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.