WALKER VALLEY MUSTANGS
Head coach: Drew Akins (4-7 here and overall)
Returning starters: 8 offensive; 9 defensive
Key players: QB Tucker Pope (6-1, 210); WR Brody Swafford (6-0, 185); OL Trevor Vines (6-4, 275); OL Skyler Mullins (6-2, 250); WR Daniel Denton (6-2, 185); CB Lane Miller (6-3, 170); LB Kallum Lowe (5-10, 215); DL Christian VanDusen (6-0, 240); LB Dyllan Jenkins (6-0, 200); LB Luke Anziano (5-11, 170).
Team strengths: A total of 17 starters has Coach Akins’ second team eager and confident for this season. Pope accounted for 2,291 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2019 and has an understanding of the system. Jenkins, who had 82 tackles, spearheads an experienced defense.
Team concerns: There’s a lot back in terms of starters, but not necessarily a lot behind them in terms of depth. Akins mentioned that as the team’s biggest challenge heading into the year.
Breakout candidate: Junior running back Spencer Jackson logged only seven carries in 2019 behind Kole Hall and Griffin Broome (who combined for 21 rushing touchdowns), but he will try to become a bigger part of the offense this season.
Season outlook: A combination of experience on both sides of the ball and leadership from the upperclassmen has the Mustangs ready. And in Pope, the Mustangs have a reliable quarterback with experience, a necessity for any program that wants to succeed.
The early portion of the schedule does them no favors, though: After opening against Karns, Walker Valley has consecutive road games against rival Bradley Central and Region 4-5A foe and potential co-favorite Rhea County. But with at least two games separating matchups against region opponents, the Mustangs have an opportunity to make some noise.
Staff photo by Robin Rudd / Walker Valley quarterback Tucker Pope (10) breaks into East Hamilton’s secondary during a home game for his Mustangs on Oct. 18, 2019.