Carrollwood Day
Coach: Marshall McDuffie, sixth season
Last season: 12-1
District: Class 1A-8
Schedule: Aug. 21 vs. Melbourne Eau Gallie; Aug. 28 at River Ridge; Sept. 4 vs. Northside Christian; Sept. 10 at Steinbrenner; Sept. 18 vs. Chamberlain; Sept. 25 at Zephyrhills Christian; Oct. 2 vs. Jacksonville Trinity Christian; Oct. 16 vs. Community School of Naples; Oct. 23 vs. St. Petersburg Catholic; Oct. 30 at West Palm Beach Cardinal Newman.
Key players: WR/DB James Allen; RB/DB Kameron Battle; WR/DB Jason Dungy; LB/FB Rashaun Fitts Jr.; LB/HB Zion Garrett; OL/DL Timmy Gilbert; WR/FS Derrell Hines Jr.; OL/DL Devoun Kendrick; DL Zylen Little; WR/SS Brooklyn Maxey; QB Myles McDonald; DE/RB Antonio Thomas.
Path clears for Patriots’ first state title
Carrollwood Day has been knocking on the door. This may be the year it comes off the hinges.
The Patriots went 12-1 a season ago before falling in the Class 1A state semifinals to West Palm Beach Cardinal Newman, which went on to win the championship. Cardinal Newman has since moved up to Class 2A, removing the biggest obstacle between Carrollwood Day and the first state title in program history.
The Patriots have the personnel to take advantage. Eight starters return on offense and defense, led by a backfield that did plenty of damage last fall. Kameron Battle rushed for more than 2,000 yards and Antonio Thomas added more than 900, while quarterback Myles McDonald threw for more than 2,400. The defense brings back significant experience as well.
Chamberlain
Coach: Terrence Hicks, first season
Last season: 7-4
District: 3A-10
Schedule: Aug. 21 at Spoto; Aug. 28 vs. East Bay; Sept. 4 vs. Mulberry; Sept. 10 vs. Jefferson; Sept. 18 at Carrollwood Day; Sept. 25 at King; Oct. 2 at Blake; Oct. 16 vs. Morgan; Oct. 23 at Robinson; Oct. 30 vs. Alonso
Key players: WR Xavier Ellis; OT Enrique Martinez; DE Markese White; FS/WR Addeson Winns.
New coach, short runway for Chamberlain
Chamberlain has won seven games in each of the past two seasons. Keeping that going will fall to a new coach who did not get much time to prepare.
Terrence Hicks, the former Plant City coach, was hired in July, roughly a month before the start of fall practice, after Chadd Wood left to take over at Freedom. Hicks grew up rooting for the program, and his first order of business was making sure the roster stayed intact through the transition.
He inherits a solid core of athletes at the skill positions, enough to keep Chamberlain in the playoff conversation while the new staff installs its system on the fly.
Gaither
Coach: Kirk Karsen, 10th season
Last season: 10-2
District: 5A-8
Schedule: Aug. 21 vs. Blake; Aug. 28 vs. Plant; Sept. 4 at Sumner; Sept. 10 vs. East Lake; Sept. 18 at Tampa Bay Tech; Sept. 25 at Largo; Oct. 2 vs. Plant City; Oct. 9 at Riverview; Oct. 16 at Sickles; Oct. 23 vs. Mitchell
Key players: WR/DB Connor Daniel; WR/DB Elija Evans; DL/LB Gio Feliciano; QB Daniel Terry; DB Tamarkus Young.
Young Cowboys have talent, if not experience
Gaither won 10 games last season and pushed into the region semifinals before running into Lakeland. The roster that returns looks different.
“Not a lot of battle scars,” coach Kirk Karsen said of a group he considers one of the youngest he has coached.
What the Cowboys lack in mileage they make up for in ability. Daniel Terry, a transfer from Wiregrass Ranch, gives Gaither an added dimension as a dual-threat quarterback. The skill positions are deep, and the running game figures to be handled by committee rather than a single back.
The defense has speed to spare. Whether it holds up will come down to how quickly some of the younger players grow into their roles.
Leto
Coach: Dane Seckar, third season
Last season: 0-10
District: 5A-9
Schedule: Aug. 21 at Morgan; Aug. 28 vs. Wharton; Sept. 4 vs. King; Sept. 10 at Bloomingdale; Sept. 18 at Middleton; Sept. 25 vs. Spoto; Oct. 2 vs. Brandon; Oct. 9 vs. Plant; Oct. 16 at Tampa Bay Tech; Oct. 23 at Armwood.
Key players: QB Ayden Stephens, RB/WR Maurice Jackson, CB Eansel Solano, DE Rylan Reed, WR Anyelo Davalos
Leto looks to take the next step
The Falcons went winless last season, scoring just 68 points. They are now a combined 1-19 the past two seasons. Things won’t get any easier, especially being in a tough district that ends with a brutal three-game stretch. Leto does return its top offensive pieces: Stephens, who had five touchdowns under center, and Jackson, who led the team in all-purpose yards (667). Reed, who had two sacks last season, should anchor the defense, along with Solano, who had 21 tackles.
Sickles
Coach: Xavier Bolden, third season
Last season: 1-9
District: 5A-8
Schedule: Aug. 21 vs. Freedom; Aug. 28 at Steinbrenner; Sept. 4 at Morgan; Sept. 10 vs. Largo; Sept. 25 vs. Robinson; Oct. 2 vs. Middleton; Oct. 9 at Mitchell; Oct. 16 vs. Gaither; Oct. 23 at East Lake; Oct. 30 at Berkeley Prep.
Key players: DB Rhys Williams, QB Brayden Himelright, WR/DB Omar Nicholson, WR Dreshaun House, WR Joseph Naylor
Sickles tries to stack wins
Heading into their third season under Bolden, the Gryphons are trying to become consistent winners. After all, they’ve won a combined six games in the past four seasons. It’s been tough with the staff constantly looking to build depth and find talent in the hallways. The Gryphons return Himelright, a senior who threw for 1,241 yards and seven touchdowns and rushed for three more scores last season. That’s impressive considering Sickles only scored 71 points last season. His top receivers are back in House, Nicholson and Naylor. On defense, Rhys Williams is a four-year starter who led the Gryphons in tackles (57) and interceptions (3) last season.
Cambridge Christian
Coach: Andre Walker, second season
Last season: 9-5
District: Independent
Schedule: Aug. 14 vs. West Oaks Academy; Aug. 21 at Keswick Christian; Aug. 28 vs. Out-the-Door Academy; Sept. 4 at Orangewood Christian; Sept. 11 at Sarasota Christian; Sept. 18 at Foundation Academy; Oct. 2 vs. Seffner Christian; Oct. 9 vs. Wildwood; Oct. 16 vs. Florida Christian; Oct. 23 at Bishop McLaughlin.
Key players: RB Elijah Legrande, QB Leo Kieffer, LB Ethan Harcourt, DE Malachi Waechter, CB Reid Levine
Playoff run hinges on filling key spots
The Lancers made it to the fourth round of the playoffs last season. To make another run, Cambridge Christian will need players at key positions to step up with so many graduating. Kieffer will most likely be the new starter at quarterback after serving as the understudy to Ben Lejkowski, who threw for 1,859 yards and 19 touchdowns last season. Legrande, who had 1,541 yards rushing and scored 20 touchdowns a year ago, returns at running back. But there is not as much depth with Jackson Langston graduating. His numbers, which include 1,142 yards and 15 touchdowns on offense and 99 tackles and three sacks on defense, are tough to duplicate. The defense also loses John Loughlin and his 20 sacks. Waechter, who had 5.5 sacks last season, will be asked to do even more. Keep an eye on Levine, who had a team-high five interceptions, along with 28 tackles. Harcourt is the team’s top-returning tackler with 81 last season. The Lancers will also have to replace Gaston Gramatica, who went 46-for-49 on extra points and had seven field goals, including one for 62 yards.