Wire

SMU continues to prove it belongs among the ACC’s elite. The Mustangs dominated every phase of Saturday’s 45–13 win over Boston College, rolling to their seventh victory of the season and improving to 5–1 in conference play. Behind another strong outing from quarterback Kevin Jennings and a defense that refused to give the Eagles room to breathe, Rhett Lashlee’s team looked every bit like a contender heading into the season’s final stretch.

The win marked SMU’s 13th in 14 ACC contests since joining the league in 2024 and extended Lashlee’s remarkable November record to 13–1. It was also the Mustangs’ largest margin of victory in a road ACC game, surpassing last season’s 30-point win at Stanford.

Jennings Steady as Ever

Redshirt junior quarterback Kevin Jennings has quietly developed into one of the most efficient passers in the ACC, and Saturday was another showcase of his growth. Jennings threw for 326 yards and three touchdowns, his second straight 300-yard performance and sixth of his career. He connected on deep shots, spread the ball to seven different receivers, and now ranks fifth in SMU history with 50 career touchdown passes.

Jennings’ scoring strikes went to three different targets, Jordan Hudson (25 yards), Yamir Knight (61 yards), and tight end Matthew Hibner (37 yards),  as SMU continued to stress Boston College vertically.

Explosive Playmakers Take Over

Few teams in the country have as many weapons as SMU, and the depth was on display in Chestnut Hill.

Junior wideout Yamir Knight posted career highs with seven receptions for 162 yards, including a 61-yard touchdown that broke the game open early in the third quarter. Jordan Hudson, the senior receiver and team captain, added five receptions for 104 yards and a touchdown of his own. It marked the first time since 2022 that SMU had two 100-yard receivers in the same game.

On the ground, senior T.J. Harden powered the rushing attack with 130 yards on 16 carries, while freshman Derrick McFall found the end zone three times, on runs of one, six, and 48 yards, to seal the victory. The Mustangs finished with 206 rushing yards and 574 total yards, their highest output of the season.

Defensive Statement Game

While the offense lit up the scoreboard, SMU’s defense was equally dominant. The Mustangs recorded eight sacks, nine tackles for loss, and four takeaways, a continuation of what has become one of the nation’s most opportunistic units.

Senior defensive end Isaiah Smith led the charge with a career-high four sacks, tying the program’s single-game record. Smith now sits second in school history with 22.5 career sacks, trailing only Luke Johnson’s 23.5 from 1999.

Linebacker Alexander Kilgore added 10 tackles, while safety Ahmaad Moses recovered two fumbles. True freshman Tyren Polley Jr. recorded his first career interception and set a personal best with eight tackles.

SMU now leads the nation with 26 takeaways, including 16 interceptions, and continues to rank among the country’s top defenses in sacks and tackles for loss.

Building Momentum Toward Louisville

For Lashlee, the win was another sign of how far the program has come since entering the ACC just two seasons ago. SMU has now won 26 of its last 29 regular-season games and 14 of its last 16 on the road.

“This is what complementary football looks like,” Lashlee said after the game. “We’ve got veteran leadership, depth at every position, and a group that believes in each other. When we play to our standard, we can beat anyone in the country.”

The Mustangs will return home to Gerald J. Ford Stadium on November 22 for a crucial matchup against No. 15 Louisville, a game that could shape the ACC Championship race.

If Saturday’s performance is any indication, SMU looks ready for the moment.

Tennessee HS Playoffs: Tyner Outlasts Watertown In Round 1 Win

By: Jay Pace

National Writer

Ondamarcsports.com

No Place Like Home

Chattanooga, TN-Home is where you make it.

For the last three years, home, for the Tyner Rams, has been the road. 

With construction delays, among other issues, postponing the opening of its new home stadium, Tyner, hadn't played a true home game in nearly 1100 days 

On The Road Again…

Homecoming games, senior nights, even, “home games” were played on the road.

Road Warriors no more, Tyner finally has a home of its own and its name is Bob Evans Stadium. The field was named after legendary head coach Wayne Turner who retired in 2020 after 30 years at the helm.

Welcome Home

“You got to learn how to win at home,” said third year Tyner head coach Christian Mainor following his team's closer than expected win over Watertown. “That's not something we've had to do for the last three years.”

They did on Friday night, finally.

And it didn't take long for The Ram Train to get rolling down the tracks.

Sophomore defensive back Dion Edwards picked off the first pass of the game to set up his own score on the Rams first possession, scoring on an end-around with 7:03 left in the first to put Tyner up 7-0.

That early lead would be threatened but never relinquished. Once Tyner got out in front they would remain there until the final horn sounded.

Playing With Their Food 

Undaunted by the early turnover, the Purple Tigers went right back to work on their next possession, driving deep into Ram territory before Karontae Cunningham intercepted a Garrett Davis pass near the Tyner 20. After a short return to the 34, Tyner would score on its first play on a bubble screen from Marcus Turner  to Jamarion Dowdell who raced down the visiting sideline untouched to put Tyner up 14-0.

Watertown pulled to within a score at 14-7 only to watch Turner find USC commit Peyton Dyar for a 22 yard TD on a crucial third down play with 5:54 remaining in the first half. 

And that was the story of the night. Tyner never could  put the Purple Tigers away yet the outcome never seemed in doubt either. 

It was almost as if Tyner had grown bored and elected to play with their food rather than finish the meal.

Close But No Cigar

Tyner would increase its lead to 27-7 after Dowdell ripped off a 38 yard TD run to push the advantage to 27-7.

Once again, Watertown would climb back into it pulling to within 27-20 when Davis hooked up with Landon Harper on a  26 yard scoring strike. 

And right on script, Tyner would answer, marching 43 yards on 10 plays with De’Arion McNealy capping a nice drive with a 2-yard run to put Tyner back up by double digits at 33-20 with 6:20 left.

McNealy finished with 72 yards on 13 carries and the exclamation touchdown.

Round 2 At The Ram Shack

“We opened the stadium with good energy” said a beaming McNealy postgame. “We had good preparation.”

True to form Watertown drove down the field in a desperate attempt to pull within a score before Jumocka Willis sealed the win when he intercepted Davis’ pass near the goal line with 1:02 remaining.

Tyner welcomes Unicoi County (9-2) to The Ram Shack on Friday night in round two of the Class 3A playoffs.