Boyd Buchanan football players and coaches weren't happy with their present situation Thursday afternoon, but they still kept a positive outlook for the future.
Not long after their 35-13 loss to Nashville's Christ Presbyterian Academy in the TSSAA Division II-AA BlueCross Bowl at Finley Stadium, some of the Buccaneers were able to put a bit of perspective on a season that ended one win shy of both perfection and a state title.
After all, even the runner-up finish would seem to be ahead of schedule for the Bucs (13-1), with the run to the title game coming in Gary Rankin's second season as head coach and with a senior class of just 10 players — compared to 30 for CPA, which won its third state championship in six years.
“Right now this feeling sucks, but for the underclassmen and rising seniors, this is going to be really good and beneficial for them,” said Boyd Buchanan running back Jaylon Sanderfer, one of those departing seniors. “We made it this far with a small amount of upperclassmen; just imagine what they will do next year.
"I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Boyd up here again next year and with a different outcome.”
Two of those bright spots for the future are junior David Green and sophomore Sabastian Jones, who both starred this season at running back and safety for Boyd Buchanan. They combined for 114 rushing yards on 23 carries Thursday against the Lions (13-1) and helped set up the Bucs' lone touchdown, a 1-yard plunge by junior Brodie Lowe late in the third quarter.
“This team really grew up quick and together in a hurry,” said Jones, who scored 13 touchdowns this season and already has a college football offer from Eastern Kentucky University. “To play in the state championship game already is awesome for us. We get to taste this bitter feeling and let it drive us for the future. We will definitely be back next year. The next few even.
“We believed from day one that we could do this even if nobody believed in us. I knew this program was on the come up.”
As the BlueCross Bowl got underway with the first of three title matchups set for Thursday — and nine total over three days in Chattanooga for the third year in a row — CPA was a well-oiled machine led by senior star Crews Law, who rushed for a game-high 121 yards on nine carries that included a 73-yard breakaway touchdown run for the game’s first score early in the first quarter. Law, who has committed to North Carolina, also had two solo tackles and seven assists on the way to being named MVP of the game.
CPA sophomore standout Rawls Patterson rushed for 108 yards and two scores on 16 carries, and Owen Cabell made two catches — including a touchdown — for 65 yards to help the Lions to the victory.
Boyd Buchanan went 7-4 last season, Rankin's first with the program, after posting back-to-back losing records in the two years before his arrival. The hire of Rankin — Tennessee's all-time leader among prep football coaches in victories and state titles — raised expectations, though, and the Bucs have established themselves as state-level contenders again.
The championship game appearance was the first for the Bucs since 2009 but the 24th overall for Rankin, who fell to 17-7 in state finals. Boyd Buchanan fell to 1-4 in such games, with the 2003 Class 1A crown remaining the program's lone state championship.
“CPA is a tremendous team,” Rankin said. “This is their sixth straight championship game, and they are a developed program that is well thought of all over the state. It is one of the top 10 programs in the state no matter what classification. We are trying to get our program to that point.
“This was a big step for us because we were a surprise to be here at this point. We have a lot of work to do and things to build with our program to be where we want to be.”
Boyd Buchanan cut its deficit to 28-13 with Ethan Lane’s second field goal of the game with 8:20 left in the fourth quarter.
Green led the Bucs with 63 yards on 17 carries and helped lead an 80-yard touchdown drive in which Boyd Buchanan's offense worked exclusively in the wildcat formation.
“David is a really nice weapon for us back there,” Rankin said. “We have a lot of kids coming back. So we are really excited for the future and ahead of schedule.”
Middle Tennessee Christian School 28, Friendship Christian School 13
In the second BlueCross Bowl matchup of the day, MTCS senior Eli Wilson put on a show on both offense and defense against FCS to lead the Cougars (12-1) to the Division II-A title in the Murfreesboro program's first appearance in a state final.
For the seventh time this season, Wilson rushed for at least 190 yards, with this performance highlighted by breakaway runs of 60 and 50 yards on two of his 17 carries. On the other side of the ball, Wilson's interception late in the first half prevented a scoring opportunity for the Commanders (11-3), and he also scooped and scored on a fumble return of 28 yards to build a 28-6 lead for MTCS halfway through the fourth quarter.
Behind an offensive line led by Tennessee-committed Jesse Perry, Wilson finished the season with 37 touchdowns and more than 2,100 rushing yards. He was named MVP of the title game.
The Commanders, from Lebanon, faced the Cougars for the second time this season, having lost 16-14 in a DII-A East Region game on Sept. 22 at MTCS. The Commanders lost the rematch despite a 225-yard rushing performance by Tyson Wolcott, whose 30 carries included both touchdowns scored by his team.
This was the seventh state final in program history for the Commanders, who were trying to repeat as champions after winning their fourth title overall last year.
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.