REGION 6-AAA OUTLOOK

Team to beat: Even with Hal Lamb no longer patrolling the sideline and with 18 new starters, Calhoun is the preseason favorite and is seeking its 19th consecutive region title.

Watch out for: North Murray has been building for this season since Preston Poag became coach, and with more than 30 seniors the Mountaineers believe they are primed to challenge for the top.

Best game: Calhoun hosts North Murray in an early region showdown Sept. 20. The Mountaineers held a halftime lead over the Yellow Jackets last year, and many believe this game could be even tighter.

Dream schedule: With only two nonregion games per team, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe’s schedule might set up the best. Last year’s 6-AAA runner-up hosts three of the league’s 2018 playoff teams — Calhoun, North Murray and Haralson County — with the Mountaineers and Yellow Jackets visiting the last two weeks.

Nightmare schedule: For a team replacing a ton of offensive yards, starting off the season with Dalton, Heritage, North Murray, LFO and Calhoun is indeed a worstcase scenario for Ringgold. On the other hand, if the Tigers survive that run, the final month could prove lucrative.

Players to watch: There are top-tier linemen on both sides of the ball throughout the region, including Calhoun’s Jaeden Curtis and Kendez Griffin, Ringgold’s Reid Williams, North Murray’s Chaisen Buckner and LFO’s James Beddington. North Murray has a trio of offensive playmakers in QB Ladd McConkey, RB Dante Tidwell and WR Landon Burrell. Ringgold WR/DB Brayden Broome and Sonoraville LB/FB Colton Richards are counted on to be stars on both sides of the ball.