High School

McCallie storms back to stun Baylor in Tennessee Division II Class AAA state championship game: Live updates recap

McCallie scores 27 unanswered points to defeat Baylor, 27-21, for its second straight state title

Bob Lundeberg

McCallie's Keylan Syam (26) is grabbed by Baylor's Chris Renegar (27).
McCallie's Keylan Syam (26) is grabbed by Baylor's Chris Renegar (27). / Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

McCallie (10-2) will get another crack at Chattanooga rival Baylor (12-0) in Thursday’s Division II Class AAA state championship game. 

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga. 

Baylor has won every game this season, including a 44-12 victory over The Blue Tornado in early October. 

McCallie, which defeated the Red Raiders 34-28 in last year’s title game, has ripped off five straight blowout wins since the Oct. 4 loss. Baylor was the 2022 state champion. 

Both teams are stocked with Division I prospects.

McCallie vs. Baylor Recap

First quarter

Coin toss: Baylor wins the coin toss and chooses to receive. 

Underway: Baylor begins the game at its own 20. 

Red Raiders on the move: A defensive holding call drawn by Tennessee signee Joakim Dodson sets Baylor up with a first-and-10 at the McCallie 40. 

Turnover on downs: De’shun Tipton comes through with a big pass breakup on fourth down to end Baylor’s opening drive. McCallie takes over at its own 34. 

Blue Tornado punt: McCallie goes three-and-out on its first drive. Jamyan Theodore had excellent coverage on third down. Baylor will begin at its own 21. 

Touchdown Red Raiders: David Gabriel Georges runs it in from 31 yards out. Baylor 7, McCallie 0, 5:19 remaining in the opening quarter.

Blue Tornado punt: McCallie picks up one first down but the Baylor defense gets a third-down stop. Red Raiders, leading 7-0, have it at their own 9. 

Touchdown Red Raiders: Joakim Dodson gets behind the defense for a 43-yard touchdown. Briggs Cherry delivered a perfect ball on the play. Baylor 14, McCallie 0, 1:09 to go in the quarter.

End of quarter: Baylor 14, McCallie 0.

Second quarter

Blue Tornado punt: McCallie again gets one first down before the drive stalls. Baylor takes over at its own 17.

Touchdown Red Raiders: A blown coverage leads to a 69-yard touchdown reception for Jamyan Theodore. It’s all Baylor in this one. Red Raiders 21, McCallie 0, 9:44 left in the half. 

McCallie marching: Blue Tornado has its best drive of the game going. McCallie is at the Baylor 37 with a fresh set of downs. 

Interception: Jamyan Theodore picks off a pass in the red zone. Baylor will take over at its own 2. 

Red Raiders punt: The Baylor defense forces its first punt of the game. Blue Tornado takes over at its own 49 with 1:22 remaining in the half. 

Touchdown Blue Tornado: On the final play of the half, Keeyshawn Tabuteau catches a seven-yard touchdown. McCallie needed that. The PAT is blocked, but the Blue Tornado is back in this game: 

End of half: Baylor 21, McCallie 6. McCallie gets the ball to start the third quarter. 

Halftime update

Baylor leaders: David Gabriel Georges has six carries for 79 yards and a touchdown. Briggs Cherry is 8 of 13 passing for 170 yards with two touchdowns. 

McCallie leaders: Keylan Syam has 14 carries for 63 yards. Elliott Drapeau is 9 of 18 passing for 88 yards and a touchdown. 

Third quarter

Play resumes: McCallie, trailing 21-6, begins the second half at its own 20.

Fumble: Baylor recovers a McCallie fumble at the Blue Tornado 48. Tyler Rice fell on it for the Red Raiders.

Red Raiders punt: Baylor can’t cash in after the fumble and punts it back to McCallie. Blue Tornado will have it at their own 40 following an 18-yard punt. 

Touchdown Blue Tornado: Carson Lawrence hauls in a 44-yard pass to the Baylor 1, and Keylan Syam finishes it off with a short touchdown run. Baylor 21, McCallie 13, 7:25 to go in the third. 

Baylor on the move: Red Raiders have a methodical drive going. They are just outside the red zone with 3 minutes remaining in the quarter. 

Red Raiders punt: The drive stalls with a bad snap that results in a 16-yard loss. Every play where David Gabriel Georges doesn’t touch the ball feels like a win for McCallie. Georges is simply electric. McCallie takes over at its own 24, trailing 21-13. 

Big play McCallie: Loia Valade hauls in a 46-yard bomb. The Blue Tornado is very much alive in this game. 

End of quarter: Baylor 21, McCallie 13. McCallie will have it at the Baylor 15 when play resumes. 

Fourth quarter

Touchdown Blue Tornado: Keylan Syam scores from one yard out on second-and-goal. McCallie opts to go for two, and Elliott Drapeau is dropped just short of the goal line. Baylor 21, McCallie 19, 10:59 remaining in the game.

Key injury: Malakai Jacob makes a great open-field tackle on David Gabriel Georges, who appeared to injury his ankle on the play. Georges gingerly hobbled off the field with assistance. 

Red Raiders punt: Baylor goes three-and-out against a fired-up McCallie defense. All the momentum has swung to the Blue Tornado. McCallie, trailing 21-19, takes over at its own 48. 

Georges update: According to the sideline reporter, David Gabriel Georges is done for the game. That’s a huge blow for Baylor. He has 10 carries for 119 yards and a touchdown tonight. 

Missed field goal: Elliott Arnold’s 27-yard field goal attempt is wide left. Arnold was 16 for 18 on field goals entering the game. Baylor’s lead remains 21-19 with 7:46 to go in the game. 

Baylor timeout: Red Raiders are facing a fourth-and-one from the McCallie 42 with 5:52 remaining. 

Red Raiders punt: Baylor winds up punting following a false start. McCallie, needing only a field goal to take the lead after falling behind 21-0, will begin at its own 2.

McCallie on the move: Keeyshawn Tabuteau hauls in a tough catch to set McCallie up with a first-and-10 from the Baylor 46. 

Red zone alert: On third-and-seven from the 29, Baylor is called for pass interference. McCallie has a first down from the 14 with 1:32 to go. 

McCallie on the brink: Blue Tornado have a first-and-goal from the 2 with 20 seconds left. McCallie has two timeouts left; Baylor is down to one. 

Touchdown Blue Tornado: Keylan Syam scores from two yards out to complete the improbable comeback with a 98-yard touchdown drive. Incredible. 

Two-point try: Elliott Drapeau runs in the two-point conversion, putting McCallie up 27-21 with 15 seconds remaining. McCallie trailed 21-0 in the second quarter. 

Final: McCallie 27, Baylor 21. Blue Tornado close the game with 27 unanswered points to repeat as Division II Class AAA state champion. What. A. Comeback.

Final stats: Keylan Syam finishes with 34 carries for 175 yards and three touchdowns.

Pregame

Injury update: Baylor sophomore running back David Gabriel Georges, who suffered an injury late in the regular season, will play tonight, per head coach Erik Kimrey. 

Weather: It is COLD on the field in Chattanooga. Expect star running backs Shekai Mills-Knight (Baylor) and Keylan Syam (McCallie) to get plenty of action tonight. 

Weather: It’s going to be a cold one tonight in Chattanooga. The temperature at kickoff is expected to be around 30 degrees with no precipitation in the forecast.

McCallie offensive leaders: Junior quarterback Elliott Drapeau (133 of 229 passing, 1,864 yards, 16 touchdowns, five interceptions); Senior running back Keylan Syam (176 carries, 1,143 yards, 22 touchdowns); Junior wide receiver Keeyshawn Tabuteau (41 catches, 685 yards, six touchdowns, three-star prospect)

Baylor offensive leaders: Junior quarterback Briggs Cherry (offers include Georgia Tech, Ole Miss and Pittsburgh); Senior running back Shekai Mills-Knight (four-star Ole Miss signee); Junior offensive tackle Gabriel Osenda (offers include Auburn, Ohio State and Tennessee); Senior wide receiver Joakim Dodson (three-star Tennessee signee); Senior wide receiver Cameron Sparks (offers include Arkansas, Auburn and Florida State)

McCallie defensive leaders: Junior linebacker Cooper Gentle (89 total tackles (19 for loss), six sacks); Senior defensive back Carson Lawrence (27 total tackles, four-star Vanderbilt signee); Junior defensive back De’shun Tipton (24 total tackles, three interceptions, seven pass breakups) 

Baylor defensive leaders: Senior linebacker Joel Lowenberg (three-star Wake Forest signee); Senior linebacker Bradley Ilunga-Bisselele (three-star Buffalo signee)

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Bob Lundeberg | @sblivesports

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Bob Lundeberg
BOB LUNDEBERG

Bob Lundeberg is a freelance sports writer who has covered high school and college sports in the Pacific Northwest since 2009. He was inspired to write Finish, his first book, after spending four years on the Oregon State baseball beat for the Corvallis Gazette-Times and The Oregonian. He covers high school sports from a national perspective for High School On SI with reports on breaking news, trending topics and national polls.

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