Before Friday night, McCallie had not beaten Montgomery Bell Academy in Spears Stadium since 2006, despite twice defeating them on neutral fields for state championships in 2019 and 2021.
But on Friday, atop Spears’ Pete Potter Field, the top-ranked Blue Tornado played against the Big Red as if they were trying to atone for all seven of those home losses at once, winning 35-0 against last year’s Division II Class AAA state runners-up.
Paced by two touchdown passes from Jay St.
Hilaire to Enrique Jaimes Leclair covering a total of 87 yards and behind a defense that surrendered but 124 yards as McCallie was piling up 439 yards of offense, the Blue Tornado led 21-0 at halftime and forced a running clock for most of the fourth quarter.
“Nice job,” said McCallie coach Ralph Potter to his team afterward. “I’m most proud of the consistency we’ve shown this year. The players have come to work every day, practiced hard, done what we’ve asked of them.
On a team with a lot of stars, no one has been more consistent than linebacker Bear Cortes, who celebrated his 17th birthday on Friday by picking up a MBA fumble and carrying it 33 yards for a score in the second quarter. No. 33 also happens to be Cortes’s jersey number.
“I’d say this was my best game,” said Cortes. “I was so excited and so happy that Paul (Dogui) forced the fumble.”
Said Potter of Cortes: “He’s been great all year. He’s big, strong and fast and he really studies the other team. He’s really played well for us.”
And how was Cortes going to celebrate his birthday?
“Get something to eat,” he said. “Probably Cookout.”
No one’s played better for McCallie than running back Ja’Von McMahan and he scored the first touchdown against MBA on Friday night. But after carrying 10 times for 45 yards, he tweaked his ankle against the Big Red and retired to the bench for the evening.
In his place, St. Hilaire, the Vanderbilt commit, played his best game of the year, throwing for two scores, 295 yards and running for 51 more. The most dramatic of those touchdowns covered 77 yards with Hailaire throwing on the run to Leclair near the start of the fourth quarter
McCallie next faces old rival and defending state champion Baylor on Friday at Spears. A sellout is expected for the 7:15 kickoff.
“Baylor’s obviously a great team,” said Potter, whose team improves to 6-0. “But we’re anxious to play. I know a lot of people on both sides will talk about it between now and then.”
SUMMARY
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MBA
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0
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0
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0
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0
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-- 0
|
|
MCCALLIE
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14
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7
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7
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7
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-- 35
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MCC Ja’Von McMahan 6 run (Elliott Arnold kick) (1st)
MCC Bear Cortes 33 fumble return (Arnold kick) (1st)
MCC Enrique Jaimes Leclair 10 pass from Jay St. Hilaire (Arnold kick) (2nd)
MCC Keyan Syam 1 run (Arnold kick) (3rd)
MCC Leclair 77 pass from St. Hilaire (Arnold kick) (4th)
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STATS
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MBA
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MCC
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First Downs
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7
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23
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Rushes-Yards
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21-62
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29-144
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|
Passing Yards
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62
|
261
|
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Total yards
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124
|
405
|
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Passing (Comp-Att-Int)
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9-22-0
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17-25-0
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Penalties-Yards
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1-15
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4-22
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Punts-Average
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6-34.2
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1-44.0
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Fumbles-Lost
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1-1
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0-0
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|
Time of Possession
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23:56
|
24:04
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Individual Stats
Rushing: Brooklen Davis 14-65; Isaiah Perry 3-6; H McIlwain 1-1; Hugh Price 2-(-8) (MBA); Jay St. Hilaire 9-51; JaVon McMahan 10-45; Keylan Syam 9-37; Keeyshawn Tabuteau 1-11 (MCC).
Passing: H McIlwain 5-13-0 for 42 yards; Hugh Price 4-9-0 for 20 yards (MBA); Jay St. Hilaire 17-25-0 for 261 yards, 2 TDs (MCC).
Receiving: Jack Stanley 3-26; Hutton Durrett 3-21; Brooklen davis 1-11; Oakley McFerrin 1-6; Fletcher Shirley 1-(-2) (MBA); Enrique Jaimes Leclair 8-153; Keeyshawn Tabuteau 2-64; Keylan Syam 1-25; Nolan Sergeant 3-24; Ja’Von McMahan 1-20; Ryan Larrabee 2-9 (MCC).
Records: MBA 1-5 (0-1 DIII-AA East); McCallie 6-0 (2-0 DIII-AA East)