CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Baylor School of Chattanooga, Tenn., remains the No. 1 high school football team in Tennessee in the latest statewide rankings released Oct. 11, holding the top spot again despite a week off.
The rankings, built from the Massey Ratings model that analyzes game outcomes, strength of schedule and margin of victory, cover Week 9 of the Tennessee season. Baylor has held the No. 1 spot in essentially every weekly release this fall.
The Red Raiders opened the regular season by beating Brentwood Academy 38-20 in a rematch of last year’s Division II-AAA state championship game, and they recently routed rival McCallie School 49-7. Baylor is on the path to an undefeated regular season and is coming off its bye. Next up, the Red Raiders host Legacy School of Sports Sciences of Texas on Friday night.
McCallie, Baylor’s crosstown rival, checks in at No. 14 in the state at 3-4. The Blue Tornado face a tough test Friday night against No. 3 Knoxville Catholic, which is 6-1 and coming off its own bye week.
Brentwood Academy sits second behind Baylor after a 42-7 win that handed Briarcrest Christian its first loss, and Knoxville Catholic is third. Battle Ground Academy, the reigning Division II-AA state champion, is also in the top five after beating Chattanooga Preparatory School 35-6 at home.
Baylor and McCallie are both private schools with long track records in the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association. Among Hamilton County programs, Baylor School and McCallie have been consistent state championship contenders, and Baylor is also historically dominant in cross-country, tennis and swimming.
Elsewhere in the top five, Alcoa, which won an 11th straight state championship in 2025, cruised past South-Doyle 42-7 and will chase a 12th straight title this year.
