15 Knoxville area spring high school football questions

The spring version of high school football is well under way throughout Tennessee.

Here are 15 questions regarding teams across the News Sentinel’s coverage area as they begin their offseason workouts:

Will Maryville continue its dominance?

The Rebels won 250 games and were a fixture in Cookeville in their 18 years under George Quarles, making it to the state championship game 15 times — winning 11 times — over that span. With the coaching legend now at Furman, it's up to the homegrown successor, Derek Hunt, to keep up the winning tradition.

What is life without Tee Higgins like?

Oak Ridge will not have the 6-foot-5 wide receiver who produced 861 yards and 15 touchdowns last season to lean on. Junior running back Jordan Graham can shoulder the brunt of the offense, but senior quarterback Johnny Stewart is going to need to find some new weapons.

Can Farragut repeat?

The Admirals need to find their replacements for quarterback Adam Fulton and running back Cooper Hardin, but the Class 5A state champions return plenty of other dynamic options, most notably Division-I prospects Braden Collins and Jacob Warren.

How will Grace Christian fair in Division II?

The Rams have a new coach in a new division. Rusty Bradley had success last season at University School of Jackson, going 9-4 and reaching the Division II-A semifinals.

How does Catholic replenish its passing game?

After losing seniors Chase Cunningham, Amari Rodgers and Chase Kuerschen, there are some large holes to be filled for the Fighting Irish. Rodgers and Kuerschen combined for more than 2,000 yards receiving and 29 touchdowns last season.

Will Central keep it going?

After a 9-3 mark in 2015, the Bobcats went 12-3 and reached the Class 4A state championship game in 2015, losing to Memphis East. Central will be without some major pieces from last year’s team, though, including quarterback Trey Mitchell and running back Jadarius Sackie.

Who will carry Alcoa’s offense?

The Tornadoes lost their stable of running backs — Coltton Wright, Taylen McNear and Malik Salter — as well as dual-threat quarterback Jaylen Myers. The tandem of junior quarterback Walker Russell and senior wide receiver Tykee Ogle-Kellogg will shoulder the passing game while junior Jalen McCord will likely lead the new group of tailbacks.

What can West Shuler do under center for CAK?

The Warriors’ senior quarterback will take the reins full-time after filling in for Cole Smith, who missed the final three games after separating his throwing shoulder. Shuler is tasked with replacing the state’s all-time leader in career passing yardage (11,032).

Can Randy McKamey get Clinton going?

Clinton has invested a lot in the Randy McKamey era, pushing to get the school’s new multisport complex finished before the start of the football season. The Dragons are looking to get back on track after winning a combined five games over the past two seasons.

What can Derek Rang accomplish in his return?

Rang spent three seasons at Dresden, winning the Class 1A title in 2016, but the Maryville graduate has spent most of his coaching career on this side of the state. In his lone year at Powell, he went 12-2 and reached the Class 5A state semifinals. He’ll try and replicate that success at Gatlinburg-Pittman.

Can West get back on track?

From 2010-15, West found itself in the Class 5A playoffs. Last year did not go as the Rebels planned, starting the season 4-1 before losing the final five games and missing out on the postseason. First-year coach Lamar Brown, who comes from Morristown West, is tasked with getting them back.

How will Greenback replace Kayne Roberts?

The North Carolina signee is the only Division-I prospect the Cherokees’ football program has ever had. It may be impossible to replace 2,391 rushing yards and 37 touchdowns worth of production from the running back spot, but Breeden Gilbert looked more than capable in a reserve role last year.

Can Jeff Harig get Loudon’s offense back on track?

Harig had the Redskins’ offense revving when he was coach from 2002-2014, but that fell apart when he left for West and was replaced by Joe Campbell. Loudon needs to get back to scoring points if it wants to improve on its 3-18 record over the past two seasons.

What will Bearden get from its defense?

Coach Morgan Shinlever believed that defense was the Bulldogs' strength a year ago. The results were a mixed bag, as Bearden allowed just 14.5 points in its four wins as compared to 35.4 in its losses. The Bulldogs lose four starters on that unit from a year ago.

Can Austin-East keep rolling without Darius Harper?

The Roadrunners won a combined three games from 2013-14, but their dynamic quarterback led a resurgence. As a senior, he was named a Class 2A Mr. Football Back finalist after racking up 3,934 yards (3,479 passing, 455 rushing) and 52 touchdowns.