25 questions for the Memphis high school football season

Memphis Commercial Appeal

The high school football season always brings questions. Here are 25 to consider as we edge closer to the season opener Aug. 18.

1. After local teams won four of the eight state championships last season, will the high school football axis in Tennessee continue pivoting toward Memphis?

2. Despite losing 35 seniors — including Mr. Football lineman winner Aubrey Miller and Kylan Watkins, who was runner-up in the back category — can Whitehaven repeat in 6A?

3. Is there any team in the state with a pair of sophomore linebackers better than Whitehaven's Bryson Eason and Martavius French?

4. Will Lausanne be the team to end Whitehaven's 17-game winning streak against Shelby County competition? The Lynx return plenty of talent from last year's undefeated Division II-A championship team and visit the Tigers on Sept. 8.

5. After running for 2,215 yards and scoring 42 times as a sophomore, will Lausanne's Eric Gray make it two straight Mr. Football awards?

Lausanne running back Eric Gray (1) gets past Knoxville Webb defensive back Davis Delozier (5) to score the winning touchdown on a 5-yard run in the fourth quarter of the Division II-A championship game Dec. 1, 2016.

6. East lost a lot of talent to graduation from its 4A title team, but will Commercial Appeal Coach of the Year Marcus Wimberly be able to keep working wonders at his alma mater?

7. Can any 4A team in the state boast a pair of linemen with the raw size and potential of East's John Wrister (6-foot-8, 320 pounds) and Sean Adams (6-5, 333)?

8. After coaching Trezevant to the past two 2A championships, can Teli White work the same magic at title-hungry Melrose?

9. Will major personnel losses be too much to overcome at Cordova, which reached the 6A semifinals in 2016?

10. Or will talented returnees like lineman Jerome Carvin, running back Jeremy Banks and receiver Jacolby Hewitt be enough to keep the Wolves in title contention?

Cordova will be relying on players such as running back Jeremy Banks to return to the 6A playoffs.

11. Central had a terrific 10-2 season and returns lots of talent, led by Mr. Football lineman winner Trevis Hopper. But how will the Warriors fare after moving from 5A to 6A?

12. Is Kundarrius Taylor of Ridgeway the most explosive player in town? The Oklahoma commitment has a great case after scoring 26 touchdowns last year via the air, the ground, on punt and kick returns and on defense.

13. After capturing fans' imagination by winning its first nine games last year, how will Raleigh-Egypt respond now that the target is firmly on its back in 3A?

Coach Major Wright led Raleigh-Egypt to a 9-0 start last season.

14. CBHS is 17-7 in two seasons under Thomas McDaniel; will this be the year it breaks through the playoff ceiling and finally makes it back to Cookeville?

15. Is Matthew Rhodes of MUS fully recovered from last year's leg injury and ready to rejoin Mr. Football winner Dorian Hopkins to form one of the state's top linebacker duos?

16. Who will lead the area's passing charts? Three of the top five from last year — Jack Grissom of FACS (2,812 yards), Arlington's Tate Kolwyck (2,560) and Briarcrest's Jackson Walker (1,943) — are back.

17. Will quarterbacks be foolish enough to test Germantown defensive back Jaylin Williams, who has committed to Ole Miss and has all-state written all over him?

18. Is Caleb Johnson of MAHS the area's best Mr. Football candidate in Division I? He ran for 1,959 yards in 2016 and will carry as often as coach Cedric Miller allows.

19. Will Douglass quarterback Jok Nebk (106.2 yards of total offense per game; 22 touchdowns) continue to be one of the city's best athletes you've probably never heard of?

20. Will former Nashville Ensworth man Jonas Rodriguez get ECS going in the right direction after a disappointing 2-9 season?

21. And will Whitehaven grad Gene Robinson be the man to guide Fairley back to success?

22. Tyler Turner is the fifth Olive Branch coach in the past five years; will he be the man to bring some much-needed stability to one of the area's traditional powers?

23. Are there any bigger shoes to fill than those of Chase Hayden, who is now at Arkansas after piling up more than 7,000 yards rushing and scoring 92 times for St. George's?

24. After combining to finish 0-30, will Manassas, Martin Luther King Prep and Sheffield break into the win column?

25. The TSSAA has added another division for this season with Fayette Academy, Rossville and Tipton-Rosemark now competing in the smallest DII classification. But are nine title games too many?

Reach John Varlas at john.varlas@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @johnvarlas.