Region 4-4A has long been one of the toughest high school football leagues in Tennessee, with little known about who will be the top teams from year to year.

The only constants since Walker Valley’s inclusion in 2005 have been that Red Bank has finished the past three seasons on top and that Rhea County has also advanced to the playoffs in each season. In that span only Walker Valley and Central have failed to advance to the Class 4A final 32.

“Every year, this region is a battle,” Red Bank coach Tim Daniels said. “I don’t expect this year to be any different.”

In 2009 the TSSAA’s newest classification threatens to break up one of its most competitive regions, with White County expected to join a new region on the Cumberland Plateau and Red Bank possibly moving down to 3A, but another year of the exciting old 4A remains.

The coaches picked Cleveland as the favorite to win the region, based on its experience. The Blue Raiders return 16 starters from a team that was 7-4 last year, including senior quarterback Tucker Tipton and senior running back Monte Scotton. Juniors Terrell Parks and Marcus Davis and senior Kai Caton-Harris return to give even more offensive firepower, while Harris and Tipton, a preseason all-state selection, spearhead a defense that returns seven starters.

“Anybody who’s been around the business for a while knows that there is no substitute for experience,” Cleveland coach Danny Wilson said. “But I still think Red Bank is the favorite until somebody knocks them off.”

The Lions graduated 5,000 yards of total offense and sent six players to four-year colleges, but even with all the losses, Daniels’ team was selected second in the media poll and third by the coaches.

“We had a good run,” Daniels said. His team has won four consecutive region titles and went 41-9 in that time, with most of those losses coming in a 7-5 season in 2004. The Lions are coming off back-to-back undefeated regular seasons.

Preseason all-stater Miguel Sanchez returns on the defensive line. The three-year starter had more than 100 tackles a year ago.

Andy Christopher takes over for record-setting quarterback Jake Ledbetter.

“Andy has spent the last two seasons as a backup but actually has a stronger arm than Jake,” Daniels said.

Rhea County lost all-state running back Julian Sharp and offensive lineman Brandon McLeroy, a finalist for Class 4A Mr. Football Lineman of the Year, but University of Tennessee commitment Kevin Revis and fellow offensive lineman Josh Walker return. So do athletes Jacob Moffett, A.J. Brown, Jacob Swafford and J.T. Stone, as well as Josh Davis, the region special-teams player of the year.

Brainerd has advanced to the playoffs in each the last two seasons and expects no less this year.

“We got second last year and that wasn’t good enough,” Brainerd coach Marvin Jones said. “We want to win the region this year.”

A large junior class led by receiver/safety Jermaine Williams, linebacker/running back Darius Chalk and linebacker Jackie Reeves will try to help offset the losses of receivers Orlandus Harris and Orlandis Jackson and quarterback John Birch. Anthony Broom takes over at QB.

Hixson returns a 26-player senior class that has coach Houston White upbeat about his chances in 2008.

“We have the chance to surprise some people,” he said.

Linebacker Todd Worley will lead the defense, while all-region quarterback Zack McCarter and tailback Kris Taylor return to lead offensively. And White is excited about sophomore receiver Randy Boyd.

“Randy’s a guy who we have to get the ball in the hands of,” the coach said.

Central coach David Barger is high on his 2008 Purple Pounders, despite only four seniors. They will be headed by quarterback Patrick White, now entering his fourth year as a starter.

“Patrick’s been a changed player,” Barger said. “He has dedicated himself to his grades and the weight room. We’re going to have to rely on him to step up early.”

Sophomore DeHart Hubbard is a player to watch. Barger said he has the ability to become as good as graduated Red Bank receivers Tim Benford and Dominique McDuffie.

“It’s exciting because of the unknown,” Barger said. “If we have a couple of guys step up, I think we can be good.”

Walker Valley is another team with some unknowns, but the Mustangs will field possibly their most athletic team since the school’s inception in 2002. Sophomore Houston Spencer, a transfer from Cleveland, takes over control of coach Ted Lockerby’s no-huddle offense and will have plenty of weapons with receivers Brice Sharp and Jordan Dodd and backs Javon Arnwine, Turner Touchstone and Imonty Morris. Houston’s brother Hunter will be used in a variety of ways.

“Our strength is definitely in our skill positions,” Lockerby said. “We have big-play potential all over the field.”

White County is coming off a 1-9 season. Coach Josh Kerr’s Warriors will run the wing-T and are led by top rusher Sam Gribble and Seth McDonald, a three-year starter on offense.

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