Tennessee HS Football: The Road To A Championship

By: Jay Pace

National Writer

Ondamarcsports.com

This is Part III 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 seven-time state champion McCallie and assess their championship chances this postseason.

Tornado

🌀 Warning

Record

8-2

Head Coach

Joel Bradford (2nd)

(19-4)

Championship Pedigree

With five state titles in six years, McCallie is the very definition of a championship program. 

Following the retirement of long-time head coach Ralph Potter in 2023-who is now the defensive coordinator-McCallie alum Joel Bradford took over the program last year. The Blue Tornadoes didn’t miss a beat,  finishing the regular season at 8-2. 

Following a nasty Week 7 loss to Baylor, the Blue Tornadoes closed out the season with six straight wins, eventually culminating with a Division II-AAA state championship after avenging their earlier loss to Baylor in  the championship game.

Why They’re Dangerous

McCallie is a patient and physical football team built for the long-haul. Senior RB Kris Lloyd and sophomore Xavier Fillion lead a bruising ground game while veteran QB Eli Drapeau guides the offense. McCallie is a run first team who loves to pound between the tackles. But don't be fooled by their run-first mantra because this bunch can throw it too. Linebacker Gabe Abercrombie and burgeoning star Loia Valade, a sophomore defensive back, lead a salty defense that loves to attack. 

In short, this is a group of  battle-tested veterans who know what it takes to win a championship. 

Beating McCallie is a four-quarter effort.

Postseason Path

The Blue Tornadoes open with a familiar opponent in Father Ryan whom they beat 52-0 earlier this year. From there, the Blue Tornadoes will likely face both no.1 seeds in  Brentwood Academy  (Rd 2) and Baylor (Rd  3) just to reach the state finals. 

Biggest Obstacle

The road to a championship is never easy but the path McCallie faces is paved in sheer brutality. It's hard to get up four weeks in a row against elite competition. 

Should the.Blue Tornadoes win their sixth state title in 7 years it will have been well earned.

Title Odds

7/10

A strong contender residing among the handful of teams in Chattanooga capable of winning a state title in 2025.

Editor’s Note:

This article is part of our Championship Path series, an ongoing breakdown of area teams as they pursue a state championship. The analysis draws on film review, schedule strength, and performance metrics rather than on-site interviews to maintain consistency across all features in the series.