NORTH MURRAY MOUNTAINEERS
Head coach: Preston Poag (32-15 in four years here; 56-35 overall)
Returning starters: 3 offensive; 3 defensive
Key players: RB/CB D’Ante Tidwell (5-10, 170); RB/OLB Noah Lunsford (5-11, 185); WR/OLB Cade Petty (5-10, 175); QB Seth Griffin (6-3, 180); OL/DL Carson Manis (6-1, 235); WR Michael McDade (6-3, 165); OL Carter Reynolds (6-2, 220).
Team strengths: Speed. Coach Poag said this is “probably the fastest team I’ve had with D’Ante and Noah.” Both of them, along with Murray County transfer Petty, have been timed at 4.5 seconds or faster in the 40-yard dash. Poag added that coaches “can do a lot of stuff with them” and said their presence can take pressure off the Mountaineers’ new QB.
Team concerns: The reigning Region 6-AAA champs lost 16 starters and were hit particularly hard along the lines. Departed QB/DB Ladd McConkey, who is now at the University of Georgia, was often a one-man show offensively. Can Griffin replace some of that production?
Breakout candidate: Much is expected of junior Devin Hunte (6-0, 220), who will start on the offensive line and at middle linebacker.
Season outlook: The Mountaineers are coming off a breakthrough season in which they ended Calhoun’s stranglehold on the region and made it to the state quarterfinals.
The bad news is last year’s team had 19 seniors, including several two-way stars who had started for three years. What excites Poag, however, is the fact that many of the players who will start for the first time this season have waited their turn and could have been on the first string in any other era of North Murray football.
“These guys stood on the sideline, and now it’s their turn to step up and play,” Poag said. “That’s one of the things I love about coaching – watching the guys step up and become key players.”
If the lines hold up, the Mountaineers could challenge for another region title. Poag believes Tidwell is a star waiting to shine who will team with Lunsford and Petty to force defenses to pick their poison.
“Those guys give us a lot of moving pieces on offense, and they are some of our hardest hitters on defense as well,” Poag said. “We’ve got to get some depth at places, but we feel good about where we are.”
Staff photo by Robin Rudd / D’Ante Tidwell, pictured, Noah Lunsford and Murray County transfer give North Murray’s offense three speedy options when a big play is needed this season.