Wildcats Win State After 22 Years

By Amelia Marks and Rian Kelly

It should be no surprise to anyone reading this that your Wildcat’s football team traveled to Chattanooga this past on December 4, 2025. As the boys walked down the send-off, claps and cheers filled the air with true passion, anticipation, and pride of the BGA community. In the early afternoon, the football team and their crew loaded the charter buses and set off on the nearly three hour journey down the highway, over the mountain, and into the 423 area code, also known as Chattanooga, Tennessee. 

7:34 AM EST, the time zone that Chattanooga lies in, the sun broke over the horizon and set the tone for the day ahead. Around a similar time, as it was an hour earlier at home, mini-buses quickly began to fill with students eager to make the drive to support their team to the inevitable “Wildcat Win.” 

As 11 AM EST began to approach, a ruckus from Finley Stadium of the UTC Mockingbirds filled the cool, dewy, morning air. The Panthers from FRA slowly trickled into the home side of the stadium where their false confidence was easily readable. After the unfortunate loss on the Hill at FRA on September 26, they were unable to comprehend what BGA had in store for the TSSAA Football Blue Cross Bowl.

After falling short to CPA in the 2024 state championship game, the Wildcats returned with an even stronger sense of strength, motivation, and work ethic, leading to a remarkably strong start. The first quarter lead of 21-7 set the perfect foundation needed to take it all the way. By the second quarter, there was no question as to how the game would turn out. Point after point, the game came to an end with an unbelievable score of BGA-61 and FRA- 27 to close out the TSSAA Division II-AA state championship.

After seven state titles in football in the past, with the most recent being in 2003, Coach Bobby Bentley was able to lead this team in his second season with BGA to the first state championship title in 22 years. Sophomore Nolan Haera calls Coach Bentley “a true hero.” In addition, Nolan believes that the coaching staff as a whole has unconditional motivation and is there for each member of the team in all aspects of their lives. He specifically recognizes Coach Pitt as “The GOAT” for his belief in every player, his great coaching, and fun personality. Overall, Nolan states that “he has made me a better person” due to his honesty and knowing that he will always tell you exactly what he thinks out of care for you as a person.

While the players certainly poured their hearts into every practice and every game, they could not have done it without the support of the coaching staff. Football coach, Coach G, reflects on the season with immense pride: “This team was never counted out because no matter the situation; there was always a sense of confidence that we were going to win.” He also offers two shoutouts to individuals who left a distinct mark on the program this year: Kaedyn Marable and Zach Papworth. Coach G explains, “Leadership comes in many different forms. His leadership was demonstrated on the field. He showed the underclassman what it’s like to prepare to be a leader.” Coach G continues by highlighting the steady commitment of Zach, stating, “He’s someone who shows up to work everyday no matter what the circumstance was.” As a broad reflection of the season, Coach G emphasizes how each week brought new challenges that ultimately strengthened the group as a whole. He describes the season as one filled with momentum, consistency, and a collective determination that only grew stronger as the playoffs approached. In his view, the team’s ability to stay focused and composed throughout the long season played a major role in their championship finish.

Sophomore Noah Solomon recognizes the leadership skills of Nate Fleming and Elijah Fernandez and credits the “strong success” of the team to their “dedication to the team, selflessness, and strong example.” These traits are all what make up an influential leader and one who people strive to emulate. No matter the circumstance, Noah notes that Nate and Elijah were members of the team that he could always count on and knew that they were putting their best efforts forward to lead a successful team. 

Not only was this season of BGA football definitely one for the books, it was also filled with incredible memories, experiences, and accomplishments. Mob Leaders Jake Harney and Lauren Atkins note this season as remarkable due to the overall intensity that created a level of commitment and dedication to the team as a whole. The influence that Bobby Bentley created for the team has encouraged students to take their support more seriously, leading to the strength in the student section like never before. Lauren specifically remarks that “It felt like we were a real team.”

One member of the student section that no one could miss is senior is Chris Belfiore. Chris particularly remarks how the spirit was truly dialed up for their senior year. After their experience as underclassmen, when the energy was significantly lower, the senior class as a whole was inspired to enhance the experience for everyone. With a strong set of Mob Leaders and enthusiasm from the upperclassman, Chris believes that their energy had a ripple effect and was able to bring spirit back to the BGA student section. Chris remarks that “strong leadership brings strong troops” and those strong leaders are what brought us out of “the trenches” and into a state championship title. 

Finally, on behalf of the BGA community as a whole, thank you to every player, coach, manager, trainer, teacher, parent, and you for making this fall the season that it was. Once again, congratulations to the 2025 Football team and coaches, and we look forward to seeing how this program continues to progress.