Chad Voytik isn't the same. Those painful Sunday afternoon quarterback meetings and the extended passing sessions now are viewed as polishing cloths on a well-buffed muscle car.
Voytik, Cleveland High School's junior quarterback, threw touchdown passes Nos. 5 through 9 for the two-game season Friday as the Blue Raiders cakewalked past McMinn Central. And the 6-foot Voytik didn't throw a pass after halftime. He threw 10 in the first two quarters, completing each for 248 yards.
When asked how his protégé had progressed, Cleveland coach E.K. Slaughter replied: "Nine TDs and 500 yards in two games. He's doing all right."
Understatement, yes, but Voytik is on pace to complete the regular season with 45 TD passes and more than 2,500 yards. Such numbers would boost his career totals to 4,000 passing yards and 60 TDs heading into his senior season.
More important to Voytik and the Blue Raiders is a 2-0 start heading into Friday's game with crosstown rival Bradley Central.
Voytik and a talented receiver corps will be key to the outcome of that game at Bradley.
Voytik's improvement since last season should be noticeable even to the amateur eye.
"Mechanically, he has been almost flawless," Slaughter said. "That's because the kid works at it. He is where he is because of what he does in the offseason. Where other kids put the ball down and give it a rest, he throws 12 months of the year."
Voytik has been at such camps as the Elite 11, the All-American Combine and ESPN's Top Gun competition.
"He has been at a lot of college showcases - Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi State - and he has been around some great players year-round," Slaughter said. "He has combined that with working year-round."
Slaughter, who has coached such standouts as Red Bank's Jake Ledbetter and Soddy-Daisy's Scott Parrott, doesn't grade his quarterbacks on yards, TDs or completions.
"We grade their footwork, their mechanics, their fakes and their reads," Slaughter said. "[Voytik's] reads, he always grades out 80 percent or better. His fakes have been horrible lately, but I haven't graded Friday's game yet and he did a whole lot better in that one. His mechanics are always good, and his footwork is coming."
Voytik has made a major adjustment, one each Slaughter product must make to succeed.
"As a sophomore he struggled on getting his throws off before the receivers got open," the coach said. "Young quarterbacks lack that understanding of timing - getting in and out of the [target] hole - but he got better late last season, and he has picked up this year where he left off."
Slaughter has every confidence that Voytik is going to continue to blossom.
"I think he's going to blow it up this year," Slaughter said. "He threw for 2,000 yards last year, and he was inconsistent at times. He is much more consistent this year. He can make every throw and make it on time. You can't convince me there's a better arm within 100 miles of us."
Mississippi State recruiters must agree. They already have made a scholarship offer.
"A couple of the big schools may get turned off because of his height," Slaughter said, "but guys see him and his arm strength and then find out he's a 4.0 student and a director in the locker room and student FCA, and they'll probably decide pretty quick he's what you want in your program. [The Saints'] Drew Brees proved you don't have to be 6-4 to be a great quarterback."
Thursday, Sept. 2
FOOTBALL
(all times 7:30 unless noted)
TENNESSEE
Taft Youth Center at Whitwell (0-2), 8
Friday, Sept. 3
TENNESSEE
Baylor (2-0, 0-0) at Battle Ground Academy (2-0, 0-0), 8
Bledsoe County (2-0) at Grace Academy (0-2)
Boyd-Buchanan (1-1, 0-0) at Silverdale Baptist (0-1, 0-0)
Cleveland (2-0, 0-0) at Bradley Central (2-0, 0-0)
East Hamilton (0-1, 0-0) at Brainerd (1-1, 0-0)
East Ridge (1-0, 0-0) at Red Bank (1-0, 0-0)
Haysville, N.C. (1-1) at Copper Basin (2-0)
Hixson (0-2, 0-0) at Tyner (0-2, 0-0)
Howard (1-0, 0-0) at Central (1-0, 0-0)
Lookout Valley (0-1, 0-0) at Signal Mountain (2-0, 0-0)
Marion County (1-1) at South Pittsburg (1-0), 8
McCallie (1-0, 0-0) at Pope John Paul II (0-1, 0-0), 8:30
Notre Dame (1-1, 0-0) at Chattanooga Christian (1-1, 0-0)
Polk County (0-1, 0-0) at McMinn Central (0-2, 0-0)
Sequatchie County (0-1, 0-0) at Grundy County (0-1, 0-0), 8
Sequoyah (1-1, 1-0) at Meigs County (1-1, 0-0)
Soddy-Daisy (1-1, 0-0) at Ooltewah (2-0, 0-0)
Walker Valley (1-1, 0-0) at Rhea County (0-1, 0-0)
GEORGIA
Armuchee (1-0) at Calhoun (1-0)
Northwest Whitfield (0-1) at Creekview (1-0)
Dalton (1-0) at Murray County (0-1)
Lakeview-F.O. (0-1) at Heritage (1-0)
Trion (0-1) at LaFayette (1-0)
Ridgeland (1-0) at Allatoona (1-0)
Murphy, N.C. (1-1) at Ringgold (1-0)
Dade County (1-0) at Adairsville (0-1)
Gordon Central (1-0) at Coosa (0-1)
North Murray (0-1) at Rockmart (1-0)
Sonoraville (0-1) at Model (0-1)
ALABAMA
North Jackson (1-0) at Douglas (1-0), 8