BRADLEY CENTRAL BEARS
Head coach: Damon Floyd (87-67 in 15 years here)
Returning starters: 4 offensive; 8 defensive
Key players: QB Javin Burke (6-0, 200); RB/DB Javon Burke (5-10, 160); WR/DB Kannon Hall (5-10, 150); OL Bennett Burris (6-0, 255); DE C.J. Hardy (6-1, 265); DE Brandon Cruz (6-0, 200); ILB Kins Hooper (6-0, 200); ILB Camden Creighton (5-9, 175); OLB Gage Anderson (6-1, 220); S Brayden Clark (6-0, 190); DB Aiden McCleary (6-1, 180); CB Trent Richards (5-10, 160).
Team strengths: Led by the Burke twins, the Bears have the speed to compete with their opponents. They also have decent size and a lot of experience in most position groups.
Team concerns: Health, as always, will be one of the biggest concerns.
Breakout candidate: Anderson earned a little time on the field on defense as a freshman. He has good size and was a state-qualifying track athlete in middle school who finished third in both the shot put and the 110-meter hurdles in eighth grade.
Season outlook: The Bears had already lost six players on offense due to graduation before Coach Floyd confirmed in late July that three-star receiver Tray Curry, who has committed to Virginia Tech, would not be part of the program this season.
However, Javin Burke threw for 22 touchdowns and ran for 10 more last season, when Javon - who has moved into the backfield from receiver - averaged 7.2 yards on 33 carries. Combined with Hall, who was the team's leading receiver in 2019, the Bears will be fine as long as they can develop some new bodies on the offensive line.
There's no easing into the season as the Bears start off at Farragut, then host rival Walker Valley. But having experience behind center and most of the defense - which features Hardy, who has committed to the University of Tennessee at Martin and whose cousin is former McCallie standout and Auburn freshman Jay Hardy - intact from last season will help.
Staff photo by Robin Rudd / Bradley Central's Javin Burke tries to slip past a Cleveland player during the rivals' matchup on Oct. 4, 2019, at Bradley Central.