That was a brutally tough Mid-Penn Keystone Division last year, wasn't it? A three-way tie atop the division (McDevitt, Cedar Cliff, LD), plus three other teams finishing .500 or better. Only the Patriots and now-departed Palmyra failed to reach that plateau. Can Chad Weaver, a Red Land grad in his 10th season coaching the Pats (fourth as head coach), direct the club back toward the top of the standings? We take a closer look:
School name: Red Land
Head coach: Chad Weaver
Last year: 4-6, 2-5 in Mid-Penn Keystone
Last 5 years: 22-32
Returning starters: 6 on offense, 5 on defense
Key players: WR-DB Kyle Mowrey; WR-RB-DB Phil Overton; QB Garrett Scott; OL-DE Zach Rollman; OL-DT Drew Speicher; OL-DT Brandon Seitz; TE-LB Tyler Hodges; LB-K Jeremy Fisher; FB-LB Derek Cline; WR-QB-DB Hunter Briner; RB-DB Justin Johnson; WR-DB Kyle Campbell; OL-DT Braydon Coe; OL-DE Wes Brantner.
Offensive overview: Gone is John Ford, who was a standout running back for three seasons at Red Land and last year gained nearly 1,500 yards on the ground. But Weaver likes the potential of his spread offense that features multiple three-year starters. Scott, who threw for 700+ yards and ran for 800+ more, returns to QB. He'll hand off to talent like Overton, Cline and the young buck, Johnson, only a sophomore whom Weaver says is one of the strongest players on the team. The hope is the running game opens up play-action, with Scott targeting Mowrey and Overton, among others, down field. This will be behind a line led by Rollman, a 6-3, 240-pound stud getting looks from various Patriot League schools. Coe is an up-and-coming soph with good size and great footwork, Weaver says.
Defensive overview: A switch to a 4-3 defense this year was made to showcase the team's skill players in the linebacking corps and defensive backfield. Of course having bruisers like Rollman and Speicher in the trenches helps, leaving hawks like Overton, Hodges and Fisher, among others, to make plays behind them. Worth keeping an eye on Briner, too, another sophomore who saw some action at QB last year and is a versatile threat on either side of the ball.
Biggest game: Oct. 31 vs. Cedar Cliff, as this is the first time the West Shore School District rivals meet in Week 10. On Halloween, no less.
More Red Land Patriots: 2014 schedule | 2014 roster
MORROW'S CRYSTAL BALL: The Keystone is still pretty darn good, so nobody is laying down a red carpet for the Patriots. To climb the ranks, Red Land will have to create its own breaks. Reversing a few tough-luck losses, like back-to-back three-point setbacks to Hershey and Susquehanna Twp. to close the '13 season, would go a long way to helping Weaver achieve his simple goal of returning to the playoffs.
More: Complete Countdown to Kickoff coverage