Knowing it would only be natural for his team to look ahead, considering how well it had been playing and the chatter coming from supporters, Notre Dame football coach Charles Fant went ahead and addressed the elephant in the room.
The Fighting Irish have never played in a state championship game, but this year they are riding an eight-game winning streak as they head into the Division II-AA playoffs as the No. 1 seed. They will host Lipscomb Academy in Friday's first round.
"We never sugarcoat anything with our kids," said Fant, whose team was off the final week of the regular season. "We went through the bracket and told them what to expect and that as the number-one seed we have a chance to get to a state championship game without having to leave our home field.
"We wanted them to know who the power players are, both on our side of the bracket and out west, but when we walk through that door for practice Monday, it'll all be about getting ready for Lipscomb."
The playoffs begin for all TSSAA classifications Friday, and 25 teams from the Chattanooga area are among the qualifiers, although McCallie earned a bye in Division II-AAA and will won't have to play until next week.
TSSAA FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
First roundFriday, Nov. 3All kickoffs listed by Eastern timeClass 1AMonterey (6-4) at South Pittsburg (10-0), 8Copper Basin (2-8) at Jo Byrns (8-2), 8Clay County (6-4) at Whitwell (9-1), 8Lookout Valley (5-5) at Gordonsville (6-4), 8Class 2ASouth Greene (3-7) at Meigs County (10-0), 7Jackson County (5-5) at Tyner (8-2), 7Westmoreland (5-5) at Marion County (5-5), 8Polk County (4-6) at Watertown (8-2), 8Bledsoe County (4-6) at Trousdale County (7-3), 8Class 3ASequatchie County (6-4) at Red Bank (8-2), 7Signal Mountain (4-6) at York (8-2), 8Sweetwater (6-4) at Smith County (7-3), 8Class 4ASullivan South (7-3) at Central (6-4), 7East Ridge (7-3) at Greeneville (10-0), 7Class 5AKnox West (6-4) at Rhea County (5-5), 7Soddy-Daisy (6-4) at Oak Ridge (8-2), 7Class 6AScience Hill (7-3) at Bradley Central (8-2), 7Cleveland (7-3) at Farragut (8-2), 7Ooltewah (5-5) at Dobyns-Bennett (7-3), 7Division II-AGrace Academy (4-6) at Fayette Academy (6-4), 8Division II-AALipscomb Academy (1-9) at Notre Dame (8-1), 7Chattanooga Christian (5-5) at Knoxville Webb (6-3), 7Division II-AAABaylor (3-7) at Ensworth (7-3), 8McCallie (7-3) bye; at Briarcrest (9-1) on Nov. 10
Since a season-opening loss to Baylor, Notre Dame has averaged 46 points during its winning streak, led by dynamic junior Cam Wynn's 650 rushing yards, 621 receiving yards and 22 total touchdowns. Lipscomb (1-9) has scored one or no touchdowns in five of its losses.
"Their record is very deceiving," said Fant, who pointed out that four of the Mustangs' losses were by 10 or fewer points. "They've had some breaks go against them, but they are a tough team.
"I'm glad we had a week off to rest and get some of our guys who were banged up a chance to heal. We worked extremely hard on some things we needed to fix and get ourselves ready for a tough playoff run."
The only first-round game with two area teams facing off is in Class 3A as Sequatchie County (6-4) travels to Red Bank (8-2). Red Bank, which has scored at least 40 points in seven of its past eight games, won its second straight Region 3 title with an impressive 25-point win over Loudon this past Friday. But now the Lions will take on a dangerous team that reached the semifinals last year, although the Indians have lost two of their past three games.
Other notables going into the first round include host Tyner riding an eight-game winning streak into the 2A bracket; 3A's Signal Mountain returning to the postseason after a two-year absence; 1A's Whitwell having posted a school-record nine wins in the regular season; 1A's Lookout Valley with its most victories (five) in five years; and 2A's Meigs County and 1A's South Pittsburg, the only two area teams to finish the regular season 10-0.
Marion County, which has reached the 2A title game each of the past three years, won three of four games to close the regular season and scored at least 47 points in each of those victories. Senior athlete Jacob Saylors has rushed for nearly 600 yards total the past two games.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.