For the first time in over a decade the Baylor Red Raiders returned to the Division-II AAA BlueCross Bowl with a chance to end a nearly half-century long title drought.
Undefeated Montgomery Bell Academy awaited the Red Raiders in the title game as Baylor looked to win their first state football championship since 1973.
Baylor won the toss and elected to receive, but the plan immediately backfired as they started the game three-and-out. The Red Raiders missed on a deep ball up the seam on the first play of the game and then couldn't move the sticks.
Big Red wasted no time when they got their first crack with the ball. Mr. Football finalist, and Ole Miss commit, Marcel Reed drove his team right down the field. Reed would connect with Hutton Durrett on a 23-yd touchdown as he was flushed from the pocket firing the pass from his back foot. MBA jumps ahead early 7-0.
Baylor would respond with a scoring drive of their own. Quarterback Whit Muschamp using his legs a bit more to get the Red Raiders offense going. Then it was his arm that got them on the board as he linked up with Louis Vincent for a 38-yd touchdown.
Big Red looked as if they were a team on a mission after the Baylor score. Back-to-back scoring drives capped by a 51-yd touchdown catch from Claiborne Richards and then an 8-yd TD catch from Johnothan Moore put MBA up 21-7.
Then it was Baylor's turn to go on back-to-back scoring drives. Amari Jefferson got loose for a 48-yd score and then their Mr. Football finalist in Caleb Hampton took one in from 32-yds out to tie things up 21-21.
Marcel Reed would throw one more TD pass in the first half, his fourth, to Moore again. Baylor added a field goal before the half as MBA took a 28-24 lead into halftime.
Both teams exchanged possessions in the second half before the game's first turnover would turn the tide. Reed would cough one up deep in Baylor territory as the Red Raiders jump all over it.
The Red Raiders use the momentum as Muschamp goes deep to Jefferson, who creates separation, and pulls in a 46-yd touchdown to give Baylor their first lead of the game, 31-28.
Baylor's defense would clamp down and force a three-and-out to put the ball back in the hands of their offense. The Red Raiders cash in as Hampton gets loose behind left tackle Brycen Sanders for a 45-yd touchdown run to give Baylor a 38-28 lead with 6:45 to go.
MBA responds with a scoring drive, but a missed extra point kept it 38-34 in favor of Baylor. The Red Raiders were able to recover the ensuing onside kick and run out the clock.
For the first time in 49 years, the Baylor Red Raiders football team are state champions. They take down previously undefeated MBA 38-34 to take home the Division-II BlueCross Bowl in their hometown of Chattanooga, TN.
First-year head coach Erik Kimrey, who won 12 state championships in 17 seasons at the Hammond School in Columbia, leads Baylor to the promised land in his first fall at the helm.
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