Head coach: Joey Mathis (23-15 in three years here and overall)
Returning starters: 6 offensive; 6 defensive
Key players: TE-DL Kris Layfield (6-2, 230); OL-DL Jackson Anthony (5-11, 250); OL-DL Drake Cardin (6-1, 210); RB-LB Alex Nunez (6-1, 185); QB-FS Anthony Guevara (5-10, 175); Taye Hutchins (5-8, 140).
Team strengths: The overall team size and speed have improved since last season.
Alex Nunez (11) rushes for the Warriors. The Marion County Warriors visited the South Pittsburg Pirates in a TSSAA rivalry game on September , 2018. "We've had some guys who really put in time in the weightroom, and that's helped not only with our strength up front, but we've gotten quicker because of it, too," Mathis said.
Team concerns: Although there is talent to work with, there is a lack of experience in key areas, particularly at quarterback, where the Warriors must replace a three-year starter, as well as along the defensive line, where only one starter returns.
Breakout candidate: Hutchins is a sophomore who will find playing time at just about every offensive skill position as well as in the secondary because of his athletic ability. Guevara is a junior who also can play multiple positions but is expected to take the quarterback reins.
Season outlook: The combination of injuries, a rugged schedule (four opponents that reached at least the state quarterfinals) and some bad luck left Marion with an atypically disappointing season last year. But an infusion of young talent mixed with some key returners, plus a giant chip on the shoulder of everyone wearing purple, should help turn things back in the right direction.
Marion's Kris Layfield (82) picks up yards after a pass reception. Marion County High School hosted the Sequatchie Valley Football Jamboree that featured eight area teams on August 10, 2018. There is enough of a blend of size and speed in the backfield to allow Marion to mix more of the wing-T that Mathis prefers with the spread offense that the team tinkered with last year. Nunez, Guevara and Hutchins all should add more of a big-play threat to the offense, and Layfield has the size to be both a solid blocker and a quality target at tight end.
"This group of kids is extremely coachable," Mathis said. "Our team chemistry is really good, too, so we're feeling pretty positive about this group. The biggest things for us, besides staying healthy like everybody else wants to, is to just keep working to make progress every week and learn form our mistakes. We've got enough young guys who will have to play that we know they're going to make some mistakes, but so long as they learn from them and correct them, the talent is there."