MBA faces Ohio power this weekend

Montgomery Bell Academy tries to embellish some Tennessee football prestige when the Big Red faces Cincinnati Moeller in the ESPN Kirk Herbstreit high school challenge Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati.

“Moeller is an absolutely great football team,’’ said MBA coach Daniel McGugin. “They have the best team we’ve faced since MBA played Byrne (S.C., a 62-14 winner over MBA in the 2005 Kickoff Classic).’’

“They are outstanding on both offense and defense,’’ he said. “This is a huge challenge for us and one we are looking forward to.’’

The defending DII state champ Big Red (1-0) opened their season last Friday with a 45-19 romp over Antioch.

• Two teams anxious to get back to the DII promised land meet tonight at BGA where the Wildcats host Davidson Academy.

Davidson Academy won consecutive championships in ’05 and ’06, but lost in the Bears’ first game in the playoffs last year. BGA hasn’t even been to the playoffs since the Wildcats won the last of their DI-AA championships in 2003 under Tim Moore.

After a 1-9 season in Coach Tim Johnson’s first year in ’06, BGA just missed the playoffs last year, falling to Ensworth on the final night of the regular season.

• Father Ryan (1-0), which opened its season with an impressive win over Hillwood, will renew its battle for the Bishop’s Cup with Pope JPII (0-1) tonight at 7 at Hillsboro High.

Ryan has won the past two matchups with the Knights.

In a key non-region game, CPA hosts Ensworth in a battle of two teams expected to battle for the playoffs in a non-region game.

• Defending 3A state champ Lipscomb hosts Greenbrier in the Mustangs opener. A Mustangs triumph would give Coach Glenn McCadams his 250th career win at Lipscomb.