Tennessee HS Football: The Road To A Championship

By: Jay Pace

National Writer

Ondamarcsports.com

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

Today we take an in-depth look at the Bradley Central Bears. 

BRADLEY CENTRAL BEARS

Record

7-3

Head Coach

Damon Floyd 

(19th season)

Why They’re Dangerous…

Few teams statewide are as physically dominant as Bradley Central. Chris Myers leads a punishing defense, and Kenyon Phelps along with Wiley Suskawicz, Tyler Cook, and Luke Hagy provide strength across both lines. They’re explosive but patient, an ideal 6A blend.

Championship Path

A third place finish in 6A-2 means BCHS will be on the road this postseason. The good news is, the Bears fared well away from home this season, going 4-1. The bad news is they face a long bus ride and a quality opponent when they arrive. First up is Jefferson County who might just boast one of its very best teams in school history.  The Jefferson County Patriots are 14-4 at home over the last three seasons. Should BCHS survive a tough road trip in round one, they’ll likely face another set of Patriots in round two. 

Uhhh….You mean,  THOSE Patriots? 

The ones from Oakland? 

Yep. Them. 

The  biggest, baddest wolf on the 6A block. The defending state champions. Okay, you get the point. 

Did I mention they’ve won five state titles over the last 8 years? 

Ok. I'm done now. For real.

BCHS is a very talented team capable of beating (almost) anyone on the schedule. If the Bears can spring an upset and/or get a little help along the way, watch out. Getting beyond round two is a tall order when Oakland is the hurdle that must be cleared. But…should BCHS clear that hurdle, the sky's the limit.

That's why they play the games.

Biggest Obstacle

Consistency. When they play to their standard, they can beat (almost) anyone, but mental lapses, slow starts, or turnovers will kill a run fast.  Of course. five straight weeks of road games vs. marquee opponents with something to play for doesn't make things any easier.

Title Odds

Not favorable.

6A is a gauntlet where only the strong survive. BC is a good team but they face long odds and a hard road if they're going to win a championship in 2025.

Tennessee HS Football: The Road To A Championship

By: Jay Pace

National Writer

Ondamarcsports.com

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

Today we take an in-depth look at Tyner Academy. 

Tyner Academy Rams

Record

9–1

Head Coach

Christian Mainor (3rd) Season

Why They’re Dangerous…

Tyner checks off all the boxes of a serious title contender. They are a veteran group with plenty of talent on both sides of the ball. If Tyner stumbles it won't be for a lack of talented playmakers.

The Rams are battle tested, as they waded through a pretty difficult non-region schedule that included the likes of Red Bank and defending Division II-A champion Nashville Christian and QB Jared Curtis.

The Rams have rattled off impressive wins over Cleveland (34–0) and Red Bank (21-20) and they dropped 62 on Ooltewah. Leaders like Tyler Anderson, Dion Edwards, D’Aerion McNealy, Martez Mitchell, and Ja’Marien Crawl bring both skill and swagger.

Postseason Path

By virtue of winning a  Region 3A - 5 title, Tyner has home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Tennessee high school football’s road warriors finally have a home of their own and it couldn't have come at a better time.

Why They Won't…

Depth. They’ve got frontline talent, but a couple of injuries could shift their entire playoff picture. Also, teams that spread them out and force them to defend the pass could cause problems.

Title Odds

8/10

Tyner is a serious favorite to win it all in Class 3A. They have as much talent as anyone they’ll face. As long as Tyner doesn't beat themselves there's no reason the Rams can't win it all in 2025.

SMU at Boston College – Game Preview

Date/Time: Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025 – 11 a.m. CT

Location: Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, Mass.

TV: ACC Network

Radio: The Ticket 96.7 FM/1310 AM | Sirius XM 193

Streaming: SMU App

Records:

SMU (6-3, 4-1 ACC)

Boston College (1-8, 0-5 ACC)

Setting the Scene

SMU heads to Boston College following a 26-20 overtime upset of No. 10 Miami, the program’s highest-ranked win since 1983.

Quarterback Kevin Jennings threw for a career-best 365 yards, receiver Jordan Hudson posted 11 catches for 136 yards, and defensive back Ahmaad Moses led the way with 15 tackles and two interceptions, including the game-clinching stop in overtime.

Mustangs by the Numbers

• SMU leads the all-time series with Boston College, 2–1, including a 38–28 win in 2024.

  
  

• The Mustangs rank first nationally in turnovers gained (22) and fourth in red-zone defense (.647).

  
  

• Kevin Jennings ranks seventh in the nation in passing yards (2,484).

  
  

• The defensive front: Terry Webb, Jeffrey M’ba, and Cameron Robertson, has combined for 15.5 sacks.

  
  

• Ahmaad Moses is tied for first in the nation with five interceptions.

  
  

• SMU has recorded 11 touchdown drives this season lasting under two minutes.

  
  

• Head coach Rhett Lashlee is 35–15 overall and 25–4 in conference play; his .923 November winning percentage (12–1) is the best in program history.

About Boston College

Boston College enters the matchup 1–8 overall and 0–5 in ACC play under second-year head coach Bill O’Brien. The Eagles are coming off a 25–10 home loss to Notre Dame.

Notable Trends

• SMU has 60 wins since 2019, tied with Texas for the most among FBS programs in the state.

  
  

• The Mustangs have forced multiple turnovers in seven of nine games this season.

  
  

• Under Lashlee, SMU is 30–3 when scoring 30 or more points.