Previewing Tennessee’s DII-AA State Championship Game

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The TSSAA Division II-AA state semifinals delivered high-stakes action over the weekend, setting the stage for a true heavyweight showdown in the championship. McCallie (12-6) showcased its firepower in a 14-1 win over a tough Christian Brothers (5-12) squad, while Montgomery Bell Academy (16-2) dominated with a 15-4 victory over Memphis University School (10-6).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Now, two of Tennessee's most talent-rich programs are set for a blockbuster rematch: McCallie vs. Montgomery Bell Academy (MBA). This isn't just a title game—it's a collision between two of the most prospect-loaded teams in the state. McCallie is looking to avenge last year's 12-6 loss over Memphis University School in last year's championship, but MBA enters with a vengeance and some of the top rising stars in the region.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With multiple highly touted prospects on both rosters, this matchup has the feel of a state final and a college scout's dream rolled into one. These are elite-level athletes who can change the game in an instant, and their performance under the spotlight will ultimately decide who walks away with the hardware.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Now that we've already previewed <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2025/05/tennessee-di-a-state-championship-preview/?itm_source=parsely-api">TSSAA's DI-A State Championship</a> game and <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2025/05/tennessee-dii-a-state-championship-preview/">TSSAA's DII-A State Championship</a> games, let's take a closer look at the key players poised to make an impact in what promises to be a high-octane battle for the DII-AA state title.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["71547"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6824e37501ede"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Ranked as the #70 recruit in our Class of 2026 rankings, the UNC commit has lived up to the hype during his junior season, posting 31 goals and 22 assists coming into the state championship. At 6'3", he is a gifted athlete possessing strength, speed, and fluid hips. He can get in and out of cuts quickly which make him nearly impossible to guard. Henry can beat you with either hand and you better slide early to him because his on-the-run shot is deadly with both hands. His stamina and athleticism also make him a weapon on the defensive end of the field. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Henry Toole","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'1u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"190","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"143","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"McCallie","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"3d Georgia","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6824e37501fb2"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">A consensus 3-star recruit in the Class of 2026, the Decatur (GA) transfer has stepped up in a big way for McCallie this season, adding 23 goals and 10 assists from his midfield position. Henry is a physically impressive player with a blistering and accurate right-handed shot on the run and with his feet set. He is an effective dodger with quick feet and strength to ensure his defenseman doesn't push him off his line. With [player_tooltip player_id='71547' first='Henry' last='Boyd'] drawing a lot of eyes on the McCallie offense, Henry Toole often finds himself on the finishing end of defensive rotations. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Nathan Blake","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'11u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"200","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"147","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"McCallie","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Thunder","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6824e3750204f"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">In a matchup with a lot of offensive firepower, the face-off specialist can dictate the pace of the game with a dominant performance. Giving his team the ability to play "make-it, take-it", or by limiting the opposing offense's possessions. Nathan has been dominant this season, winning 76.6% of his draws and collecting 84 ground balls. Nathan has a lot of counters when he can't win it to himself and is relentless when the draw turns into a ground ball. He's also demonstrated a bit of firepower himself, scoring 7 goals and adding 5 assists this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"James Irwin","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'3u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"195","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"147","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"McCallie","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Thunder","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6824e375020e5"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">McCallie is blessed to have two dominant face-off specialists and both are equally impressive. James has won an eye-popping 81.2% of his draws while securing 84 ground balls. James and the aforementioned Nathan Blake complement each other well, with James being a bit longer and Nathan having a lower center of gravity. Having the ability to throw these two different styles at an opponent makes it very difficult for the opponent to recognize patterns and habits. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["16848"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6824e37502131"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Yet another Division-I prospect in this matchup, Cade has taken the next step in an already impressive career. During his junior campaign, he's paced the MBA offense, scoring 44 goals and adding another 39 assists. Cade is seemingly ambidextrous and can creating, score, and distribute with both hand equally. His rare combination of twitchy quickness and top-end speed make him nearly impossible to guard. He also has an impressive IQ for a high school player, exemplified by his balanced goal:assist ratio despite being MBA's marked man. The Army commit can contribute on the defensive side of the ball as well, causing 17 turnovers and collecting 38 ground balls. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"James Roberts","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'0u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"165","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"142","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Montgomery Bell Academy","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"No Excuse","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6824e375021c3"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The junior attackman has had a solid 2025 season, scoring 35 goals and 24 assists to help propel MBA to the state championship game. James is a versatile lefty attackman who can initiate from behind, either wing, or up top. He is a smooth and crafty dodger who uses leverage well to beat his defenseman. James has a strong and accurate shot with his right hand and can finish from any angle.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Eli Stark","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"144","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Montgomery Bell Academy","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6824e37502257"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">MBA's senior net-minder has taken a huge step forward, allowing only 5.7 goals per game while stopping 62% of the shots he's seen this season. Eli seems to play his best against the best opponents, stopping 73.3% and making 15 saves last weekend against Memphis University School. Eli's performance will be a key factor in a matchup expected to be high scoring. If he can steal a few goals from McCallie it could be the difference in what's expected to be a tight game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Elias Franks","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'10u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"225","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"147","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Montgomery Bell Academy","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6824e375022e9"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">It will be an intense battle at the face-off "X" on Friday night as Elias will look to control possession and keep the ball out of McCallie's hands. While McCallie has a couple of strong specialists, Elias has undoubtedly been dominant this season, winning 72% of his draws and collecting a strikingly impressive 147 ground balls this season. If he can win it forward to himself, Elias has the ability to be a threat to push transition, contributing 6 goals this season. In this matchup, the winner of the face off battle will likely determine the winner of the game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->