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What it means that Nashville secured 5 of 6 spots in Division II state championships





CPA running back Langston Patterson attempts to escape an Oakland tackler earlier this season.Kaitlyn Hungerford/Main Street Nashville/File

CPA running back Langston Patterson attempts to escape an Oakland tackler earlier this season.Kaitlyn Hungerford/Main Street Nashville/File

Langston Patterson has become pretty good at finding his “off switch.”

When the Christ Presbyterian Academy linebacker works out with Lipscomb Academy stars Alex Broome or Luther Richesson or Beau Dawson on their campus during the offseason, they’re friends.

“But once you cross that line on Friday night, it all kind of switches off,” Patterson said. “Your only friends are on your own team.”

Any friendships outside football will be put on hold in the Division II BlueCross Bowls next week. Nashville teams secured five of the six available spots. It’s the most private-school representation the area has had since the TSSAA added another division.

In Division II-A, DCA and Nashville Christian are in the finals; CPA and Lipscomb Academy will play for the Division II-AAA crown; and in Division II-AAA, MBA will face McCallie.

All of them are region rivals. The connections run deep.

Patterson is good friends with MBA offensive tackle and fellow Vanderbilt commitment Grayson Morgan and sees Big Red quarterback Marcel Reed around town every now and then. Nashville Christian running back Josh Strickland knows DCA running back Ashton Jones and linebacker Brady Russell from offseason training.

 

 

As a player at Vanderbilt from 1990-93, Nashville Christian coach Jeff Brothers played alongside DCA quarterback Bradford Gaines’ dad, Brad, and roomed with Jones’ dad, Jody.

Brothers and DCA coach Paul Wade will face each other in a state final for the first time after crossing paths as coordinators at CPA years ago.

Wade has been around private-school football most of his career.

“I’m excited. I know all those guys. I’m excited for them to be a part of this,” Wade said. “This is the first time (he and Brothers) have faced each other (in a championship) even though we talk all the time about what each other’s programs are doing.”

How did all these coaches reach the state finals in the same year?

CPA coach Ingle Martin doesn’t believe it’s just because the stars aligned. He sees Nashville as the most competitive private-school market in the state, and has worried for years that programs are spending too much money to stay ahead of the competition.

He wants the TSSAA and private-school leaders to take a meaningful look at that.

“I’m not just talking about facilities, but how many kids are on financial aid,” Martin said. “The NCAA has a system in place to manage that … Again, this is coming from a guy who coaches at a private school and attended one. I don’t think it’s (best) for high school sports … treating (them) like college sports. I think the gap will continue to widen and I think it’s concerning that we’re allowing things to happen that aren’t fair and equal.

“It’s just going to keep getting bigger in my opinion. High school sports should be secondary. (The TSSAA is) a secondary school athletic association, meaning the school part is the most important part. I really don’t want high school sports to become college sports where no one cares about the education. We’re creating miniature professional kids running around focusing on one thing.”

MBA coach Marty Euverard and McCallie coach Ralph Potter chose not to broach that topic Tuesday. Wade and Brothers said their experience is simply different from what Martin described — in Division II-A, dollars are spread thinner.

“We share the field with the girls soccer team all fall. As far as facilities and stuff like that, I’m not sure that applies (to us),” Brothers said. “But we have great support from the community and administration. The kids lean on each other because there isn’t a lot from a numbers or resources standpoint.”

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