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.