OK, quickie quiz.
Who's the most surprising team two weeks into the season?
Without question. Notre Dame. Uh, make that 2-0 Notre Dame. The Irish, uh, make that the Fighting Irish, have scored 103 points in two games, outlasting Grace Academy in their opener and then beating McMinn Central 42-27 this past week.
This is a turnaround showing from 2009 when they went 1-9 and scored a grand total of 61 points. Notre Dame matched that output -- yes, all of 2010 -- in its first-game 61-48 shootout victory at Grace.
Think there might be a turnaway crowd Friday when Notre Dame plays its first home game and opens District 7-AA competition against Chattanooga Christian? It's expected, much to the delight of Notre Dame athletic director Howie Sompayrac. The Irish haven't started 2-0 since 2005 and that was one of those dream seasons when they won 13 straight before falling in the state semifinals at Livingston Academy.
Now that's not to say that this Irish team can do that. There are just a handful of seniors on a team comprised mostly of freshmen and sophomores. But somebody somewhere is ringing the bells of St. Mary's.
Of course one also much recognize Tony Webb's Yellow Jackets at Lookout Valley. They're also 2-0 and they also have scored numbers in bunches.
And Ooltewah has mustered back-to-back 40-point games and has a most stingy defense.
Next question: Who are the Tennessee teams in the Chattanooga area that are where you expected them to be?
This corner picks Baylor, Bledsoe County and Signal Mountain and (barely) Boyd-Buchanan.
Baylor has rolled. The 2010 Division II state finalists have a 48-0 shutout and a 45-28 shootout win over touted Bradley Central. Who would have expected, though, that senior Matthew Oellerich, finally getting his chance at quarterback, would have led the Red Raiders in rushing Friday with 146 yards? Baylor, big up front and with a plethora of defensive standouts returning, is ready to step into regional play (next week at Father Ryan). The Red Raiders follow that with a trip to MBA before playing Division II state champion Ensworth in their first home game on Sept. 16.
Bledsoe County had a couple of lightweights the first two weeks and did the expected, winning handily over Cumberland County and Marion County. The defending District 7-AA champions, led thus far by Mr. Everywhere Brandon Smith, will have to turn it up a notch this week because their first home game, coming on the heels of two road wins, is against 2-0 Signal Mountain.
The Eagles, even with their vaunted running game stymied, made a significant statement Friday with a 38-6 win over District 6-AA favorite Tyner. Quarterback Reese Phillips and receivers Will Queen and Jon Patton hooked up for three touchdown passes and 238 yards. Phillips finished with 262 passing yards and he will be matched up with Bledsoe quarterback Cody Holloway, a standout last year who hasn't been forced to throw it yet to get the Warriors' offense on track.
Boyd-Buchanan? The Buccaneers are 2-0 but only after escaping East Ridge on Friday night on an overtime blocked PAT. Suffice it to say that they have a lot of work to do but also let it be known they might not face a better, quicker group of linebackers than those they saw last week. Need proof? Bucs standout tailback Chase Reed was limited to 19 yards on 18 carries.
True, Boyd-Buchanan missed running back John Hale, whose playing time was limited by a knee bruise suffered against Chattanooga Christian, but there is serious work to be done between the tackles if the team is to make another deep Class 2A playoff run.
Yeah, yeah, I know -- what about South Pittsburg? Judging by Friday's summary of their game with Grundy County, the Pirates have another Class 1A juggernaut. But, hey, Vic Grider's the coach so why would we expect anything less.
And another query. Which district title defense is in the most jeopardy?
It looks as if District 5-AA could be up for grabs this year, although the teams have yet to play a league game. On paper, defending champ Polk County has floundered. The Wildcats, a 3A team, have lost, though, to 6A Bradley Central, a team most figure will win District 5-AAA, and Central, which most coaches tabbed in the preseason as a darkhorse to win District 6-AA.
While they're 0-2, McMinn Central's Chargers are vastly improved as are Meigs County's Tigers.
For the record, Polk is 0-2 for the first time in Derrick Davis' 12-year coaching tenure. The Wildcats last started a season 0-2 in under Jeff Williams in 1999. That bunch went 0-10.
I'm still not convinced that Bradley has enough to run the table in District 5-A and I'm beginning to wonder if Tyner can put the pieces in place in 6-AA. Too, Bledsoe is in a very balanced 7-AA. That Friday game with Signal, another sellout probability, is just the first of several money games the Warriors will play this year. They'll have to keep an eye on Sequatchie, Grundy, Notre Dame and even Chattanooga Christian, which has gotten off to a rocky start.
Some thoughts to ponder:
• Soddy-Daisy has already lost talented receiver/defensive back Talon Harris for the year to a shoulder injury. Several coaches thought the 6-foot-2, 175-pounder might be able to name his Division I sport -- football or baseball.
• While he isn't out for the season, the Trojans also have missed senior two-way tackle Alex Seeley. The 6-foot-6, 295-pounder missed the first two games of the season with a broken hand and he'll probably be on the sidelines this week when Soddy-Daisy hosts Bradley Central.
• Red Bank quarterback Hagen Wilkey answered questions about his durability and mental toughness last week, leading the Lions to a 42-35 victory over the aforementioned Trojans. He also logged a lot of time at defensive end. He's a junior but the 6-3, 212-pounder just turned 16 last week. He's supposed to go get his driver's license on Tuesday.
• Most folks thought this might be a down year for East Ridge but the Pioneers certainly opened some eyes with a season-opening win at Walker Valley and then the 7-6 loss to Boyd-Buchanan. Their game Friday with Red Bank could be special.
• By the way, Red Bank defensive end Keionta Davis, one of the team's college prospects, finally had surgery Thursday to repair a torn ACL and cartilage damage.
• No one up past Northgate is getting carried away but Hixson's season-opening win over Walker Valley marked only the second time in the last four years that the Wildcats have won their first game. And hats off, please, for diminutive senior running back/linebacker Clarencio Holmes, who rushed for 241 yards and two TDs and then added nine tackles. The kid a year ago wouldn't top 160 pounds with all his pockets packed with fishing sinkers. Now, thanks to weight room dedication he's flirting with 180.
• For those who wondered if the triple option had been closeted for good, look no further than McCallie, which rolled Friday against McMinn County with, yes, a triple-option.
• And finally, it looks like all those dues Tim James and the Heritage football team have been paying over the last three years are beginning to show some dividends. Heritage rolled up a 34-0 shutout of North Murray and may be looking more at being a contender than a pretender.