RINGGOLD TIGERS
Head coach: Robert Akins (70-47 in 10 seasons here; 242-156 overall)
Returning starters: 6 offensive, 7 defensive
Key players: WR/LB Pete Brower (6-3, 200), QB Cole Kibler (5-10, 200), OL/DL Cade Nayadley (6-4, 250), WR/LB Andre Tarver (6-2, 210), ATH Dylan Wright (5-11, 170).
Team strengths: The Tigers are blessed with elite size and speed on the outside offensively with Brower and Tarver, as well as an accurate quarterback in Kibler to get them the ball on time. Along with running back Dalton Green (5-10, 20), Brower and Tarver also give them a strong linebacker corps.
Team concerns: Akins likes the talent available along the offensive line but admits it's an area to watch because of several new starters. Nayadley, who is committed to Austin Peay, has been switched there to help. The defensive line will be inexperienced.
Newcomers to watch: By midseason, Akins expects a handful of talented freshmen to be contributors, including receiver Malachi Hill, athletes Kory Dumas and Kyle White and lineman Bo Black.
Season outlook: The Tigers a year ago were one of Akins' most talented teams. They were also among the veteran coach's most disappointing squads.
Despite an offense that produced 30-plus points per game, Ringgold went 5-5 and missed the playoffs. Four of the losses were by a combined nine points. Akins spent the offseason analyzing what happened and came to a conclusion that left him uneasy.
"We could have been 9-1 if things fell our way, but when you are not finishing games, it's all on the head coach," he said. "We could have had a great year, but we had a mediocre year, which is worse than a bad year because we know how good we could have been.
"We've worked in the offseason, and we talked about being more disciplined and tougher, and we came up with a plan. It's a cultural thing, and whether it be perseverance or what, we didn't have it. I told the kids, 'If last year doesn't stick in your craw, then something is wrong with you.'"
The talent is there again to score a lot of points, led by Kibler (2,686 passing yards, 22 touchdowns in 2017) and receivers Tarver (48 catches for 701 yards), Brower (38 for 780) and Wright (27 for 420), who also play some at quarterback in running packages. Tarver will get more touches, said Akins, including some from the backfield.
"Andre has to touch the ball 20 to 25 times a game," he said. "He's one of those kids who will do anything you ask of him, but I don't want to wear him down because he's such a big part of what we do defensively."