REGION 3-2A OUTLOOK

Team to beat: With 14 total starters back, including all-state receiver Jeremiah Batiste — a Mr. Football finalist — Tyner is once again the favorite among league coaches. The Rams, who are seeking their third straight region title, won their four league games by an average of 50-12 last season.

Watch out for: Marion County has a solid offensive line and several athletes with good speed on offense. The Warriors also host league favorite Tyner.

Best game: Within the league, Tyner at Marion on Sept. 20 could decide the top spot. Overall, however, Tyner at Alcoa on Sept. 27 will feature two of the most athletic teams in East Tennessee, while the Sept. 13 game involving McMinn Central at Polk County will pit former Wildcats coach Derrick Davis against his alma mater. Dream schedule: Only one of the six nonregion opponents on the Tellico Plains slate reached the playoffs last season, and that was 1A Midway, which lost in the first round. Those six foes had a combined 17-44 overall record last season.

Nightmare schedule: Not only does Tyner have to travel to Marion for what likely will be its toughest region matchup, but the Rams’ nonregion slate is loaded with road trips to perennial power Alcoa and local rivals Brainerd and Howard as well as a home game against talented Division II-AAA foe Baylor.

Players to watch: Tyner’s passing combination of quarterback Martavious Ryals and Batiste was the area’s most productive last season. The backfield of Ronald Neal, Kamden Edwards, Jeremiah Sawyer and Anthony Bell is as talented and deep as any in the area. Watch for Sawyer, a junior, to have a breakout season both as a runner and at linebacker.

Marion County linemen Jackson Anthony, Drake Cardin and Kris Layfield will be counted on heavily to give young athletes Alex Nunez and Taye Hutchins, as well as dual-threat quarterback Anthony Guevara, room to run. Polk County running back Eddie Lamb has gained more than 1,000 yards in his career and will be the main option on offense.