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BY JESSE SMITHEY
CHATTANOOGA — Though state titles are expected out of the Alcoa High School football team on a yearly basis, the Tornadoes celebrated their win Friday afternoon over East Nashville in the Class 3A BlueCross Bowl as if it were the program’s first in a decade.
There was no drama really in the contest. Alcoa led big at the half and never let the Eagles threaten to rally.
But, still, perhaps the relief of extending the program’s state championship streak to nine in a row led to the elation on the field at Finley Stadium.
Alcoa (13-1) ran its postseason win streak to 45 consecutive games and won a TSSAA-best 22nd overall state title with a convincing victory, 42-20, over East Nashville.
For the fourth consecutive 3A BlueCross Bowl, an Alcoa quarterback took home the game MVP honors. Caden Buckles won the award in 2020 and 2021, and Zach Lunsford snagged it last year.
This time, Alcoa junior Eli Graf — who took over QB1 duties past the midpoint of this season — was named BlueCross Bowl MVP.
Graf completed 10 of 17 passes for 151 yards and three passing touchdowns in the win. His three TD passes all came in the first half, as well as a rushing touchdown, as Alcoa built a 35-7 lead by the break.
The victory marked Alcoa’s third over East Nashville (12-3) in as many years in the 3A BlueCross Bowl.
“It’s feels great. It’s been a long season. To cap it off with this, it feels amazing,” said Graf. “The two quarterbacks I’ve seen play before me, they were both great quarterbacks. And so I take a lot of pride in being on the same level as them in this game.”
SETTING THE PACE
In 2021 and 2022 victories over East Nashville, special teams woes by the Eagles benefitted Alcoa.
This time, the Tornadoes took advantage of quarterback misfires.
Alcoa freshmen Micah Jones and Demauri Dubose intercepted first-quarter passes and both turnovers turned into points.
Jones returned his interception 43 yards for a touchdown with 8:50 left in the first quarter for a 7-0 lead. Dubose’s 39-yard return to the East Nashville 35 ultimately led to a Graf touchdown pass of 4 yards to Mr. Football finalist Brandon Winton and 14-0 lead at the 3:54 mark.
East Nashville finished the first half 0-for-8 passing. Rainy conditions and a wet football wreaked havoc on East Nashville’s attempts downfield.
“During the McCallie scrimmage, Brandon (Winton) was gassed. He’s cramping. We stick Demauri Debose in there. … and that little sucker played his butt off against a really good team,” Nix said. “And the fact that he had no fear and knew exactly what he was supposed to do, he started there the entire year and has had a phenomenal year.
“And Micah Jones, Micah can do a lot of things. He’s an athletic kid. But to play strong safety in our defense, it requires a lot. The back end of our defense is where we do a lot of things. For him to comprehend it all and play at a high level — and I’m telling you, if you put the ball in the air and he’s around it, he has unbelievable ball skills.”
GRAF GETS GOING
Though a 4-yard touchdown run by East Nashville sophomore running back Kelan Anderson trimmed Alcoa’s lead to 14-7 with 2:28 remaining in the first, Alcoa pushed it back to a 14-point lead on the first play of the second quarter.
Facing a third-and-6 at midfield, Graf backpedaled to avoid the East Nashville pass rush and set up the screen pass to Elijah Cannon.
Cannon broke free of a would-be tackler and then aptly darted through traffic for a 50-yard touchdown and 21-7 lead with 11:45 remaining in the half.
Alcoa rubbed some salt in East Nashville’s wounds when, during the Tornadoes’ next possession, Graf converted a fake-punt pass for 24 yards to Eli Owens for a first down to the East Nashville 20. Graf, who doubles as the team’s punter, has converted an array of fake-punt plays in marquee games this season.
Opponents know it’s always a possibility, and yet Alcoa still manages a way to execute it.
Graf turned the drive into another scoring possession, tossing a 12-yard touchdown to senior Brody Blankenship in the back corner of the end zone.
Blankenship twisted and turned to track the pass and then hauled in a highlight-reel-worthy, one-handed touchdown catch with 6:41 left in the second quarter for the 28-7 advantage.
“I lost the ball for a second. I just threw one hand up there, praying I caught it somehow,” said Blankenship. “Excited about it.”
Graf added a 4-yard rushing touchdown before the break for a four-touchdown lead. He ran for 20 yards Friday on six carries.
MOVING ON
Alcoa bumped the lead to 35 in the third and evoked a running block. East Nashville’s opening drive of the third was going well, gashing Alcoa up the middle. But QB Martez Lamb fumbled at the 50, and Joe McCord scooped up the ball and returned it 30 yards to the EN 20.
Three runs later by Juwelz Scales, and Alcoa led 42-7.
McCord and Scales are two of nine senior starters for Alcoa.
The Tornadoes will return six starters on offense and seven on defense next season for another run at a state championship.
The losses of seniors like Winton, Blankenship, McCord, linebacker Brayden Cornett and senior kicker Bacon Lauderback will be felt.
But Alcoa still will have plenty in the tank, including Graf, Owens, current sophomore athlete Kolby Barrett, freshman wideout Jamir Dean (6-2, 170), junior wideout Luke Cannon (6-3, 180), and don’t forget about the freshmen in the secondary who came up big against East Nashville.
That’s just to name a few.
“If this ever doesn’t feel — when we hit the field today, this electricity in your veins … if that ever doesn’t happen, I’ll quit,” Nix said. “And the expectation at Alcoa is: you win the whole thing, right? That’s just the exception. It’s an all-or-nothing thing.”