Midseason Power Scores: X Factors, BGA Wildcats

<p>Battle Ground Academy has <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/09/2029-prospects-standing-out-at-top-programs/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">an exciting team</a> and coaching staff this season and are right in the middle of any state championship conversations for the DII-AA classification.</p>   <p>In the newly updated <a href="https://x.com/CSmithScout/status/1982954009867718770" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Prep Redzone Tennessee Big School Power Poll</a>, the Wildcats are ranked number-seven among big schools in the state.</p>   <p>BGA certainly has the roster to win it all this season, but they are <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/09/fra-defeats-bga-21-14-instant-takeaways/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">by no means a lock to earn the trophy</a>, and if they want to win it all this season, these five X-factors will have to step up down the final stretch.</p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">BGA 2026 Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='914547' first='Kaedyn' last='Marable']</h2>   <p>The Wildcats offense begins with the orchestrator of it all in Columbia quarterback commit [player_tooltip player_id='914547' first='Kaedyn' last='Marable'], who has been one of the best distributors in the state over the last two seasons.</p>   <p>He has a lot of talent at his disposal and he knows how to accurately place the ball in a position in which his playmakers can make plays after the catch which has led to a ton of explosive plays from a variety of players in this offense.</p>   <p>The team will need him to have his best play during the playoffs, especially if they get their shot at revenge against FRA.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BGASports/status/1979340227157094574 </div></figure>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">BGA 2026 OL/DL [player_tooltip player_id='866788' first='Nate' last='Fleming']</h2>   <p>Battle Ground Academy has a plethora of standout trench talent, but the leader of both the offensive and defensive lines is [player_tooltip player_id='866788' first='Nate' last='Fleming'], who recently flipped his commitment from Columbia to Vanderbilt.</p>   <p>He thrives as the strong end in the three-man defensive front and causes non-stop havoc no matter the offensive lineman across from him, which frees up a stellar defensive line unit to make splash plays with their athleticism.</p>   <p>He is also the veteran on the offensive line as he provides consistent and stable play at his right tackle position, but his leadership will be important as he brings an offensive line filled with underclassmen along with him that will need to provide consistent play as an entire unit the deeper and deeper into the bracket they go.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/connersmith04/status/1971719142698037260 </div></figure>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">BGA 2027 LB/TE [player_tooltip player_id='902961' first='Jayden' last='Cannon']</h2>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='902961' first='Jayden' last='Cannon'] is an exciting <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/10/scouting-2027-linebacker-class-stars-sleepers-and-secrets/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">under-the-radar linebacker prospect</a> for the Wildcats that is able to make big time plays in a variety of alignments and locations on the field, freed up by standout middle linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1103031' first='Elijah' last='Fernandez'].</p>   <p>While Cannon is not the middle linebacker, he also is responsible for the edge a lot of the time as well as being an essential red zone target as a tight end in the offense, making him an X-factor due to his variety of responsibilities on every gameday.</p>   <p>He will have to keep showing up in every single one of those roles for this team to get near their potential.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/shaynep_media/status/1971740877300391985 </div></figure>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">BGA 2028 WR Max Curry</h2>   <p>Max Curry has always been an explosive receiver with home-run potential and that has been utilized more this year in his sophomore season and he will be crucial to Marable having success over the middle of the field in an offense that will be even more passing-centric after the loss of the starting running back.</p>   <p>However, BGA has several standout receivers, and the real reason he is an essential X-factor to the team's success is he has had to step up this season on defense, stepping into a cornerback role that means being tasked with also covering top receiving options for the opposing team every week as well.</p>   <p>He will need to bring high-level cornerback play to help maximize the potential of this defense while maintaining his home-run ability on offense.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/shaynep_media/status/1971749747049554291 </div></figure>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">BGA 2027 WR/ATH [player_tooltip player_id='905296' first='Fletcher' last='Fields']</h2>   <p>Speaking of starting running back [player_tooltip player_id='1405419' first='Ethan' last='Kellum'] going down with injury, slot receiver [player_tooltip player_id='905296' first='Fletcher' last='Fields'] has had to shift a large chunk of his focus over to playing running back in the back half of the season, filling in where needed for his team.</p>   <p>He is used as a rusher, a dump off/screen option, or as a natural slot receiver in the offense, and his versatility allows the offense to keep its identity most of the time without sacrificing the explosive potential it possesses.</p>   <p>He is also a <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/09/scouting-2027-receiver-class-stars-sleepers-and-secrets/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">highly effective return man</a> and can help flip the game in the field position battle.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/connersmith04/status/1971721630570451394 </div></figure>

Battle Ground Academy has an exciting team and coaching staff this season and are right in the middle of any state championship conversations for the DII-AA classification.