SONORAVILLE PHOENIX
Head coach: Denver Pate (4-6 in one season here and overall)
Returning starters: 5 offensive, 9 defensive
Key players: OL Ben Bryan (6-3, 275), QB/CB Blade Bryant (5-7, 170), RB/S Kobe McEntyre (6-foot, 175), OL Drew Oliver (6-5, 310), LB Colton Richards (6-1, 215).
Team strengths: In a region noted for its offenses, the Phoenix are quite prepared to contend with so much experience returning on defense. Though Pate will have several new starters on the offensive line, there is good size there, led by college prospect Oliver, and on the defensive front.
Team concerns: Bryant, an all-region cornerback a year ago, has emerged as the starting quarterback and will need to stay healthy. Most of the offensive production graduated, so playmakers are needed
Newcomers to watch: Sophomores Colton Whitehead and Tre Williams should find their way onto the field early. Ben Burns, a 6-foot-4 receiver, is healthy after recovering from a knee injury and ready to contribute.
Season outlook: Last year's bad luck could turn into this season's catalyst for success for the Phoenix.
A team beset by injury limped home 4-6 in 2017, ending a four-year run of making the postseason. The good news is that a year later Sonoraville should reap the rewards of having several sophomores thrown into the fire perhaps before they were ready.
Both sides of the ball will feature juniors who made it through the test and are better off for it.
"We also were bombarded with injury last year, but we had a lot of sophomores get experience," Pate said. "Defensively we return a lot of those guys: Two corners, a safety and two of our three linebackers are juniors. We had a ton of youth last year, and those guys are bigger and stronger and ready to go.
"It was tough at times last year for the young guys, but the experience they gained is invaluable."
The group includes new quarterback Bryant, who is also one of the cornerbacks, running back/linebacker Case Collins, linebacker Tyler Capps and the versatile two-way threat McEntire.
The team is also tweaking its offense to better suit its personnel, including the return of a tight end to the lineup.
"We were more three-wide last year with two backs, but this year we have two wides, two backs and a tight end," said Pate, mentioning Damian Chaney and Tyler Kelly as the top tight ends. "For us, it allows us to at least know we have one more hat in the box, and protection-wise it doesn't hurt."