TRION BULLDOGS
Head coach: Sean Patrick (first year here and overall)
Returning starters: 2 offensive; 3 defensive
Key players: RB Rob Brown (5-11, 205); LB Jared Guinn (6-1, 190); TE/LB Brantley Willbanks (5-10, 225); WR/LB Cole Cavin (6-5, 205); OL/DL Kaleb Park (6-3, 240); TE/DE Ben Allen (6-3, 195).
Team strengths: Trion has traditionally featured some of the area’s most productive running backs, and in Brown the Bulldogs have an athletic back who should thrive in the team’s switch to more of a spread look. Willbanks, Guinn and transfer Cavin form a physical linebacking corps. Park, a junior, brings good size to a team that lacks it in most areas. Patrick, who has been a successful offensive coordinator for several elite programs, has assembled a talented staff for his initial head coaching campaign.
Team concerns: Outside of Willbanks, new starters will be the rule along both lines, which means lack of depth in the trenches could become a problem if the injury bug hits. Trion has run the wing-T for years, so the change in scheme could come with some growing pains.