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RED BANK LIONSRegion 3-3ARed Bank Community Stadium, 640 Morrison Springs Road, Red Bank, TN 37415Driver’s seat: Chad Grabowski (45-28 overall and 7-5 in his second year here)Road tested: Four starters return on offense, and four return on defense
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Pump the brakes: The Lions reached the second round of the playoffs, and in doing so, turned the program in the right direction. Grabowski is a little concerned about his Lions being cubs because they’re so young with only 13 seniors on the roster.
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Route ‘15: With the second-round exit last fall, the Lions want to reach the third round of the playoffs this. They want to improve on what’s already been done.
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Taking the wheel: Senior defensive end Tra Stamper will be the best player on the field, for either team, most Friday nights this season. Senior Demarcus Rivers returns as a running back, Will Davis returns at receiver, Carlos Woodruff is the only senior on the offensive line and Robert Perry returns to a linebacker spot. Also, Caleb Tate is the clear-cut quarterback.
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Cruise control: Led by Stamper, the Lions defense tends to lead the way. When they force a turnover or force a punt, it tends to build momentum that the offense carries into its turn on the field.
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Backseat driver: An opposing coach said of Red Bank, “Red Bank is a very tough physical football team and has a tough-minded attitude. They also have some skill position players who can hurt you in a hurry.”
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Rearview: 2014game resultsAug. 22;at Boyd-Buchanan;20-16Aug. 29;Soddy-Daisy;30-43Sep. 5;at Brainerd;21-7Sep. 12;at Signal Mountain;13-49Sep. 19;at CCS;37-7Sep. 26;Rhea County;7-54Oct. 10;East Ridge;14-7Oct. 17;Hixson;13-17Oct. 24;at Howard;60-7Oct. 31;Tyner;24-7PlayoffsNov. 7;Bledsoe County;39-14Nov. 14;at McMinn Central;7-307-5,5-1 District 6-AA
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On the horizon (2015 schedule)Aug. 21;at Soddy-DaisyAug. 28;BaylorSep. 4;HowardSep. 11;at McCallieSep. 18;at East RidgeSep. 25;CentralOct. 2;Signal MountainOct. 16;at CCSOct. 23;AlcoaOct. 30;at Notre DameRegion 3-3A games in bold
Pedal to the metal:
A revolving door at Red Bank last season has been shut and locked.
Senior Caleb Tate is the quarterback.
That's new. But that's old, too.
Tate is one of four players who took snaps during the Lions' 2014 run to the second round of the Class 3A playoffs. He's the only one slated to take snaps this year - with the exception for certain plays.
Tate, under the guidance of new quarterbacks coach Todd Fox, has earned the role after a season where he went out for almost as many passes as he threw.
"It's a 180-degree turn for him, and that's just in pocket-presence and poise," Lions coach Chad Grabowski said. "He's totally different. He's able to read defenses better and make better decisions.
"He throws to get guys open instead of waiting until they are open."
Tate started under center several times last year. So did Brett Perry. So did Malik Davis. Courtney Stamper scored a few snaps - and a few points - in a jumbo-package. His little brother Tra will have that role this year, but Tate is the starting quarterback.
"It feels completely different this year," Tate said. "Last year, we had so many formations and so many quarterbacks that I played receiver."
Tate won't be lining up near the hash-marks many times this season if all goes well for the Lions. He'll be taking snaps.
"Caleb impressed me in a scrimmage and he made the right decisions," Grabowski said. "Hopefully having him as a quarterback will stop the revolving door."
Contact David Uchiyama at duchiyama@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6484. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/UchiyamaCTFP