Predicted order of finish
District 1
1. Knoxville Webb
2. Friendship Christian
3. Donelson Christian Academy
4. King’s Academy
5. Mt. Juliet Christian
District 2
1. Franklin Road Academy
2. Davidson Academy
3. Battle Ground Academy
4. Ezell-Harding
Davidson Academy sophomore Da’Juon Hewitt carries the football during a preseason scrimmage.
Top returnees
Adonis Otey, So., RB-WR-DB, FRA; Watson Tansil, Jr., TE-LB, FRA; Lance Wilhoite, So., WR-DB, FRA; Obinna Eze, Sr., OL, Davidson Academy; Ani Izuchukwu, So., TE-DE, Davidson Academy; Ian Kane, Sr., OL-DL, Davidson Academy; Spencer Burge, Sr., RB, Friendship Christian; Hunter Williams, Sr., OL-DL, Friendship Christian; Gregory Elliott, Sr., OL-DE, Friendship Christian; JaJuan Foutch, Jr., RB-DB, Friendship Christian; Jayden Walker, Sr., RB-DB, DCA; Eli Thibado, Sr., RB-LB, DCA; Joseph Pasley, Sr., RB-WR-DB-KR, BGA; Jaylen Frierson, So., RB-LB, BGA; Austin Collier, Sr., RB, Mt. Juliet Christian; Malik Ruffin, Sr., RB-LB, Ezell-Harding; Hunter Spence, Sr., OL-LB, Ezell-Harding.
Top games to watch
Knoxville Webb at Friendship Christian (Sept. 16); Davidson Academy at Franklin Road Academy (Oct. 14); Donelson Christian Academy at Mt. Juliet Christian (Oct. 28)
Friendship Christian’s Jajuan Foutch gained more than 800 total yards and scored 13 touchdowns last season.
Region tidbits
FRA suffered considerable graduation departures, losing the district’s co-offensive most valuable player and the special teams MVP. … Otey recently transferred from Blackman and has received scholarship offers from Kentucky, Tennessee, LSU and Vanderbilt. … The 6-foot-4, 175-pound Wilhoite has offers from Cincinnati, Kentucky, Memphis, Mississippi State, South Florida, Tennessee and Vanderbilt; Knoxville Webb returns 17 starters. … Izuchukwu is currently sidelined after having shoulder surgery but is expected to make his debut later this season. … Burge rushed for 1,026 yards and 9 touchdowns last season behind the blocking of Elliott and the 6-foot-4, 285-pound Williams. … Elliott made 15 tackles for loss as a junior and had seven sacks. … Current senior Walker is the team’s lone first team all-region player returning, and Thibado led the Wildcats with 98 tackles (eight of which resulted in a loss of yardage) last season; .
Obinna Eze
Schedules
(2015 record in parenthesis, * denotes district contest)
District 1
Donelson Christian Academy (8-4, 3-1, reached Division II-A quarterfinals): Aug. 19 vs. Howard; Aug. 26 at Jackson Christian; Sept. 2 vs. Franklin Road Academy; Sept. 9 vs. Lancaster Christian Academy; *Sept. 16 vs. King’s Academy; Sept. 23 at Christian Academy of Knoxville; *Sept. 30 at Knox Webb; *Oct. 14 vs. Friendship Christian; Oct. 21 vs. Davidson Academy; *Oct. 28 at Mt. Juliet Christian Academy
Friendship Christian (8-4, 3-1, reached Division II-A quarterfinals): Aug. 19 vs. Davidson Academy; Aug. 26 at Battle Ground Academy; *Sept. 2 at King’s Academy; *Sept. 16 vs. Knox Webb; Sept. 23 at Franklin Road Academy; *Sept. 30 vs. Mt. Juliet Christian; Oct. 7 vs. Clarksville Northwest; *Oct. 14 at Donelson Christian Academy; Oct. 21 vs. Portland; Oct. 28 at Lancaster Christian
Mt. Juliet Christian (3-7, 0-4, reached Division II-A first round): Aug. 19 at Cornersville; Aug. 26 at Richland; *Sept. 2 vs. Knox Webb; Sept. 9 at Houston County; Sept. 16 vs. Franklin Road Academy; Sept. 23 vs. Ezell-Harding; *Sept. 30 at Friendship Christian; *Oct. 14 at King’s Academy; Oct. 21 at Zion Christian; *Oct. 28 vs. Donelson Christian Academy
District 2
Battle Ground Academy (6-4, 1-2, reached Division II-A first round): Aug. 19 at Goodpasture; Aug. 26 vs. Friendship Christian; Sept. 2 vs. St. Benedict; Sept. 16 at University School of Jackson; Sept. 23 vs. Page; *Sept. 30 at Davidson Academy; Oct. 7 vs. Knox Webb; *Oct. 14 vs. Ezell-Harding; *Oct. 28 at Franklin Road Academy
Davidson Academy (7-4, 2-1, reached Division II-A first round): Aug. 19 at Friendship Christian; Aug. 26 at Watertown; Sept. 2 at Whitwell; Sept. 9 vs. Chattanooga Christian; Sept. 23 vs. Concord Christian; *Sept. 30 vs. Battle Ground Academy; Oct. 7 vs. Jackson Christian School; *Oct. 14 at Franklin Road Academy; Oct. 21 at Donelson Christian Academy; *Oct. 28 vs. Ezell-Harding
Ezell-Harding (4-7, 0-3, reached Division II-A first round): Aug. 19 vs. Middle Tennessee Christian; Aug. 26 at Grace Baptist-Chattanooga; Sept. 2 vs. Gleason; Sept. 9 at Stratford; Sept. 16 vs. Zion Christian; Sept. 23 at Mt. Juliet Christian; *Sept. 30 vs. Franklin Road Academy; *Oct. 14 at Battle Ground Academy; Oct. 21 vs. Concord Christian; *Oct. 28 at Davidson Academy
Franklin Road Academy (11-1, 3-0, reached Division II-A quarterfinals): Aug. 19 at Fayetteville; Aug. 26 vs. Columbia Academy; Sept. 2 at Donelson Christian Academy; Sept. 9 vs. Goodpasture; Sept. 16 vs. Mt. Juliet Christian; Sept. 23 vs. Friendship Christian; *Sept. 30 at Ezell-Harding; Oct. 7 at Lipscomb Academy; *Oct. 14 vs. Davidson Academy; *Oct. 28 vs. Battle Ground Academy
Reach Craig Harris at 615-259-8238 and on Twitter @CHTennessean.
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