Red Bank has not lost a Region 4-4A high school football game since 2005, but things are supposed to be altered at the top this year.

Cleveland, which returns a bevy of skill-position players, was picked as the favorite in the region’s media event at the North River Civic Center in Hixson.

“I’m not really surprised,” Cleveland coach Danny Wilson said. “In my eyes, Red Bank is the team to beat until somebody knocks them off, but I’ve been around and there’s nothing like experience.”

With senior quarterback Tucker Tipton and senior running back Monte Scotton, Wilson’s team got the nod over the defending champion Lions and Rhea County. Scotton was a 1,000-yard rusher in 2007, and Tipton accounted for more than 2,000 yards of total offense as a dual-threat signal-caller.

“It’s going to be a challenge for us since we’ve been set up as the team to beat,” Tipton said. “We lost something like four starters total, so everybody has game experience — we know the drill. It takes off the added pressure since everybody’s back.”

The media poll varied slightly from the thoughts of the coaches. Rhea County was voted second by the coaches, while the Lions got the runner-up slot in the media’s poll. Cleveland gained six of the eight first-place votes by the coaches, and Rhea’s Golden Eagles and Red Bank split the remaining two.

The Eagles have to replace running backs Julian Sharp and Chris Roberts but still have plenty returning with offensive lineman Kevin Revis, a University of Tennessee commitment, plus region special-teams player of the year Josh Davis and A.J. Brown, Jacob Moffett and Jacob Swafford.

In the media poll, the Blue Raiders had 11 first-place votes, while Red Bank took two and Hixson garnered the other top vote.

Red Bank coach Tim Daniels agreed with the voting, as the Lions must replace more than 5,000 yards of total offense from last year’s 12-1 squad. Miguel Sanchez, a three-year starter at defensive tackle, will lead the returnees for a program that was 34-4 overall and 21-0 in 4-4A the last three seasons.

“This year’s team has trained as a squad that doesn’t want to be forgotten,” Daniels said.

Red Bank senior quarterback Andy Christopher, who was Jake Ledbetter’s backup the past two years, comes in with what Daniels calls “a stronger arm.”

The final five slots were the same in both polls. Brainerd, the 2007 region runner-up, was picked to take the fourth and final playoff slot, followed by Hixson, Central, Walker Valley and White County.

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