By B.B. Branton
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- Bragging rights for the next 12 months is at stake tonight.
Not only for the current teenage players, but for their dads and granddads, as well astheir aunts and uncles, sisters and brothers. It’s for the alums who never played and those weekend warriors from generations gone by. It’s McCallie Week or Baylor Week, depending on which side of the river one’s loyalties lie.
The Red and Gray and Blue and White seventh and eighth graders donned helmets and pads on Wednesday, followed by boisterous pep rallies (McCallie on Thursday and Baylor today).
But tonight it’s the varsity.The 74th football meeting – or 72nd meeting (more on that shortly) – between McCallie and Baylor kicks off at 7:30 p.m. with a capacity crowd of 5,500 (plus a few more) wedged into Baylor’s storied Heywood Stadium.
McCallie records show the series at 37-33-3 in favor of the Red Raiders, while Baylor has it 37-31-3, also on the Red side of the ledger. The two games in question – both won by the Blue and White – are the first two in the long, historic rivalry; 1905 (41-0) and 1906 (5-0). Red Raider headmaster, Dr. Roy Baylor, did not recognize varsity athletics until the fall of 1908 (no game was played in 1907), while the McCallie headmasters encouraged varsity sports from the time the school at the foot of Missionary Ridge opened its doors in the fall of 1905.
Whatever the record, one of Chattanooga’s greatest prep gridiron rivalries has produced many memorable contests.
Below are 16 of those games – eight won by each school – in chronological order.
Eight Baylor WinsNov. 25, 1911 … 2:30 p.m. at Chamberlain Field – Baylor 30, McCallie 0 …Baylor’s first win of the rivalry after McCallie was 4-0-1 through 1910 … Baylor’s Mighty Gene Patton scores three touchdowns, including the Red Raiders’ first score in the series; a 25-yard scoring run in the first quarter … McCallie was 0-5 and went scoreless on the season.
Nov. 22, 1924 … 2 p.m. at Chamberlain Field – Baylor 3, McCallie 0 …Roy Witt’s 24-yard drop kick field goal in the second quarter is the difference, but Baylor’s fourth quarter goal line defense is legendary … McCallie has a first and goal at the Red Raider 1-yard-line after a Baylor fumble … but four rushing plays net zero yards for the Blue and White … On the next series, McCallie returns a punt to the Baylor 6-yard line, but a failed field goal attempt (possibly Florida State wide right) gives Baylor the win and a three-game win streak in the series ... Baylor defense holds McCallie to no first downs on the afternoon .
Nov. 23, 1929 ... Chamberlain Field …Baylor 7, McCallie 0 … T.I.A.A. (i.e. state crown) and city titles are on the line as Baylor spoils McCallie’s bid for an undefeated, unscored on season with a 7-0 upset win in the snow … A third quarter Robert Lefty Bryan (All-State) to Jim Haley 25-yard scoring pass results in the game’s only touchdown … McCallie has a one-year senior player named Fred Crawford who later plays for Duke and the Chicago Bears ... is elected to the national college football hall of fame in 1973 … McCallie (7-1-1) outscores its opponents, 170-7 ... Baylor is 7-2-2 and caps the season with a trip to Washington, D.C. and a photo-op with President Herbert Hoover on the White House lawn … The Baylor fullback in 1929 is Chattanooga resident Hugh Beaumont (Ward Cleaver) of “Leave It To Beaver’’ TV sitcom fame.
Nov. 23, 1940 … 2 p.m. at Chamberlain Field … Baylor 21, McCallie 6 …The last game in the series, until 1971 … Baylor (10-0-0) is led by Raider greats Eddie Prokop and Bill Healy … Prokop, with 161 rushing yards on the day, caps his prep career with a 93-yard scoring run from scrimmage as time expires ... McCallie’s Lewis Bibb gives chase the entire length of the field, but never catches Prokop (All-State), who sets a single season city record of 119 points ... 1940 is Humpy Heywood’s first season as Baylor head coach as he leads the Red Raiders to the city title and co-Mid South crown with Darlington.
Oct. 6, 1973 ... 8 p.m. at Chamberlain Field … Baylor 33, McCallie 15 … Baylor is 4-0 on the season prior to this game … 8,500 fans watch Baylor’s Andy Rutledge and Clay Gibson combine for five touchdowns on the way to a state and national championship (13-0) … Rutledge rushes for 138 yards on 18 carries and scoring runs of 45, 11 and 4 yards … Gibson has 116 yards and scores from the 11 and 6 yard lines … Rutledge, an All-State and city player of the year, races 45 yards to the Blue end zone on his first carry of the game.Oct. 5, 1974 ... at Chamberlain Field ... Baylor 33, McCallie 14 … Both teams enter the game 3-0 … State rankings show Baylor No.4 and McCallie No.5 … Baylor has lost 16 starters from the undefeated national championship squad of 1973 … McCallie leads 14-7 at halftime, but on this day, 9,000 fans watch as Red Raider Jeff Aiken (state back of the week) has a stellar performance of 167 rushing yards (131 in the second half) and two touchdowns … Scott Ferguson and Robert Hays also contribute to the Baylor 360 rushing yards … Baylor’s winning streak is 17 …Ward Nelson and Mark Hooper score for McCallie.
Oct. 25, 1997 … Baylor 9, McCallie 7 … Baylor’s Sam Warren is the hero as he converts on field goals of 46, 35 and 31 yards … Tornado’s points came on a Will Thomas 3-yard run for a 7-0 lead … Warren first split the uprights at 6:54 of the second quarter as his 46-yarder clips the cross bar and goes over to trail 7-3 … His 35-yard kick as time expires in the first half pulls the Raiders to within one, 7-6 … His winning FG comes at 2:23 of the third quarter from 31 yards away.Nov. 7, 1997 … Baylor 21, McCallie 7 … Second meeting of the season … McCallie again takes a 7-0 (halftime), before Baylor scores 21 unanswered points in a TSSAA first round playoff game … Brad Rooks, Joey Ferguson and Wes Angel score Raider touchdowns … Baylor wins with a strong ground game producing 263 rushing yards as opposed to no passing yards … Last Baylor win before McCallie’s current nine-game win streak.
Eight McCallie Wins
Nov. 19, 1921 … 2:15 p.m. … Chamberlain Field … McCallie 12, Baylor 6 …This is the first year in which McCallie teams are referred to as the Blue Tornado … McCallie enters the game undefeated (6-0-0) and unscored upon … The Blue Tornado has seven All-City and five All-South players, including future Chattanooga Mocs coach and college football Hall of Famer Scrappy Moore … This is McCallie’s first perfect season in football (7-0-0).
Nov. 21, 1936 … 2 p.m. … Chamberlain Field … McCallie 19, Baylor 7 ... Both teams enter the game undefeated … City Prep and Mid-South titles are on the line … On Tuesday (Nov. 18) of game week, Baylor students hang in effigy in a few trees on their campus a likeness of McCallie star running back "Breezing" Bob Andridge … But on Saturday, 4,447 fans watch the real Aldridge score twice on runs of 83 and 2 yards … Baylor’s Lupton Avery scores for the Red Raiders … All 11 McCallie starters (plus 14 reserves) are seniors …
The Blue Tornado did not win another game in the series until
Nov. 22, 1974, also at Chamberlain Field (Note: series stops after 1940 game until 1971) ... At a post-season dinner at the Read House, the McCallie letter winners receive solid gold footballs for the undefeated season (9-0-0).
Nov. 22, 1974 ... 8 p.m. at Chamberlain Field ... McCallie 29, Baylor 7 … Most points by a McCallie team in the series since the 41-0 win in 1905 … Baylor enters the game with the state’s longest win streak and a 33-14 triumph against McCallie six weeks earlier (Oct. 5), also at Chamberlain Field …McCallie sophomore Dan Robinson rushes for 116 yards on 17 carries … McCallie’s Ed Smith (defensive end) and Tom Mullady (tight end) will continue their careers on Sunday afternoons (NFL) … Defensive ends Smith and Waymon Tipton are keys to the Blue defense this night.
Oct. 30, 1982 … at McCallie … McCallie 3, Baylor 0 ... McCallie coach Pete Potter suspends several starters earlier in the week for breaking team rules … One other starter, Tory Johnston, is sick and also does not play … All-City Bodie Spangler is the hero with a 34-yard field goal with 1:33 remaining in the game … McCallie’s Peter Hunt (All-State) is the defensive star with two interceptions, a fumble recovery and six tackles … McCallie is undefeated (10-0-0) in regular season for the first time since 1956 (9-0-1) ... loses to Cleveland in the first round of the TSSAA playoffs.
Oct. 8, 1983 ... at Baylor … McCallie 33, Baylor 0 … McCallie enters the game undefeated (5-0-0) and is on its way to a second straight 10-0-0 regular season mark … 8,500 watch as McCallie quarterback Matt Brock scores on a 2-yard run and passes 34 yards to Brent Turner for another score … Tornado John Green has 106 rushing yards and a 1-yard TD run … McCallie defense gives up only one first down and does not allow Baylor to cross midfield … Biggest margin of victory in the series. Oct. 28, 1995 … at Baylor … McCallie 14, Baylor 10 … For McCallie faithful, the win is linked to “The Drive’’ … Jason Green’s 1-yard run puts Baylor up 10-7 with 4:18 remaining in the fourth quarter … McCallie quarterback Thomas Gallant then orchestrates “The Drive’’ – 80 yards on 11 plays … Gallant is 12-of-16 for 151 passing yards on this sunny afternoon, but his last completion – a 5-yard TD toss to Brian Strain at 0:07 – is the most important … Victory snaps Baylor’s four-game win streak against the Blue … Gallant also intercepts Green’s Hail Mary attempt as time runs out.
Oct. 24, 1998 … 2 p.m. at McCallie … McCallie 35, Baylor 3 … In pre-game pomp and circumstance, Spence McCallie III, wearing a crown and royal blue robe and sitting on a throne, is carried onto the field by some McCallie students in honor of his final game as school headmaster … Tornado running back Garrett Harvey rushes for 122 yards on 13 carries and three touchdowns … Teammate Will Thomas is 6-for-6 and 175 yards through the air and two scores … First win in the current nine-game win streak; longest by either school.Oct. 6, 2001 ... at Baylor … McCallie 44, Baylor 14 …McCallie is 6-0 and the state’s No. 1 team entering the game … Keppy Baucom has 23 tackles for the Tornado, while Wayne Fullam (108 yards, 13 carries) and Campbell Thomas each have a pair of touchdown runs … Willie Idlette scores twice for Baylor on runs of 51 and 13 ... … McCallie ends the season 12-0 and state champs.
