THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Houston High School Athletics

The life of a two-sport athlete can be a busy one. Just ask Houston High School quarterback and pitcher Chandler Day. On Tuesday, the all-state quarterback committed to Tennessee baseball, the defending College World Series champion. On Thursday, he rushed for two touchdowns and passed for one, helping Houston to a 2-0 start with a 38-21 road victory over DeSoto Central. "The run game worked for us a lot," Day said after the game. "We showed a lot of courage and handled a lot of adversity. That's what this team is about." Day's career, especially the past two months, has been a balancing act of being at the top of his game in both sports while also trying to make his college decision. The weekend of his most recent of two visits to Knoxville is the perfect example. "I didn't really have a whole lot of time, I ended (the visit) around noon because I had to be at (football) practice," he said. Despite the visit's brevity, he strengthened connections with the Volunteers' coaching staff and pitching coach Frank Anderson, citing the program's recent output of MLB pitchers as a selling point for the program. Day said that he ultimately chose the Volunteers over Auburn and Texas A&M. "(Tennessee) is one of the greatest programs there is," Day said. "I love all of their coaches. They put a lot into their guys and show that they care about each other and developing players. I can't wait to get there." With that behind him, Day will shift his focus for the next few months as Houston looks to repeat as TSSAA Class 6A state champions. He finished Thursday night with 117 yards passing and 50 yards rushing. It is a sign of a rising and maturing program after Houston fell in two of its first three games last season. "We've built a great foundation for this program, this is the first time we've started 2-0 in three years," Day said. "It's setting us up for big success." Last season's success was aided in large part by fellow all-state performer Damon Sisa, who now plays running back at Arkansas State. Houston hasn't missed a beat, though, as junior Celley Davis has risen in his place, with back-to-back 100-yard performances to begin the season, including 141 yards and two scores on Thursday. "You could see the frustration on his face when he wasn't getting the touches last year," Day said. "He worked his butt off this offseason. You can tell he's determined to do good things this season and he definitely showed it." "I run the ball hard," Davis said. "The offensive line was doing a great job and we just kept running it down their throats. I'm hungry and ready to go." The Mustangs will have an extra day of rest before traveling to rival Germantown on Sept. 6 for a state quarterfinal rematch. Houston won that game 30-10 after losing to the Red Devils by one point in the regular season. With Day and Davis in the backfield, it promises to be another exciting matchup.

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Houston High School Athletics

TENNESSEE BASEBALL COMMIT CHANDLER DAY TALKS VOLS AS HE TAKES HOUSTON FOOTBALL TO 2-0 START

WENDELL SHEPHERD JR.

Commercial Appeal | 8/30/2024

PHOTO CREDIT: Emily Hume