Head coach: Rusty Brewer (first year as a head coach)
Returning starters: 6 offensive; 6 defensive
Key players: RB Eddie Lamb (5-8, 180); RB-DB Levin Harz (5-10, 155); QB-DB Kole Green (6-2, 155); TE-LB Preston Higgins (6-1, 165); OL-DL Cameron Coffey (6-4, 265); OL-DE Peyton Chambers (5-11, 220); TE-LB Tim Burgess (6-2, 190); RB-DB Alex Williams (5-11, 145).
Team strengths: Despite losing an all-state lineman and 1,000-yard back, the Wildcats have enough experience up front and talent in the backfield to create success. Polk County rushed for 243 yards per game last season and will try to wear teams down and control the clock again.
Team concerns: Team speed is down compared to last year's bunch, which lost its three top rushers who combined for nearly 2,000 yards. Polk County has some big shoes to fill defensively from a team that limited five foes to seven points or less in a six-win 2018.
Breakout candidate: Despite being the team's fourth leading rusher last year, Lamb enters his junior season with nearly 1,000 career rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. He had 167 carries as a freshman and 67 as a sophomore, so the legs should be fresh and ready to go.
"Last year Hunter (Morgan) did a great job for us. Now the offense will roll through Eddie, who has power, speed and agility," Brewer said. "He will be a workhorse and have to carry the load at fullback."
Season outlook: The Wildcats brought excitement back to the gridiron last season with their first winning season since 2013.
After 10 years as an assistant at the Benton school, Brewer seeks to carry the torch from Derrick Davis and keep things rolling.
"We have not gone away from the schemes we have done in the past, but have expanded a little on it," Brewer said. "The kids have done well with the transition. Our goal is to make the playoffs and play that first weekend in Benton. We want to start out with success early and build to compete in a tough region."