The Chattanooga Red Wolves lost their home opener on Saturday to Fort Wayne FC with a final score of 0-1.
It was 45 seconds in when the first blow was struck: a well-aimed roll that snuck past a diving Jason Smith. That lead remained in place for more than 25 minutes afterward, and then Coach Mackenzie called for a huddle. Aggression had to be kicked up. Shots had to be made.
As the Red Wolves dispersed back onto the field, they exploded into action. Ferocious presses and corner kicks started picking away at Fort Wayne’s confidence. The score remained the same at the end of the first half, but the Red Wolves had made 14 shots on target, and their foes were stuck at one.
As the second half set into motion, the Red Wolves’ ball dominance was clear. They were controlling the field, impeded only by Fort Wayne’s tight defense in the 18-yard box. The stability of the Indiana team came into question. Their head coach was absent, barred from the match by a red card sustained in the previous game. The amount of falls their players interrupted the game with were innumerable.
Hopes dampened in the 59th when Coach Mackenzie received two yellow cards and was ejected from the game. Defender Harry Jolley received one of his own in the 62nd, and Bentley and Kinzner had each gotten one in the first half. But none of that could keep the Red Wolves from coming back with a fury. A corner kick by Omar Hernandez in the 74th minute landed the ball just over the crossbar and neatly on the net.
Lelin replaced Bentley in the 78th, and the team kept consistent control over the ball. And though that fire burnt so extraordinarily bright in the Wolves’ eyes, it seemed they just couldn’t equalize. Even in spite of several close-call corner kicks and throw-ins, by the final whistle, the score remained the same.
That lucky shot had earned Fort Wayne their first victory of the season.
There’s still plenty of time left in the 2026 season. The Red Wolves’ next home match is Saturday, April 25th against Corpus Christi FC; this will be the first round in the Prinx Tires USL Cup.