Sonoraville

Head coach: Denver Pate (24-27 here and overall)

Returning starters: 6 offensive; 7 defensive

Last year’s record: 6-4 overall, did not qualify for GHSA Class AAA playoffs

Key players: Jaxon Pate (6-0, 170) Jr. QB, Zach Lyles (6-1, 200) Sr. RB, Brant Bryant (6-0, 185) Sr. WR/DB, Tristan Mullins (5-11, 215) Sr. LB, Ridge Redd

(6-4, 235) Sr. TE, Preston Gilbert (6-7, 320) Sr. OL, Zach McAfee (6-0, 195) Sr.

LB, Wyatt Springfield (5-11, 174) Sr. RB/DB

Season outlook: The Phoenix begin a new era as they rise to Class AAAA, where the teams are deeper and stronger. In Region 7 there’s also a lot of offensive firepower returning, and in that regard Sonoraville should fit right in.

QB Pate, son of the head coach, is one of the area’s most electric players after a sophomore season in which he passed for 2,200 yards, ran for nearly 700 and accounted for more than 30 touchdowns. Nearly all of Pate’s weapons are back as well, including Lyles, who is one of the team’s fastest players.

Bryant, a fourth-year two-way starter, is a reliable target for Pate, while Redd, who has offers from Liberty, Georgia Southern, Army and Charleston Southern, is a serious matchup problem for defenses.

Coach Pate knows to make the playoffs for the second time in his six years on the job, a step forward defensively has to happen, especially in a region with the stout offenses of Cedartown, CentralCarroll, Heritage and Northwest Whitfield. The Phoenix have switched to a 4-3 front in hopes of getting more upfield pressure. A strong secondary that includes Lyles, Bryant, Springfield and Donovan McDaniel will allow more blitzes as tackles T.J. Oliver (315 pounds) and Landon Silvers eat up blockers to free up leading tackler Mullins, two-year starter McAfee and new linebacker starter Ty Brown to chase down running backs.

Slow starts in region play have cost Sonoraville playoff berths the past two years, something Pate knows cannot happen this season.