CHATTANOOGA CHRISTIAN CHARGERS
Head coach: Mark Mariakis (10-11 in two years here; 100-95 overall)
Returning starters: 9 offensive, 5 defensive
Key players: OL/DL Owen Cook (6-0, 185), RB/DB Mondo Ellison (6-2, 218), TE/DE Jacob Hall (6-1, 175), OL/DL Griff Wheeler (5-9, 200), LB/TE Cooper Williams (6-2, 220).
Team strengths: The experience returning on offense, along with better overall team speed from a group of talented young players, should produce more consistency on that side of the ball.
Team concerns: The offensive line is the thinnest spot on the roster in terms of overall numbers and young players who are ready to play on Friday nights. How quickly the Chargers develop depth up front could determine how much improvement the team shows.
Newcomer to watch: After getting in on limited plays last year, sophomore JaMichael Baxter (5-7, 155) showed great speed last spring as a track sprinter and has had a solid offseason in the weight room.
Season outlook: When Mariakis took over at Chattanooga Christian School, he brought a long-term plan designed to set up the program to compete with the state's best teams in its classification. That included scheduling opponents from larger Division II schools to show his players the level they needed to rise to.
While there have been some growing pains, it seems the plan is on course as the size, strength, speed and talent, made up mostly of sophomores and juniors, appears better.
"This is the third year in our weight program, and it's really starting to pay off, even for our younger guys," said Mariakis, who had to start four freshmen last year. "I believe that physicality will transfer onto the field noticeably. It's already created a different mindset because you can see how the guys believe in themselves and each other more as they get stronger."
Besides having so much overall experience back on offense, the biggest reason for optimism is the return of Ellison, a bruising all-state running back who also will play defense this year at both linebacker and safety. He was among the state's leaders with more than 1,700 rushing yards last season, but CCS should benefit from having other capable ball carriers - Baxter and Roderick Young - helping in the backfield.
"We can be more versatile on offense without having to just rely so much on Mondo," Mariakis said. "(Sophomore) Sam Hall is stronger and should be more confident at quarterback, so our passing game should be better, too.
"We're still not where we need to be defensively, but we'll get better as the season goes. We just have to be patient as we continue to get where we want to be."