McCallie
Montgomery Bell Academy
10/26/2026 9:12:00 AM | Football, General
The McCallie Blue Tornado came up just short in a hard-fought road matchup against Montgomery Bell Academy on Friday night, falling 31-28 in a competitive Division II-AAA region contest.
Despite trailing by 10 points in the fourth quarter, McCallie continued to battle, cutting the deficit to three in the final minutes before MBA secured the victory.
Quarterback Louis Fortier led the Blue Tornado offense, completing 19 of 26 passes for 261 yards and a touchdown without an interception. Antonio Burton was Fortier's top target, hauling in five receptions for 119 yards and a touchdown, including a 67-yard scoring connection in the second quarter.
Levi Scott also played a key role in the offensive attack, finishing with six receptions for 72 yards while adding a seven-yard rushing touchdown. Scott contributed on special teams as well, returning three kickoffs for 76 yards.
On the ground, Ben Ironi led McCallie with 73 rushing yards on 10 carries and two touchdowns. Ironi found the end zone in both the second and fourth quarters, with his final touchdown bringing the Blue Tornado within three points late in the contest.
Defensively, Dallas Gardner led McCallie with five tackles and an interception. Ironi added five tackles and an assist, while Fisher Kyriakidis recorded four tackles. Zachael Fortin contributed two tackles and three assists.
McCallie and MBA traded scores throughout the first half, with the Big Red taking a narrow 17-14 lead into halftime. MBA extended its advantage to 24-14 in the third quarter before Scott's fourth-quarter touchdown brought McCallie back within three.
After MBA pushed its lead to 31-21, the Blue Tornado put together one final scoring drive, capped by Ironi's second touchdown of the night. However, MBA recovered the ensuing onside kick to secure the 31-28 victory.
McCallie finished with 270 passing yards and 115 rushing yards, totaling 385 yards of offense.
Despite the setback, the Blue Tornado showed resilience and offensive production against a tough MBA team. McCallie will look to build on its performance as the season continues.
