The ELCA Chargers have lost two straight, but there might not be such a thing as a panic button in McDonough.
Friday’s 28-21 loss to Calvary Day dropped the Chargers to 1-2 on the young season, and that followed a 37-14 loss to Blessed Trinity. If not for surviving 50-49 in overtime Week 1, when the Chargers played at Tennessee’s Brentwood Academy, they’d be staring at 0-3 heading into yet another tough game against Class 1A Division I’s top-ranked Prince Avenue Christian after this week’s bye.
From a record standpoint, some may question why the Chargers, who went 112-25 with six 1A Private championships from 2012-2021, still hold a top 5 ranking in 2A.
However, the Chargers’ resume suggests they’re still likely one of the best teams in 2A. Calvary Day is No. 4 in 3A and Blessed Trinity is No. 4 in 6A. Brentwood is No. 6 in the MaxPreps computer rankings for Tennessee’s Class 6A. The Chargers played all three of those opponents on the road.
Save the second half at Blessed Trinity, their games have been competitive. Against the Titans, the halftime score was 14-14, and the Chargers were on the cusp of taking the lead early in the third quarter before things unraveled.
“Little things make big things happen,” Chargers coach Tanner Rogers said after the game. “We’ve got to respond better. That’s on us, but we can’t make excuses. We’ve got to take ownership and move forward.”
(For more on the Chargers, check out Ep. 47 of The Class 2A Blogcast.)
The Eagles are also working through the process of a coaching change though with Rogers taking over, it’s no radical departure from the culture his predecessor, Jonathan Gess, instilled during his 15 seasons with the program. In fact, Rogers played for Gess, graduating from ELCA in 2010, and he’d been the Chargers’ defensive coordinator under Gess the previous two seasons.
There’s a realistic chance the Chargers are 1-3 after their Sept. 16 home opener against Prince Avenue in what will be their final non-Region 5 game.
Back to the panic button, or lack thereof. The Chargers have started off on a losing track in the past, but they’ve also stayed the course in those seasons to make deep playoff runs.
Last year with an eight-game non-region schedule, the Chargers started 2-6 and reached the semifinals. In 2014, they went 0-6 in region play and advanced to title game. In 2015 they started 1-3 and won the championship. They started 2-3 in 2020 and made the quarterfinals.
From a talent standpoint, the Chargers have plenty enough to compete for 2A championship, led by junior offensive lineman Zechariah Owens, a 4-star Clemson commit who stands at 6-foot-7, 350 pounds. Quarterback Charlie Gilliam, committed to Wake Forest, is one of six 3-stars on the team, along with two-way standout Colton Hood, who has 25 offers to play defensive back. His younger brother, Brandon Hood, and their cousin, Trent Hood form a kindred triple-threat that can impact all three phases of the game.
The Chargers’ challenges don’t end with their non-region schedule, however. Region 5 includes perennial power Callaway, a preseason top 5 that dropped from the polls after an 0-3 start, and the Columbia Eagles, who weren’t ranked in the preseason but are now 3-0 and ranked No. 5. The Cavs may be in a situation similar to ELCA in that they’ve struggled against tough non-region opponents. The Eagles don’t have the tradition of ELCA or Callaway, but that doesn’t matter for this season.
In other words, this is a region up for grabs.
“They’re great opponents,” Rogers said. “We know what we’ve got and it’s a tough battle, so we’re looking forward to the challenge.”
The bye is probably coming at a good time for the Chargers. They’ll have extra time to correct some of the early mistakes they’re making, and they can emerge fresh for their game against a No. 1-ranked opponent.
It’s unknown if the Chargers will win their final non-region game. What is known is that they’ve challenged themselves in the past with a tough non-region schedule and fallen short, but that those battles helped them to make a deep playoff run.
Everything is in place for the Chargers to do that again this year.
“I think we’re right were we need to be,” Rogers said following the Blessed Trinity game. “We’ve got to get better, and it’s not going to get easier. But I’d rather hit great, quality opponents up front so that when we hit region, we’re cleaning up the mistakes and hopefully rolling by then.”
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