The sentiment among the football coaches in District 5-AAA is that there’s an odd feeling heading into the 2010 season.
There is no favorite.
The district that combined teams from regions 2-5A and 4-4A in the old format has no team that stands out as a clear-cut favorite before the season begins. As many as five teams feel they have a legitimate shot at claiming the regular-season crown, and all have the tools to do just that.
“I’ve never seen a district that’s as wide open as it is this year,” Soddy-Daisy coach Kevin Orr said. “Usually there’s a team that’s a front-runner, but I just don’t think that they’re out there this year.”
DISTRICT 5-AAA AT A GLANCE* Team on the rise: Bradley Central. The Bears had their best season since 2000 and return all their skill players. If their young line matures, they will be tough to beat.* Nightmare schedule: Ooltewah. If five consecutive road games sound bad enough, take into account that two of those games are against Nashville powers Maplewood and Franklin. The Owls then get district tests from Rhea County and Bradley Central on the road before returning home with a team that lost 28 seniors from a year ago.* Dream schedule: Soddy-Daisy. The Trojans host Science Hill and Bell County – both road losses a year ago – as well as McMinn County, Bradley Central and Cleveland, all teams expected to vie for district playoff berths.* Best game: Cleveland at Bradley Central, Sept. 3. Bradley’s Bears ended the Blue Raiders’ 21-year reign in the series when they won 27-26 at Raider Field a year ago. This year both teams are expected to be strong and Bradley tries to build its own win streak against Cleveland.* Biggest shoes to fill: While the obvious choice might be former Ooltewah standout Jacques Smith, finding a way to replace McMinn County’s Tevin McDermott and his two-way productivity for the defending district champions will be a tough task for coach Bo Cagle.* Playoff bound: Bradley Central, Soddy-Daisy (6A); Cleveland (5A)
Three teams made the playoffs a year ago: Cleveland, McMinn County and Ooltewah – the Blue Raiders in Class 5A and McMinn County and Ooltewah in 6A. Cleveland’s inclusion into the playoffs was a result of last year’s playoff system in which the top team from Class 5A advanced. The Blue Raiders and Walker Valley were the only two 5A teams in the district, and the Raiders’ win in that matchup put them in the playoffs despite a 3-7 regular-season record.
A new tweak to the playoff system will change that. The top two teams in the district will receive automatic berths into their respective classification playoffs, while other teams will hope for wild-card berths.
McMinn County was given the top preseason nod at the recent 5-AAA media day, although the Cherokees will be replacing 13 starters from their district championship team. Two defensive linemen – end Ty Kimpson and tackle Ken Starr – return to lead the Cherokees as they vie for a repeat.
Cleveland comes into this season primed for a breakout year, with an SEC-caliber quarterback in junior Chad Voytik, two transfer receivers and a running back that should make them a tough out in Class 5A – widely considered the weakest of the six classifications.
“I don’t like the new system,” Cleveland coach E.K. Slaughter said. “It doesn’t take into account who you play.”
Bradley Central returns all of its skill players from last season’s 5-5 team – the Bears’ best season since 2000 – and could make noise should the offensive line mature quickly. All five line starters from 2009 are gone.
“I think Bradley is easily one of the top two teams in the district right now due to the skill players they return,” Rhea County coach Jason Fitzgerald said.
Soddy-Daisy was selected third in the preseason poll and returns only five starters while replacing all-state quarterback Scott Parrott. Senior Trevor Card will be the QB starter after a two-year hiatus from football. The Trojans hired former Baylor standout Courtney Braswell to direct the defense, and although they have returners on defense, none will be playing the same position.
Rhea County returns five starters on each side of the ball, with senior quarterback Cameron Tallent leading the way.
Both Ooltewah and Walker Valley are replacing large quantities of players, including SEC signees. The Owls finished second in the district a year ago but return only five starters and must not only replace Mr. Football lineman Jacques Smith, who now plays for the University of Tennessee, but also legendary coach Benny Monroe, who retired. Former assistant coach Shannon Williams has taken over for Monroe.
Walker Valley has speedy senior Brad Davis to carry the workload, but he won’t have tackle Jared Duke, who now plays for Ole Miss, blocking for him.