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Tennessee High School Football: Baylor School beats Brentwood Academy for 3A-DII title
In a finish that felt ripped straight from a Hollywood script, the Baylor School Red Raiders authored a comeback for the ages, dethroning the previously undefeated Brentwood Academy Eagles 28-24 to claim the TSSAA Class 3A, Division II state championship under the Thursday night lights of Finley Stadium. This wasn't just a win; it was a tactical and emotional heist, executed with cold precision in the game's dying moments.For most of the second half, Baylor played from behind, a position that tests a team's soul as much as its playbook, after Larry Sanders' third-quarter touchdown run erased Baylor's 21-10 lead and put Brentwood Academy up 24-21. The Eagles, flawless all season, seemed poised to close the deal, their defense stiffening as the clock became Baylor's most formidable opponent.Yet, championship DNA, a quality often spoken about but rarely so vividly displayed, manifested for the Red Raiders. The pivotal sequence wasn't a single heroic play but a cascade of events reminiscent of the meticulous, momentum-shifting drives seen in college football's biggest rivalries.It began with the relentless engine of the Baylor offense, junior running back David Gabriel Georges, who ground out 150 yards on 27 carriesâa stat line that speaks to consistent, brutal efficiency, wearing down defensive fronts much like a Derrick Henry or Nick Chubb does at the professional level. His late carry set the stage for a critical personal foul against Brentwood Academy, a mental error under pressure that gifted Baylor first and goal inside the 10-yard line.In that compressed field, with the season on the line, Louisville commit Briggs Cherry displayed the poise of a veteran, dropping back and finding tight end Braxton Rein for the go-ahead score with less than four minutes remaining. This clutch connection wasn't merely a touchdown; it was the culmination of a season's worth of reps, trust, and the quiet confidence that defines elite quarterback prospects.Analytically, the game was a masterpiece of contrasting styles finding a critical equilibrium. Baylor's victory was built on a foundation of ball control and punishing runs from Georges, which kept the explosive Brentwood Academy offense sidelined and managed the game's tempo.Winning the time-of-possession battle in a championship setting is a classic, often overlooked metric that directly correlates to victory, as it limits the opponent's opportunities and fatigues their defense. For Brentwood Academy, the loss, while heartbreaking, underscores the razor-thin margins in title games; a single penalty, a single missed assignment, can unravel an otherwise perfect season.This victory secures Baylor's third state championship in program history, cementing this squad's legacy alongside the school's other great teams. It also serves as a powerful life lesson in resilience, a theme central to sports.
#Tennessee high school football
#Baylor School
#Brentwood Academy
#state championship
#BlueCross Bowl
#featured
