Etowah's Sam McCorkle has his work cut out for him as we look to the start of a new football season. He is replacing 9 three year starters he lost to graduation. And he says he is counting on his defense to keep him floating in the early part of the schedule. He does have some pretty darn good players returning to the squad this year, including his all region middle line-backer who weighs in at over 200 lbs. Both his corners are returning and he has a big 300 lb Tackle who plays on both offense and defense, also back for another season. He will depend heavily on his returning 2 year all region running back to lead his offense. The coach sees Ft. Payne as his biggest regional obstacle again this year. That team is returning 30 seniors and everybody considers them the pre-season favorite to win the region and compete for the state title. He also expects Scottsboro to be formidable this season and Boaz is expected to be extra tough on defense.

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