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CHATTANOOGA ― The loss may have been more difficult than last year’s TSSAA football championship defeat.
Baylor’s 21-0 first-half lead evaporated in the second half as McCallie (11-2) scored with 15 seconds left to stun the Red Raiders, 27-21, and capture its second straight Division II-AAA BlueCross Bowl state championship Thursday night at Finley Stadium.
The loss was a gut punch to Baylor, the No. 1-ranked team in the state in the Tennessee Super 25 statewide ranking. Several of its star players, including Tennessee signee Joakim Dodson and Shekai Mills-Knight declined postgame interviews. And Baylor coach Erik Kimrey did not make Mr. Football finalist David Gabriel-Georges available after the game for postgame interviews.
Gabriel-Georges played for the first time in the playoffs after suffering a hip injury, according to Kimrey. He ran for 119 yards on 10 carries, including a 31-yard touchdown run in the first half to help Baylor build that 21-0 lead.
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“Because (David) couldn’t do anything for the playoffs, we really didn’t have a package for both him and Shakai like we did before. So we just felt like we would rotate the two of them.”
But Gabriel-Georges went down early in the fourth quarter and didn’t return.
“This week he practiced at only 50% because we really didn’t want to re-aggravate it,” Kimrey said. “He gave it a great go. He’s a great competitor.”
The loss is the first for Baylor (12-1) this season. The Red Raiders smashed McCallie, 44-12, during their East Region regular-season game, Oct. 4. It was their first matchup against the Blue Tornado since losing to McCallie, 34-28, in last year’s state championship game.
That game also…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/top-ranked-baylor-mccallie-rally-043005734.html
Author : The Tennessean
Publish date : 2024-12-06 04:30:00
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