GHSF DAILY: Region 5-A and 6-A football previews

The following is an excerpt from the July 13 edition of the Georgia High School Football Daily, an e-mail newsletter compiled by longtime Georgia high school football writers Todd Holcomb and Chip Saye:

 

REGION 5-A PREVIEW

What it is: Region 5-A is made up of nine metro Atlanta private schools. It plays a round-robin schedule to determine its four playoff berths. River Ridge, a new public school in Cherokee County, and Cobb County private school Mount Paran Christian are also in the region but will play non-region schedules.

Defending champion: Whitefield Academy

Best player: LB/DE/TE Marcus Fairley, Eagle’s Landing Christian

2008 STANDINGS
(Final 2008 Atlanta Journal-Constitution ranking included)

Whitefield Academy (10-2, 8-0)
Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (9-3, 7-1)
Holy Innocents’ (8-4, 6-2)
Landmark Christian (6-5, 5-3)
Fellowship Christian (4-6, 4-4)
Mount Pisgah Christian (5-5, 3-5)
Pace Academy (3-7, 2-6)
Our Lady of Mercy (2-8, 1-7)
Southwest Atlanta Chrisitan Academy (0-10, 0-8)
Mount Paran Christian (2-7, 0-0)

2009 PREDICTIONS
(Offensive/defensive starters returning)

Whitefield Academy (5/5)
Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (6/6)
Landmark Christian (6/6)
Mount Pisgah (9/8)
Holy Innocents’ (5/2)
Fellowship Christian (3/3)
Our Lady of Mercy (4/5)
Pace Academy (7/6)
Southwest Christian Academy (9/10)
*Mount Paran Christian (11/11)
*River Ridge (new school)
*Playing a non-region schedule

TEAM BY TEAM

Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy Chargers
2008 record: 9-3, 7-1 (second in region)
Playoffs: Lost to Lincoln County 7-0 in the second round
Average record this decade: 6-5
Coach: Jonathan Gess (third season)
Offense: Spread (coordinator: Jonathan Gess)
Defense: 3-5 (coordinator: Jay Covington)
Starters returning: 6 on offense, 6 on defense
Best player: LB/DE/TE Marcus Fairley
Other top players: ATH Darrien Hudson, LB Tanner Rogers, DB Christian Reeves, QB Aaron Spratlin
Key losses: RB Van Jakes
Outlook: ELCA already had established itself in metro Atlanta as a solid program. The rest of the state found out last season when the Chargers gave perennial Class A power Lincoln County all it could handle in a 7-0 loss in the second round of the state playoffs. ELCA also beat region rival Landmark Christian Academy for the first time last season. The Chargers should be right back in the hunt for a region title this season. “The first time we went to Lincoln County [2006] we got best 38-0,” coach Jonathan Gess said. “Last year we had a chance to win and just didn’t make the plays when we had to. But we showed that we can play with anybody and I think we believe that now. The kids are working hard. We have 72 in our program and 62 are participating consistently in our workouts. We’ll be a little young. We’ll probably start four sophomores on offense and a freshman. But if our sophomores play up to the level of their talent, there’s no reason we can’t be as good as we were last season.”

Fellowship Christian Paladins
2008 record: 4-6, 4-4 (fifth in region)
Average record this decade: 5-6
Coach: Terry Luck (4-6 on one season)
Offense: Multiple I, spread (coordinator: Terry Luck)
Defense: 4-3 (coordinator: TBA)
Starters returning: 3 on offense, 3 on defense
Best player: WR D. J. Shirley
Other top players: WR/DB Josh Hart, C/LB Nathan O’Reilly
Key losses: QB Jimmy Stanback (Birmingham Southern), OL/DL Dillon Herbert, C/LB Drew Rollader, WR/DB/K Jake Philpotts (Georgia walk-on)
Outlook: The Paladins rode a senior-laden team to an 11-win season and a region title in 2007 but struggled after a mass senior exodus. This team also will be young with four sophomores and a freshman on the offensive line. Competing in one of Class A’s toughest regions will be tough with just seven seniors. “We talk to the kids a lot about who they are in Christ, and what better way to learn Biblical principles than to play the best sport ever invented and learn to overcome the challenges it presents,” coach Terry Luck said. “We’ve got to keep working hard and capitalize on any breaks that come our way.”

Holy Innocents’ Golden Bears
2008 record: 8-4, 6-2 (third in region)
Playoffs: Lost to Wesleyan 21-7 in the second round
Average record this decade: 6-5
Coach: Ryan Livezey (third season)
Offense: Triple option out of spread (coordinator: Ryan Livezey)
Defense: 3-5 (coordinator: Bill Railey)
Starters returning: 5 on offense, 2 on defense
Best player: FS/RB Peter Allen
Other top players: RB/LB Wills Aitkens, WR/DB Jordan Miller, QB/DB Will Allen
Key losses: LB Cameron Lougherty (Colorado State), TE Jack Farrell (Duke), DE/OL Connor Randall (Colorado State)
Outlook: The Golden Bears were one of just two teams (Darlington was the other) to defeat last year’s Class A champion, Wesleyan. Though they lost the rematch in the second round of the playoffs, the Golden Bears know they can play with anyone. Graduation was harsh, however. Gone are 15 starters, including three Division I-A signees and the region defensive player of the year, Cameron Loughery. The best returning player is probably Peter Allen, a first-team all-region selection in 2008. “Our younger players are understanding what it takes to be successful,” coach Ryan Livezey said. “They’re working hard in the weight room in our offseason program. In our region, you’ve got to be consistent and physically and mentally tough every Friday night.”

Landmark Christian War Eagles
2008 record: 6-5, 5-3 (fourth in region)
Playoffs: Lost to Bremen 41-14 in the first round
Average record this decade: 7-4
Coach: Kenny Dallas (ninth season)
Offense: Multiple (coordinator: Robby Ross)
Defense: 4-4 base, multiple (coordinator: Kenny Dallas)
Starters returning: 6 on offense, 6 on defense
Best players: DE Josh Gebhardt, DT/OL Phillip Garza, DT/OL Nate Terry, DE Cody Nichols, OL Chris Johnson, OL Sheldon Peters, OL Craig Abernathy, OL John Gables, QB Carson Barnett
Key losses: LB Andrew Glaize, QB Tanner Bryant, RB Blake Wyatt
Outlook: After winning at least a share of the region title every season since 2002, the War Eagles took a bit of a step back last season. Or maybe the rest of the region stepped it up. Landmark will look to get back into the region championship hunt on the strength of the team’s big, strong and experienced defensive and offensive lines. “I’m as excited about this group as I have been about any we’ve had, especially our players on both lines of scrimmage,” coach Kenny Dallas said. “I think they are as good as we’ve had since I’ve been here.”

Mount Paran Christian Eagles
2008 record: 2-7 (non-region schedule)
Average record this decade: 2-7 (2008 was first football season)
Coach: Mitch Jordan (2-7 in one season)
Offense: Wing-T with some elements of the spread
Defense: 4-4, multiple
Starters returning: 11 on offense, 11 on defense
Best player: LB David Ian (6-0, 220), Jr.
Other top players: QB Zack Greenwell, QB/WR Landon Bentley, C/DT Andy Flynn, OL/DE Brian Johnston, OL/DE Hunter Schiltz
Key losses: None
Outlook: Mount Paran is a new football program that is gaining momentum, on the field and in the community. Enrollment is up and an aggressive fundraising drive will pay for lights for the stadium. On the field, Mt. Paran went 2-1 against other first-year programs. After a loss to Pace Academy (30-13) in the season opener, the Eagles won their last two games handily against Hebron Christian Academy (18-0) in Dacula and North Cobb Christian (44-0), a budding rival school also located in Kennesaw. Mount Paran will play a non-region schedule again with two games against teams from larger classifications – at Locust Grove (AAA) and at Grovetown (AAAA). Coach Mitch Jordan played and coached at one of the state’s most successful Class A programs, Darlington. But he is modeling Mount Paran after another private school program, Marist. “We want our entire sports program to be like Marist,” Jordan said. “To me, they are the standard and that’s where we need to set our sights. I think we have a chance to be over .500 if we stay healthy, which is hard to do at the Class A level because you are so thin. We’re building a solid Christian foundation for our school and our program.”

Mount Pisgah Christian Patriots
2008 record: 5-5, 3-5 (sixth in region)
Average record this decade: 3-7
Coach: Doug Dixon (8-12 in two seasons)
Offense: Multiple I; spread, shotgun, single back (coordinator: Gary Downs)
Defense: 4-4 (coordinator: Chuck Conner)
Starters returning: 9 on offense, 8 on defense
Best player: RB/DB Fedale Hall
Other top players: WR/DB Danny Schneider, QB Kyle Sloter, OT/DT Alex Dixon, LB/OG Bryant Laursen, FB/OLB Ben Mozingo
Key losses: WR Brad Bostic, WR Danny Schneider,
Outlook: While the Patriots are young, most of their starters have tons of game experience. Sophomore QB Kyle Sloter threw for 1,400 yards and 20 touchdowns as a freshman. Also, they have one of the region’s best players in Hall, the 5-foot-8 running back who has an offer from Richmond. Though injured for parts of five games last season, Hall, who runs the 40 in 4.38, rushed for more than 1,500 yards. The Patriots averaged 28 points but gave up nearly as many. If the defense picks it up a notch, look for Mount Pisgah to be in the hunt for the school’s first GHSA playoff berth. “We just want to keep getting better,” coach Doug Dixon said. “We’re laying the foundation with a lot of hard work, and the kids are starting to believe in themselves and believe that the hard work will pay off.”

Our Lady of Mercy Bobcats
2008 record: 2-8, 1-7 (eighth in region)
Average record this decade: 2-7
Coach: Chad Flatt (second season)
Offense: Spread, multiple (coordinator: Chad Flatt)
Defense: Multiple, 8-man front base (Chris O’Bryant)
Starters returning: 4 on offense, 5 on defense
Best player: OL/DL Daniel Alexis
Other top players: LB/RB George Adams, LB Tracy Daniels, LB Brennan Sanders
Key losses: QB/RB William Pearl (Emery & Henry)
Outlook: The Bobcats have a long way to go in order to become a perennial playoff contender in Region 5-A. But there are encouraging signs. With just a couple of breaks here or there last season, the Bobcats could have been 5-5. Also, there is a new spirit of dedication, as illustrated by the nearly 50 players in the program. Most of them are participating in the offseason workouts. “When we got here it was a bad situation,” coach Chad Flatt said. “But going into our fourth season [second as head coach] I can see improvements in the overall effort and attitude. We’re going to have to be a stronger, more competitive football team and find a way to beat one of the better teams in our league, like Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy, Whitefield, Landmark Christian Academy or Holy Innocents’. But Fellowship is good as well, and Mount Pisgah, Mount Paran and SACA all have good players. Still, I think we’re closing the gap.”

Pace Academy Knights
2008 record: 3-7, 2-6 (seventh in region)
Average record this decade: 3-7
Coach: Matt Hall (3-7 in one season)
Offense: Spread (coordinator: Matt Hall)
Defense: 40 base (coordinator: Thomas Hattori)
Starters returning: 7 on offense, 6 on defense
Best player: QB/B Will Bruster
Other top players: QB/B Josh Swan, FS Billy Tutt, T Sam Wiskind, LB/C William Morse,
Key losses: RB D.J. Edler, MLB/FB Brooks Palmerton
Outlook: Pace won its opener, homecoming and finale in its first season of varsity football. This team should be improved in technique and execution. Leading rusher D.J. Edler (780 yards) and top tackler Brooks Palmerton are gone, and the lines of scrimmage are young, small and unproven. Pace’s assets are two experienced quarterbacks in Will Bruster, a drop-back guy, and Josh Swan, a sprint-out type. Both also play running back and slotback, and Bruster might be needed as a ball carrier to make up for losing Edler. The leader of the defense is William Morse. The new defensive coordinator is Thomas Hattori, who comes from San Diego.

River Ridge Knights
City: Woodstock (Cherokee County)
Coach: Robert Braucht (Pine Ridge, Fla., head coach)
First game: Aug. 28 at Lambert
Drawing from: Woodstock (60 percent), Sequoyah (40 percent)
Notes: River Ridge will open this fall with a ninth grade only, and the new high school facility won’t open until 2010. Robert Braucht got the job on the strength of turning around a wretched program at Pine Ridge in Florida and producing a 9-2 season in 2008, Braucht’s third year. River Ridge is the second new Cherokee school recently. Creekview opened in 2005.

Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy Warriors
2008 record: 0-10, 0-8 (ninth in region)
Average record this decade: 0-10
Coach: DeMarco Thompson (0-10 in one season)
Offense: Multiple (coordinator: DeMarco Thompson)
Defense: 4-3 (coordinator: Quinton Forehan)
Starters returning: 9 on offense, 10 on defense
Top players: QB Michael Murray, LB Joseph Jewsome, RB Lemuel Cooper, LB/FB Ronnie Calhoun
Key losses: WR Anthony Willis (Alabama State)
Outlook: The Warriors hope to maintain a pattern. They started football in 2006 with a 3-4 record playing a junior varsity schedule. The next season, SACA played a JV schedule again and went 7-0. After going winless as a varsity squad in 2008, coach DeMarco Thompson hopes his team will make a similar improvement, though going undefeated is probably out of the question. “Rome was not built in a day, and it became one of the greatest empires in history,” Thompson said. “We’re trying to build a tradition of winning with our program. Our motto is ‘Expect to win.’ The kids are working hard this summer and have really dedicated themselves. The key is continuing to work hard, knowing that it will pay off in the end.”

Whitefield Academy Wolfpack
2008 record: 10-2, 8-0 (region champions)
Playoffs: Lost to Wilkinson County 38-8 in the second round
Average record this decade: 5-6
Coach: Jimmy Fields (19-7 in two seasons)
Offense: Spread (coordinator: Matt Petersen)
Defense: Multiple (coordinator: by committee)
Starters returning: 5 on offense, 5 on defense
Best player: TE/DB Kennard Bachman
Other top players: RB/DB Christian Willis, LB Harrison Lowe
Key losses: QB Trey Miller (Navy); DE Chris Redding (Wake Forest); LB/C Conrad Quiros (Vanderbilt walk-on); DE/OL Marc Panu (Vanderbilt walk-on); LB Mike Johnson (West Georgia)
Outlook: A talented and deep senior class, including region MVP Trey Miller, propelled the Wolfpack to its second consecutive playoff appearance and its first outright region title. RB Christian Willis (1,007 yards rushing, 14 touchdowns) is recovering from a knee injury but will look to be one of the state’s most productive backs. TE/FS Kennard Backman, a junior, was first-team all-Cobb last season. He had 38 catches and 12 touchdowns on offense and 37 tackles and four interceptions on defense. Whitefield is known more for its basketball program, and Fields believes it will take another couple of years of success to establish football. But the Wolfpack must now be mentioned with the region’s other perennial playoff contenders. Fields says: “We want to be a physical team that comes to play every night. We want to take that next step of developing that certain mental confidence that it takes to go deep in the playoffs.”

 

REGION 6-A PREVIEW

What it is: Region 6-A is an eight-team region of Northwest Georgia schools that goes from Bowdon near I-20 on the Alabama line to Walker in Cobb County to Gordon Lee near Chattanooga. Many road trips are more than an hour. The teams play a round-robin schedule.

Defending champion: Bremen

Best player: OT/DE Connor Mays, Bremen

2008 STANDINGS
(Final 2008 Atlanta Journal-Constitution ranking included)

#6 Bremen (11-2, 6-0)
Bowdon (9-2, 5-1)
Darlington (6-5, 4-2)
Gordon Lee (5-6, 3-3)
Trion (3-7, 2-4)
Walker (2-8, 1-5)
Mount Zion (4-6, 0-6)
North Cobb Christian (0-7, 0-0)

2009 PREDICTIONS
(Offensive/defensive starters returning)

Bowdon (7/8)
Bremen (4/6)
Trion (6/8)
Darlington (4/4)
Gordon Lee (3/4)
Walker (7/7)
Mount Zion (8/6)
*North Cobb Christian (11/11)
*Playing a non-region schedule

TEAM BY TEAM

Bowdon Red Devils
2008 record: 9-2, 5-1 (second in region)
Playoffs: Lost to Holy Innocents’ 13-0 in the first round
Average record this decade: 8-4
Coach: Dwight Hochstetler (191-70 in 21 seasons)
Offense: Wing-T (coordinator: Keith Holloway)
Defense: Even front (coordinator: Joe Herren)
Starters returning: 7 on offense, 8 on defense
Best player: QB Avery Cheeks
Other top players: LB Brandon King, DB Cedric Strickland, OL Tony Wyatt, DB Nate Montgomery, DB Marlo Askew, DB Eric Slaughter, TE Sam Key
Key losses: RB J. K. Beasley (Shorter College), RB Jordan Loveless, OL/DL Keenan Andrews, FB/LB Ivan Glenn
Outlook: With key losses in the backfield (J.K. Beasley, Jordan Loveless and Ivan Glenn), the offseason has been spent trying to fill those holes. Look for QB Avery Cheeks to carry the offense with both his arm and legs. Cheeks’ favorite target will be TE Sam Key, and the two should continue to be a force on offense. The defense returns several starters and features the region’s best secondary in Cedric Strickland, Nate Montgomery, Marlo Askew and Eric Slaughter. LB Brandon King, the leader of the unit, will be all over the field making plays. The Red Devils hope to be 9-0 again entering the Bremen game, and a victory is more likely this time.

Bremen Blue Devils
2008 record: 11-2, 6-0 (region champion)
Playoffs: Lost to Emanuel County Institute 13-7 in the quarterfinals
Average record this decade: 9-3
Coach: Ricky Tolleson (77-32 in nine seasons)
Offense: Veer-bone (coordinator: Scott Hodges)
Defense: Multiple 40 (coordinator: Randy Mouser)
Starters returning: 4 on offense, 6 on defense
Best player: OT/DE Connor Mays
Other top players: RB Christian Pritchard, RB/DB Jake Cash, RB/DB Nick Cash, C Jacob Davis, K Will Rego
Key losses: QB Clayton McIntosh, TE Chase Stansberry (Troy), RB/DB Kail Singleton, FB Mark Coggins, OL Curt Barrett, OL Luke Cummings, DB Kyle Hardy, OL Daniel Madden
Outlook: Bremen will have to rely on a lot of inexperienced players to approach last year’s results, especially after losing all-state QB Clayton McIntosh and all-state TE Chase Stansberry. RB Christian Pritchard (650 yards rushing) will have to step up and have a big year, which will be made more difficult after the team lost three key offensive linemen. PK Will Rego is returning and is solid on field goals. But despite the losses, expect Bremen to once again be one of the favorites to take the region title. The key will be how well the offense can move the ball. If Pritchard can increase his production and carry the offense, the Blue Devils should be fine.

Darlington Tigers
2008 record: 6-5, 4-2 (third in region)
Playoffs: Lost to Eagle’s Landing Christian 17-6 in the first round
Average record this decade: 8-4
Coach: Tommy Atha (62-24 in seven seasons)
Offense: Spread option (coordinator: Tommy Atha)
Defense: 4-4 (coordinator: Matthew Jones)
Starters returning: 4 on offense, 4 on defense
Best player: DE Alex Sentell
Other top players: OL/DL Thad Mathis, RB Tylon Garrett, WR A.J. White, OL Will Lester
Key losses: QB Nash Nance
Outlook: Returning only eight starters and a small senior class, the Tigers will have a tall task to get back to the playoffs, but they’ve made it 15 of the past 17 years and don’t expect that success to end. They’ll need to replace QB Nash Nance, a Vanderbilt commit who left after the season to play at Class AA runner-up Calhoun. Instead of building the offense around Nance, they’ll revert to their more traditional option style, which fits the personnel better. Three players are vying to replace Nance – sophomore Nigel Matthews (converted receiver, dual threat), sophomore Spencer Jones (tough, state champion wrestler) and freshman Brad Butler (strong arm, great potential). Look for a big year out of RB Tylon Garrett thanks to the holes created by offensive linemen Thad Mathis and Will Lester. The defensive leader is DE Alex Sentell.

Gordon Lee Trojans
2008 record: 5-6, 3-3 (fourth in region)
Playoffs: Lost to Whitefield Academy 14-12 in the first round
Average record this decade: 6-5
Coach: Kevin McElhaney (19-15 in three seasons)
Offense: Wishbone (coordinator: Lee Bohannon)
Defense: 50 (coordinator: Steve McDaniel)
Starters returning: 3 on offense, 4 on defense
Best player: LB/FB Austin Goodlet
Other top players: OL David Berry, LB Caleb Guthrie
Key losses: N/A
Outlook: The Trojans look to fill several holes this offseason and will be looking for another playoff berth. Unfortunately, with only seven starters returning, that may be a bit difficult. Linebackers Austin Goodlet, who was the leading tackler the past two seasons, and Caleb Guthrie lead a solid defense. Offensively, the Trojans will be running behind a solid line led by David Berry. Overall, this team will be a defensive-minded squad that should be in a lot of close games, such as last year’s close playoff loss to an explosive Whitefield Academy team.

Mount Zion Eagles
2008 record: 4-6, 0-6 (seventh in region)
Average record this decade: 3-7
Coach: Bill Bailey (12-39 entering sixth season)
Offense: Spread (coordinator: Bill Bailey)
Defense: 8-man front (coordinator: Dennis Cook)
Starters returning: 6 on offense, 6 on defense
Best player: QB/RB Christian Heard
Other top players: LB/WR Drew Norton, OL/LB Levi Williams, OL/LB Aron Gore, DE/OT Chris Wilson
Key losses: RB/DB Orlando Perkins, RB/DL Octavius Thomas (Southern Miss.)
Outlook: The Eagles could achieve a .500 or better record this season despite the loss of running backs Orlando Perkins and Octavius Thomas. QB/RB Christian Heard (900 yards passing, 1,000 yards rushing last season) is a dual threat who is poised to have an even better season after another year of experience in Bill Bailey’s offense. Defensively, the Eagles are led by LB/WR Drew Norton (99 tackles), with linebackers Levi Williams and Aron Gore not far behind in tackles. Look for the Eagles to be a solid team with playoff possibilities.

North Cobb Christian Eagles
2008 record: 0-7 (non-region schedule)
Average record this decade: 0-4
Coach: Harry Miles (first season)
Offense: Multiple (coordinator: Cory Brinson)
Defense: 3-5 (coordinator: Dave Dorsey)
Starters returning: 11 on offense, 11 on defense
Best player: QB Eddie Denovellis
Other top players: LB/FB Chas Collett, OL/LB Chad Smith, WR/LB Armaine Berhame, RB/LB Logan Tucker, C/NG A.J. Nibbs
Key losses: None
Outlook: North Cobb Christian is a young team that returns everyone on offense and defense, so there should be a lot of improvement this season. But because the Eagles will be playing their first full varsity season, the win total may be relatively low. It will be another year before the team can expect to really compete. Head coach Harry Miles, who left Johnson of Savannah in February to take the NCC job, took the Atom Smashers to their first playoff appearance in 10 seasons. The Eagles’ season will depend on how well this young team can learn the new offensive and defensive schemes, although there are two talented offensive players to work with. Quarterback Ed Denovellis showed promise last year, and RB Chas Collett ran for over 200 yards in a game against fellow Cobb County startup Allatoona.

Trion Bulldogs
2008 record: 3-7, 2-4 (fifth in region)
Average record this decade: 6-5
Coach: David Humphreys (3-7 entering second season)
Offense: Split-back veer, triple option (coordinator: David Humphreys)
Defense: Blitz 4-3 (coordinator: Scott Chandler)
Starters returning: 6 on offense, 8 on defense
Best player: RB Ryan Wilson
Other top players: RB/CB/P Glen Emery, WR/DB Tanner Heyer, DL Nick Coker
Key losses: 14 seniors
Outlook: Trion will lean on senior running back Ryan Wilson (1,010 yards rushing last season). If Wilson can continue his success on the ground, it will open up the passing game and give WR Tanner Heyer (four TD catches last season) more opportunities in the passing game. Overall, the Bulldogs still have some learning entering their second year of their new schemes under head coach David Humphreys, but they should be very competitive and could challenge for a playoff spot with 14 returning starters total.

Walker Wolverines
2008 record: 2-8, 1-5 (sixth in region)
Average record this decade: 3-7
Coach: Ben Williamson (2-8 entering second season)
Offense: Multiple (coordinator: Ben Williamson)
Defense: 3-5 (coordinator: Tony Daykin)
Starters returning: 7 on offense, 7 on defense
Best player: FB/LB Davis Feder
Other top players: OL/DL Justin Minick, OL/DL Scott Wilson
Key losses: WR/DB Brian McPherson, WR/DB John Herina (Army)
Outlook: Walker will be looking to improve upon a season in 2008 that brought only one region victory. Look for LB/FB Davis Feder to have an even bigger season than last year (85 tackles, one interception, two fumble recoveries, two blocked kicks). He’ll need support from OL/DL Justin Minick as well (16 tackles, eight for loss, one sack, two fumble recoveries), who should continue to improve. OL/DL Scott Wilson will lead an offense that might struggle at times because of key losses to the receiving corps. If some of the younger players can step up, especially on offense, Walker could surprise some teams.

 

 

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