Ballard continues Greeneville's legacy at QB

Chris Thomas, Knoxville News Sentinel

Caine Ballard tries to strip bias from his evaluation.

The state champion football coach at Greeneville High School knows by heart the standout quarterbacks who have played for the program in his 17 seasons: Zach Finchum, Tanner Stewart and Willie Carmichael, to name a few.

He also knows his sophomore son, Cade, has a chance to be the latest greatest.

Cade Ballard, Greeneville High School, PrepXtra football sophomore of the year.

"He’s probably as good as we’ve had at that age," said Caine, promoted to head coach in 2009. "He’s got a long ways to go. We'll see if he make as big of strides as he did freshman to sophomore during his junior year. That’s up to him. But just ranking 10th graders, he’s right there at the top of the list."

Cade's production is worthy of such praise; it led to his status as PrepXtra Sophomore of the Year.

The 5-foot-10, 185-pound dual-threat athlete operated efficiently while taking ownership of the offense this season. He completed a staggering 71.8 percent (107-for-149) of his passes for 2,005 yards, 34 touchdowns and only five interceptions. He also rushed for 378 yards and 10 TDs as the Greene Devils advanced to the second round of the Class 4A playoffs.

"Dad keeps me humble all the time," said Cade, 16, with a laugh. "I know all the guys he’s ever coached and how good they’ve been."

Greeneville (11-1) was a runaway Region 1-4A champion this season, surging as high as No. 2 in the state rankings against mild competition. Cade was a primary factor in the success, with his improved arm strength and knack for extending plays with his legs.

His proficiency came despite only playing in the second half of two games: against Morristown West in the regular season and in a second-round playoff loss to Central.

"I took a mental image of the scoreboard when we lost," Cade said. "It’s been engraved in my mind ever since then, and it will be until we get back. We lost in the final seconds, but the expectation is to win championships."

The road back could be tougher next season. Elizabethton, a top program in Class 3A in recent years, has been reclassified into Region 1-4A. Greeneville also beefed up its non-region schedule with games against Pisgah (N.C.) and Class 6A staples Dobyns-Bennett and Science Hill. That means more opportunities for Cade and a better barometer for how he stacks up against Greeneville's other quarterback greats.

"He made a couple throws this year that kind of opened my eyes and a lot of people's eyes," Caine said. "One was against Morristown East; a deep ball, he probably threw the ball 55 yards and just threw it in stride. I think our passing game got going that game. He also had about a 60-yard run against Morristown West.

"He had a great year, and it was fun to watch."

Chris Thomas covers high school sports. Follow him at twitter.com/christhomaskns.

Past PrepXtra sophomores of the year

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