Chattanooga Eagles during a recent practice session.
photo by Hayden Clark
Ro Caffey is the closest thing the American Football Alliance has to a versatile blowtorch. He can burn safeties in the slot by running routes just as easily as he can scorch linebackers on sweeps out of the backfield. As coach Hayden Clark says, such a weapon makes his job easy.
“In terms of top-end speed, I have to say Ro Caffey has the most, because when you put the ball in his hands, he’s special,” coach Hayden Clark said.
“There’s been a few times this year when we’d just scrap the gameplan and just say ‘we have to find a way to get this guy the ball.’”
The Chattanooga Eagles are the class of the league, and sport a 8-0 record and a number one ranking. The Eagles play against the Alabama Steel on Saturday at Ridgeland High School, and fans who attend can expect plenty of points. Quarterback Hunter Moore propels an offense that prioritizes getting the ball into Caffey’s hands, but that doesn’t mean he’s a one-man show.
Fleet-footed ballers dot the Eagles’ roster. Gee Fearn Jr. is one of the top runners in the league, and the team sports one of the deadliest return tandems in the AFA. Terry Teller has brought back two punts to the house, and Tre Carter returned a kickoff for a touchdown earlier in the season.
“We are strictly a number’s game (team on offense) so we have guys counting numbers in the box, and we like to think we can take advantage of one-on-ones where the other team is thin,” coach Clark said. “We stretch it out and get our speed involved. We have six or seven people who can beat you on any given play and are just good ballplayers.”
In the sweltering June heat, having a deep defensive line will be a boon for the Eagles. Dalton’s Duane Jones has recorded six sacks for the Eagles, and teams up with Austin Peay alum Jaylen Moore to lead a deep group of pass-rushers along the line.
“This is Jaylen’s third year with us, and he’s unreal,” coach Clark said. “He’s big, he’s fast, he talks, and he’s a leader. I really expect him to have a big football game. I think Jaylen is due for a big game and he’ll show why he’s the best in the league.”
Alabama boasts a rugged group of linemen too, as one would expect from a playoff team. Coach Clark and company have spent the last few weeks studying their upcoming foe, and says the visiting team will be a challenge.
“We travelled up there, and they’re fast and pretty big,” coach Clark said. “I expect it to be a fun one.”
Early June is hardly thought of as football time for most of America, but coach Moore says watching a team play entertaining ball is a great activity any time of year. He says that while the players hope many fans come out to watch at the 6:00 P.M kickoff, they will compete hard regardless of how many eyeballs are on them.
“These guys come out because they want to. Because there’s no paycheck at the end of the night, they’re coming out strictly for the love of the game,” coach Clark said. “They come out and have played in front of 100, 500 and no people in the stands, and they still play the game.”
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