The goals of the five Chattanooga-area programs that make up Region 3-1A this season vary in their levels of ambition, but those goals are significant to each one.
Atop the region once again is South Pittsburg, which is eager to become the first football program in TSSAA history to reach the Class 1A state championship game five times in a six-year span.
Sale Creek, which has qualified for the postseason the past seven years, will try to earn a home playoff game for the first time ever.
Whitwell wants to build off last year’s eight-win season and continue its strong playoff showing, having reached at least the second round in eight of the past 10 years.
Lookout Valley has all of its starters back on both offense and defense, which should help the program snap a frustrating 21-game losing skid. A drastically low number of players on the roster has played a considerable part in that disappointing streak, but the returning experience and better overall participation should be a breath of fresh air for the Yellow Jackets.