February 23, 2024 – United Soccer League One (USL1) – Chattanooga Red Wolves SC News Release
The Chattanooga Red Wolves SC have called up Blake Oberholzer, Gharett Morris, and Fernando Guerrero from its Chattanooga and Utah Academies, ahead of the 2024 season, pending league and federation approval.
These signings mark the fourth, fifth, and sixth players from the club’s academies to sign academy contracts. With the club containing one of the few complete pathways to pro in the country, these signings mark not only a significant personal achievement for each player but also yet another proof of concept for the club’s mission.
“One of the major strategic moves I want to make as the Technical Director and the Head Coach of the Chattanooga Red Wolves Soccer Club is to make sure there is consistent and quality synergy between our youth programs and our first team,” says Scott Mackenzie. “Bringing internal academy players who have developed in our systems into the first team this year is a major achievement for the players, it’s a major strategic step in the right direction to being one of the premier youth development systems in the United States, and it adds an incredibly important boost of youth and hunger to our first team environment. I can’t wait to see what each of these young men does with their opportunities.”
The 20-year-old Blake Oberholzer ended the 2023 season as the overall leading goal scorer in the USL Academy League with 13 goals in 12 regular season games and was an honorable mention in the 2022 USL Academy League Finals All-Tournament Team – Showcase Division. Oberholzer also starred on the club’s USPL team that won the USPL Mountain Division and the club’s USL League Two team that three-peted as USL League Two Mountain Division Champions.
“Blake is a young man who has had a great year,” said Mackenzie. “In the past 12 months, he has developed from a tricky attacking midfielder into a prolific goalscorer. In 2023 he finished as the top goalscorer in both the USL Academy nationally and the UPSL Mountain Division. He can take players on and can finish with his left and right foot. He has all the qualities to be a top forward. I am excited to see how he learns and develops from the likes of Ropapa Mensah and Chevone Marsh, and am excited for his opportunity.”
17-year-old central midfielder Gharret Morris captained the Utah Red Wolves SC USL Academy side to a USL Academy Finals appearance in 2023, knocking off the top ranked team in the…