DALTON CATAMOUNTS
Head coach: Matt Land (78-36 in 10 years here and overall)
Returning starters: 1 offensive; 4 defensive
Key players: RB Maurice Howard (6-1, 207); FS Parker Adams (6-1, 175); LB/S Caleb Hernandez (6-2, 185); LB Mauricio Quintero (6-2, 190); WR Karim Page (6-1, 160); QB/WR Ashton Blackwell (6-2, 170); LB Brock Johnson (5-11, 185).
Team strengths: Dalton has always prided itself on having a strong ground game, and this year should be no different with the physical Howard taking the lead role. There’s enough talent on the outside to keep defenses honest. On the other side of the ball, the Catamounts will again feature an active linebacker corps led by Quintero.
Team concerns: The schedule is not for the faint of heart. Moved to Region 5-AAAAAA, Dalton starts league play against state power Carrollton (12-1 in 2019), South Paulding (9-3) and Rome (9-3), and that’s after nonregion games against Calhoun and Ridgeland.
Breakout candidate: Howard was Georgia Tech signee Jahmyr Gibbs’ backfield understudy last year, and he had several shining moments. Land expects the powerful back to put up big numbers.
Season outlook: One of the most successful programs in Georgia, Dalton doesn’t rebuild very often, but developing promising young talent could be a focal point this year.
There is a decent senior class but a very thin group of juniors. The program’s hope lies in a sophomore set of 32, and some of them will be thrown into the fire this year.
“We could end up starting 10 to 12 sophomores, and more if we get some injuries, so we’ll see who wants to play,” said Land, the NFL’s national high school coach of the year last season. “Make no mistake, this team is going out there to win every Friday night, and if we do that and develop some of the younger players, it will be a satisfying season.”
Though Gibbs and his state-leading 2,554 yards and 40 touchdowns are gone, Howard, who had 407 yards on 10.4 yards a carry last year, is ready. Up front, though, Land and offensive line coach Bill Mayo must replace the likes of Brant Bagley, Osbaldo Beltran, Christian Morgan and Manny Vega.
Likewise, the defense lost much of its core on the line, so the middle and the back end of the unit will have to lead.