Bradley Central quarterback Dylan Standifer (8) picks up yardage against Hardin Valley during a six-team scrimmage Bradley hosted on July 28, 2018.REGION 2-6A OUTLOOK
Team to beat: There is probably no region in the state, regardless of classification, where one team is considered more of a year-in, year-out favorite than Maryville. The defending state champion Rebels — who have a state-record 16 titles all-time — bring back enough talent to once again be target everyone else is aiming for.Watch out for: Bradley Central has committed to building up its depth over the past few seasons and again won’t have to rely on many two-way athletes. Having the best returning quarterback in the region — Dylan Standifer threw for nearly 3,000 yards last year — should also make the Bears very dangerous.Best game: When Bradley Central visits cross-county foe Cleveland on Sept. 14 it will renew one of the state’s best rivalries, and could determine a first-round home playoff game.Dream schedule: William Blount has three non-region games — Lenoir City, Jefferson County and Stone Memorial — against teams that did not have a winning record last season. The Governors also region opponents Bradley Central and McMinn County in two of the last three weeks when a playoff spot could be on the line.Nightmare schedule: Three of Ooltewah’s first four games are on the road, and against quality competition. The Owls open with Tyner (last year’s 2A state runners-up), then travel to Science Hill and Bradley Central, both of which reached the 6A playoffs. They also must travel to region favorite Maryville.Players to watch: Bradley Central quarterback Dylan Standifer threw for more than 2,700 yards last season, while sophomore receiver Tray Curry could develop into one of the area’s top college prospects. Cleveland receiver Robert “Deuce” Flowers is another athlete expected to have a breakout season, while Ooltewah’s backfield of quarterback Kyrell Sanford and running back Sincere Quinn are capable of breaking big plays on any snap.
Not even a head coaching change could slow Maryville High School's football dominance. With the amount of talent returning for the Rebels this season, the rest of Region 2-6A - including Bradley Central, Cleveland, Ooltewah and McMinn County - will have its work cut out to close the gap.
In Derek Hunt's first season as coach, Maryville continued to cruise, winning all six region games by at least 20 points on its way to the program's 16th state championship and fifth in the past eight years.
A total of 12 starters return, including nine on defense, making the Rebels once again prohibitive favorites.
Bradley Central won 10 games for the first time in nearly three decades but lost twice to the Rebels last year, including in the state quarterfinals. The Bears bring back just two starters on both the offensive and defensive side, but one of those is senior quarterback Dylan Standifer, who threw for more than 2,900 yards and 27 touchdowns.
He'll have a pair of young receivers who have the talent for breakout seasons - sophomore Tray Curry (6-4, 200) and Saylor Clark (6-1, 180). Curry's size, speed and strength - he already squats 385 pounds - have coaches excited about his future. He is also the nephew of former Cleveland all-state athlete Dante Hickey, one of the Chattanooga area's best of the past 25 years.
"He's shown flashes that he could be special," said Bears coach Damon Floyd, whose team has averaged eight wins the past three seasons. "We're not real big at a lot of positions, but we've got guys who like to get after it. I'm excited from a coaching standpoint to see if we can keep it going. We're not getting much respect, our backs are against the wall and I want to see how we respond."
Crosstown rival Cleveland also has several promising young players who will get chances to prove themselves. However, the Blue Raiders lost an all-state-caliber quarterback when senior Kellye Cawood, who accounted for around 3,000 yards last year, decided not to play this fall.
Senior dual threat Jackson Moore (6-0, 185) will step into that role. Moore has suffered through two straight years of bad luck with injuries, missing all of his sophomore year with a broken arm and all of last season with a broken ankle.
"He's got talent and is a very good leader," Blue Raiders coach Scott Cummings said of Moore. "It was good to see him have success in the preseason, and the kids have rallied around him because he's a guy who's had the worst luck in the world but has stayed the course and is still out there playing for his school."
There is plenty of size and experience up front on both sides of the ball. The Blue Raiders average 6-foot-2 and 270 pounds on the offensive line, including senior center Caleb Flickner (6-2, 305), a three-year starter and a college prospect. The defensive line is led by Alex Higgins (6-2, 280) at noseguard along with ends Victor Dodd (5-11, 220) and Wilson Benefield (6-1, 230).
Junior receiver Robert "Deuce" Flowers (6-4, 180) has the size and speed to become the go-to receiver, and senior Jordan Hickey (6-0, 220) has a chance to be a punishing running back who's versatile enough to line up at tight end, too.
Scott Chandler takes over as coach at Ooltewah, which brings back just five total starters, but two of those are all-region type athletes - quarterback Kyrell Sanford (5-11, 190) and running back Sincere Quinn (6-0, 185). In just 16 quarters of play last year, Quinn ran for more than 1,000 yards, averaging better than 10 per carry. Sanford threw for more than 1,900 yards and ran for 568.
"Kyrell gives you the double threat at the position that's so tough to defend," Chandler said. "You have to be able to defend him both as a runner and passer, and we'll use him more than we did last year.
"As for Sincere, any time you hand him the ball, he can score from anywhere on the field on any play. He's very explosive."
The defensive front seven has just one starter back from a unit that allowed 40-plus points five times last year. The Owls will need to improve on that side if they're going to contend for a playoff spot.
In a region highlighted by youth, McMinn County is the youngest team of all. When the Cherokees kick off the season they will have 19 new starters on both sides of the ball, and because of the wealth of talent among the underclassmen and a small senior class, this will be one of the youngest teams in the area.
"I've never dealt with anything like this before," Cherokees coach Bo Cagle said. "There's so much potential, but we just don't know what we're going to get when the lights come on because most of our starters have never been on a field for a varsity game."
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.