Notre Dame quarterback Alex Darras passes the ball during their TSSAA Class 3A semifinal playoff football game against Alcoa on Friday, Nov. 28, 2014, at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tenn.Pedal to the metal
Most teams that lose 17 seniors, seven of them talented enough to sign college scholarships, would be in serious rebuilding mode.
But third-year Notre Dame coach Charles Fant is convinced his program has reached a point that it can weather even that type of talent exodus.
The biggest reason for Fant's confidence is the return of four of the five starting offensive linemen - left tackle Kobe Bragg, left guard Robert Murphy, center Nick Grannan and right guard Tommy Kulik - as well as senior quarterback Alex Darras.
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NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISHRegion 3-3AEberle Field, 2701 Vermont Ave., Chattanooga, TN 37404Driver’s seat: Charles Fant (30-9 in four years here and overall)Road tested: 7 offensive, 5 defensive starters return
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Pump the brakes: The returning Fighting Irish players must adjust to new offensive and defensive coordinators and learn to play with a bull’s-eye squarely on their backs. Every time they step on the field it will be a big game for their opponent, looking to knock off the preseason region favorite.
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Route ’15: Coming off the disappointment of losing in the semifinals was part of what drove the team through the offseason. There is plenty of experience back from that team and a nice blend of new talent to make Notre Dame the prohibitive favorite to not only win the region but also be considered a favorite to play for a state title.
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Taking the wheel: With 10 career interceptions, Ricky Ballard already is noted as one of the top defensive backs in the city. Now that the senior gets his chance to take most of the carries out of the backfield, look for him to have a breakout season on offense as well.
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Cruise control: The strength of the Irish begins with experience at quarterback and linebacker. Alex Darras is back for his fourth year as the starting QB, having thrown for more than 1,700 yards and 29 touchdowns last season to lead an offense that averaged more than 40 points per game. Tyler Enos is a two-time all-state LB who will anchor a defense that gave up seven or fewer points nine times last year.
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Backseat driver: An opposing coach said of Notre Dame,“Their players have a high football IQ, which makes them even tougher since they’re already so athletic. That quarterback stands out. You can prepare to stop the run, but if you’re going to slow them down, you have to get pressure on him and make him uncomfortable.”
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Rearview2014 game resultsAug. 22;Knoxville Catholic;lost, 15-12Aug. 29;East Ridge;won, 34-20Sep. 5;Chattanooga Christian;won, 42-7Sep. 12;Boyd-Buchanan;won, 50-7Sep. 19;Bledsoe County;won, 48-0Oct. 3;Signal Mountain;won, 35-3Oct. 10;Polk County;won, 49-0Oct. 17;Sequatchie County;won, 35-7Oct. 24;Coalfield;won, 40-0Oct. 31;Grundy Co.;won, 68-13Nov. 7;Chattanooga Christian;won, 55-14 (first-round playoffs)Nov. 14;Upperman;won, 55-7 (second-round playoffs)Nov. 21;McMinn Central;won, 48-7 (quarterfinals)Nov. 28;Alcoa;lost, 28-19 (semifinals)12-2, 5-0 District 7-AA
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On the horizon2015 schedule (all times 7:30)Aug. 21;at CentralAug. 28;at TynerSep. 4;Chattanooga ChristianSep. 11;at Knoxville CatholicSep. 18;at HowardSep. 25;at Calhoun City (Miss.)Oct. 2;East RidgeOct. 16;at Signal MoutainOct. 23;McMinn CentralOct. 30;Red BankRegion 3-3A games in bold
"I'm still calm and believe we will be a good football team," Fant said. "Those kids up front, that's the nucleus of the team, and having Alex back to be in charge of things helps big time. Our line has such good communication that they've actually created their own language to communicate quicker and make certain blocking calls."
That line paved the way for the Fighting Irish to average 11 yards per carry last year and reach the semifinals before falling to Alcoa. Ricky Ballard, who got significant carries last year, will take over as the team's primary rusher, but there is plenty of help behind him from speedy juniors Calvin Sims and Andrew Banks.
"I'm very excited to see what that young group of backs can do running behind our line," Fant said. "We actually have a rotation that goes about eight players deep up front, and any of those backs are a big play waiting to happen.
"That semifinal loss has really pushed our kids all through the offseason, too. Whenever they would finish conditioning or working out, they would always do extra sprints or reps and say it was for those extra points we'll need in the playoffs."
Capsule by Stephen Hargis; contact at shargis@timesfreepress.com or follow on Twitter: @StephenHargis