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2023 BLUECROSS BOWL SCHEDULE
Finley Stadium, Chattanooga
PARKING: $15 per day.
TICKETS: $20 per day. Discounted tickets can be purchased in advance HERE
Thursday, Nov. 30
Division II-AA: Christ Presbyterian Academy (13-1) defeated Boyd-Buchanan (13-1) by a 35-13 final score. Crews Law was named Game MVP with nine carries for 121 yards, one rushing touchdown and nine tackles for CPA. The title was CPA’s sixth overall and first since 2020, denying second-year Boyd-Buchanan coach Gary Rankin — the state’s all-time winningest coach — his 18th state championship. He won 13 at Alcoa and four with Riverdale.
Division II-A: Middle Tennessee Christian School senior Eli Wilson earned Game MVP honors, rushing 17 times for 190 yards and a touchdown. MTCS (12-1) defeated Friendship Christian, 28-13, by scoring a touchdown in each quarter Thursday afternoon to win its first-ever football state title. Tyson Wolcott led FCS (11-3) with 30 carries for 225 yards and two touchdowns, giving him a state-record 54 rushing touchdowns this season. His 225 yards Thursday put him over the 3,000-yard plateau in 2023, as he finished with 3,027.
Division II-AAA: McCallie (12-1) won its fourth state title in five years, knocking off arch-rival Baylor (10-3) with a 34-28 nail-biting victory in front of 17,000 fans inside Finley Stadium. Baylor faced a fourth-and-12 on a potential game-winning drive in the final minutes, but a fourth-down pass to Alabama commit Amari Jefferson only went for 11 yards. Jefferson finished with eight catches for 210 yards and two touchdowns, and Baylor junior tailback Shakai Mills-Knight impressed with 15 carries for 154 yards and a touchdown. But McCallie QB Jay St. Hilaire took home MVP honors, as he passed for 309 yards and four TDs and prevented a repeat bid by Baylor.
Friday, Dec. 1
Class 3A: Alcoa 42, East Nashville 20 — GAME STORY
Class 1A: South Pittsburg completed a 15-0 season, defeating defending champion McKenzie (13-2) by a 14-7 margin. The Pirates scored 14 in the fourth quarter to rally. Jamarion Farrior ran 29 times for 160 yards and two touchdowns to earn game MVP honors. His 9-yard scoring run put South Pitt ahead 14-7 with 5:31 left. Cavin Gilley intercepted McKenzie with 1:10 to play to seal the win. South Pittsburg won its seventh title overall and first since 2021.
Class 5A: West 24, Page 19 — GAME STORY
Saturday, Dec. 2
11 a.m. — Class 4A: Upperman (14-0) vs. Pearl-Cohn (14-0)
3 p.m. — Class 2A: East Robertson (13-1) vs. Riverside (12-2)
7 p.m. — Class 6A: Oakland (12-2) vs. Houston (12-2)
TELEVISION INFO for Knoxville
WKNX The Knox (will all games except the Class 3A Championship)
ABOUT CHATTANOOGA AS HOST SITE
This is the third year that Chattanooga has served as the host site of the TSSAA BlueCross Bowls, as Cookeville previously held them from 2009-2020. Chattanooga holds the contract to host the title games through the end of the 2024 season.
CRASH COURSE INFO
Thursday, Nov. 30
11 a.m. — Division II-AA: Boyd-Buchanan (13-0) vs. CPA (12-1) — CPA is in the state final for the ninth time since 2013. After finishing runner-up to Lipscomb Academy in each of the past two Division II-AA title games, CPA was the odds-on favorite in 2023 to win it all after Lipscomb Academy reclassified up into Division II-AAA. And the Lions have lived up to that billing, with their only loss (15-11) coming to 4A favorite Pearl-Cohn (14-0) in Week 2. CPA doesn’t have any eye-popping stats on offense; rather, it takes its lead from Mr. Football finalist and defensive star Crews Law, a North Carolina linebacker commit. Conversely, Boyd-Buchanan is looking for its second overall title but first since 2003. That’s why they hired Gary Rankin, the state’s all-time leader in coaching wins who won 13 state titles in 16 seasons at Alcoa (2006-2021) and four with Riverdale (1990-2005). This is Rankin’s second season with Boyd-Buchanan.
3 p.m. — Division II-A: Middle Tennessee Christian School (11-1) vs. Friendship Christian (11-2) — MTCS has been a mainstay in the playoff brackets over the last decade but had never won multiple postseason games in a November before this year. The Cougars are making their first-ever championship game appearance this week. They’ll lean heavily on the run, as they have amassed nearly 4,000 yards rushing in 12 games. Defending state champion Friendship Christian boasts record-setting running back and Mr. Football finalist Tyson Wolcott — who has a state-record 52 rushing TDs this season and 2,802 yards on 311 carries. Wolcott is a 5-foot-8, 160-pound senior, and he also has 71 tackles with 21 tackles for loss on defense.
7 p.m. — Division II-AAA: McCallie (11-1) vs. Baylor (10-2) — Perhaps the most anticipated of all the nine championship games this week, the McCallie-Baylor rivalry will play out one more time this season — and in their hometown. McCallie and Baylor aren’t just rivals. They’re HEATED rivals. McCallie won three straight state titles from 2019-2021. Baylor won it all last year. In the all-time series, Baylor holds a 45-40-4 edge. This will be the 90th meeting, and McCallie won the regular-season contest this fall, 34-31, on Sept. 29 thanks to an 80-yard TD pass late in the fourth quarter. Both teams showcase loads of next-level talent. And each has a Mr. Football finalist. Baylor boasts Alabama wide receiver commit Amari Jefferson. McCallie’s Mr. Football finalist is Carson Gentle, a 6-3, 245-pound defensive lineman who is projected to sign with Tennessee.
Friday, Dec. 1
11 a.m. — Class 3A: Alcoa (12-1) vs. East Nashville (12-2) — For a third consecutive year, Alcoa will face off against East Nashville in the championship round. Alcoa has won 44 consecutive games in the postseason and is gunning for a ninth consecutive state championship and 22nd overall. Alcoa beat East Nashville 45-14 in 2021 and 45-26 last season. East Nashville underwent a coaching change in the offseason. Jamaal Stewart parlayed his success at East Nashville into a coaching job at Centennial. Damien Harris, an assistant at Pearl-Cohn for 14 years, was named head coach. East Nashville’s star players are sophomore tailbacks Keith Johnson and Kelan Anderson. Alcoa is led by South Florida commit and Mr. Football finalist Brandon Winton, a 1,000-yard receiver and defensive back.
3 p.m. — Class 1A: South Pitt (14-0) vs. McKenzie (13-1) — The McKenzie Rebels are back to defend their 1A title, defeating Dresden in the semifinals 25-14 after having lost to Dresden in Week 2 by 28 points. McKenzie has won 12 games in a row but a 13th consecutive will be difficult. South Pittsburg is loaded and had two Mr. Football semifinalists in Ja’Marion Farrior (RB/LB) and Kamden Wellington (QB/FS). Farrior and Wellington, though, weren’t in the final cut for Mr. Football finalists and vowed to take their frustration out on opponents. South Pittsburg has outscored opponents 661-61 this season.
7 p.m. — Class 5A: West (13-1) vs. Page (13-1) — This is a rematch of the 2022 Class 5A BlueCross Bowl won by West, 47-13, as the Rebels completed their first-ever undefeated championship season. Page is in the state final for a third consecutive season, having lost to Powell in the 2021 Class 5A championship. Page has never won a state football championship. This 2023 Class 5A championship is expected to be a defensive battle. Page has allowed just 6.75 points per game over its last 12 games. West hasn’t surrendered a postseason touchdown.
Saturday, Dec. 2
11 a.m. — Class 4A: Upperman (14-0) vs. Pearl-Cohn (14-0) — The Upperman Bees held off perennial 4A power Greeneville to win last week’s state semifinal, and now they’ll make their first-ever state championship game appearance. Heavy favorite Pearl-Cohn signaled, with early season road wins over Division II powers Montgomery Bell Academy and Christ Presbyterian Academy, that it was determined to win a state title this season after finishing second to Anderson County in 2022. Pearl-Cohn has won its last 12 games by 20 points or more and boasts two Mr. Football finalists in Zeion-LaFrederick Simpson (senior, DL) and KeShawn Tarleton (senior, QB). Pearl-Cohn has won two titles (1996, 1997) but finished runner-up in 2015, 2019 and 2022.
3 p.m. — Class 2A: East Robertson (13-1) vs. Riverside (12-2) — East Robertson makes its first title-game appearance some 40 years after its first playoff appearance in 1983. The program had never made it past the quarterfinals until this season. Isaiah Groves (6-0, 180) is a junior running back and Mr. Football finalist who leads East Robertson with 2,967 yards rushing and 30 rushing touchdowns. Kentucky offered him in the summer. Meanwhile, Riverside — which finished runner-up last season in its first-ever title game appearance — is looking to put its experience to good use. Stone Wallace, a 6-4, 190-pound senior QB at Riverside, is also a Mr. Football finalist. He threw for 1,331 yards and 17 TDs in the regular season while rushing 86 times for 840 yards and 12 touchdowns prior to the playoffs.
7 p.m. — Class 6A: Oakland (12-2) vs. Houston (12-2) — Though Oakland is the three-time defending champion in Class 6A, the Patriots quietly went about their business this season as programs like Bradley Central and Brentwood garnered headlines in 6A. And when Riverdale stunned Oakland 25-24 in Week 11, Oakland fell in contender status. But then, Oakland routed Riverdale 56-0 in the quarterfinals and delivered previously unbeaten Bradley Central a 38-17 loss in the semifinals. And now, Oakland is in position to win an eighth overall championship and fifth under head coach Kevin Creasy. Duane Morris, a junior and Mr. Football finalist, ran 31 times for 171 yards and four TDs in Oakland’s semifinal win. He transferred to Oakland from Red Bank in the offseason. He’s an SEC Football target, and Tennessee offered him in early November. Houston, a school more known for its baseball and basketball prowess, is making its first-ever BlueCross Bowl appearance. Junior QB Chandler Day has thrown for nearly 2,500 yards this year and tailback Damon Sisa leads the run game with 1,266 yards and 19 TDs.
Finalists for 2023 Tennessee Titans TSSAA Mr. Football announced on Tuesday night