In his 18 years as head coach at Yorktown, Bruce Hanson has molded the Patriots into the National District's most consistent program, taking his team to the playoffs nine times during that stretch and winning two Northern Region titles.

``I call Bruce the dean of the district," Wakefield head coach Ron Files said. ``They play consistent football every year ... and we try and model our program after them. I always say I'm not leaving here until I beat him."

Yorktown won the National District regular-season title again last year, but the season came to an unexpected end after a loss to Mount Vernon at home in the Northern Region semifinals and the team finished with a 7-3 record.

The Patriots graduated 19 seniors off last year's squad, but while the team will be young in spots, it will still be talented.

``We lost a lot of seniors so this is probably the most inexperienced team we've ever had here," Hanson said.

Joe Albrittin quarterbacked the junior varsity last year and will most likely start at the position this season. The junior can count on handing off to a deep stable of running backs. Duane Tigney, a 6-foot-1 junior, will team with classmate John Crone at running back.

``I can't imagine there's two juniors better than those kids," Hanson said.

Junior Mike Quinteros will also get playing time at running back and the fullbacks are Dustin McDonald, the team leader in sacks in 2001, and Terrence Hordge. It is a backfield full of strength if not blazing speed.

``Without a doubt, strength-wise this is one of the top backfields we've ever had, if we can get them all together," Hanson said. ``A few of them are nicked up, but if we can get them going they are talented kids."

Crone was the tight end last season. This year it will be Logan Okal, a junior, or Hordge. LeRoy Ford and Charles Lockhardt are the tackles and All-District tackle Brett Merkel, a solid Division-I prospect, anchors the line. Merkel, a senior, played on both sides of the ball last year and will do so again. The center is Paul Sweda and Sam Wardle is the other guard.

The starting receivers in the Patriots' wing-T offense are Anthony Ford and Martin Couric.

A number of Hanson's top offensive players will also see time on the defensive side of the ball, but the coaching staff plans on using some of its younger players often on that side of the ball to keep its starters fresh. Quinteros and Stephen Dempsey will play corner and Anthony Ford and Tigney are at safety, giving Yorktown a strong secondary. Merkel, Sweda, LeRoy Ford and Lockhardt make up the defensive line and the linebackers are Hordge, Crone and Will McNamara.

``We want to throw a few more players into the rotation, some of the younger guys," Hanson said. ``It's important that we're rested and not try and play [the starters] both ways all the time."

EDISON

The Eagles went 5-1 in the National District last year and took second-place before losing to Madison in the Northern Region semifinals.

Edison looks to be a contender for the title again this season and will know where it stands relatively early, facing Yorktown in September.

Marshall Wharam will be the starting quarterback for head coach Vaughan Lewis, moving over from wide receiver. Running back Mark Beach, a senior, rushed for more than 900 yards in 2001 and will be joined in the backfield by junior Roy Coles. Jeffron Robertson may see time at tailback, as well, and he will play slot receiver. The fullbacks are Darren Davis and Tyrone Kyle. Robertson and senior Derrick Burroughs will play receiver.

John Daniels and Matt Heislup, both starters last season, battle for the tight end position. Jerome Brown and Ryan Lindenbaum are the tackles and Daniel Griffith is the center. Philip Drake and Jason White are the guards.

``The offensive line has to mature for us," Lewis said. ``On defense you can get away with being small because you can stunt and attack and do other things. We're a little small, but getting better."

The defense should be able to hold the fort until the line develops. Ten starters are back, including the entire secondary. Burroughs and Sam Alvarenga are the safeties and David King and Brian Roles are the corners. Daiijuan Davis and Kyle are both back at linebacker. Eric Hall is the noseguard, Andre Nieuwendam and Joe Waldron are the tackles and Heislup and White are the ends.

``Our defense should be very good," Lewis said. ``We're not very big, but every single one of them is quick. Just about everyone can run ... There's a lot of experience there."

And Lewis believes the attitude of last year's team should carry over as well.

``The good thing about last year is that we developed a refuse to lose attitude," Lewis said. ``We only had four or five senior starters going into the season and we didn't know how good we were going to be, but we ended up being a pretty good ball team and it was because we refused to lose."

FALLS CHURCH

After serving as Gerry Pannoni's offensive coordinator at Lee for three seasons, Anthony Parker takes over the Jaguars program, replacing Russ Collett, who took a coaching job in his native West Virginia. Falls Church finished 4-5 last year, 3-3 in the district and tied with Wakefield for fourth place.

Parker hopes to implement a multiple-I pro set that emphasizes a power running game and a short passing attack similar to the West Coast offense. That offense will take advantage of one of the Jaguars strengths: speed at the skill positions. Thomas Fawehinmi is a team captain and one of the Northern Region's most dangerous receivers. The senior had 38 receptions a year ago, third-most in the region, for 677 yards and five touchdowns. Alex Pena also returns at receiver along with junior Louis Delma. Frank Berchie is the returning starter at running back and will share the backfield with Johnny Yoom and junior fullback James Alcutt.

``We have the skill level guys who can affect an opponent's focus," Parker said. ``We have to get the ball in those guys' hands and let them make something happen. Team speed is a definite strength."

Falls Church is in good shape along the offensive line. Seniors Curtis Hamilton and Eric Carrasquillo, both captains, Louis Sanmiguel and Keith McDaniel are all back as starters.

The Jaguars will run a 3-4 defense with Sanmiguel, Hamilton and Carrasquillo holding down the line. Jose Rosario is a returning starter at linebacker, joined by Michael Trammell, Jonathan Winterbottom and Alcutt. Fawehinmi and Pena will play safety. Falls Church had 36 players out for the varsity and Parker hopes to persuade a few more to play during the first week of school.

``We're a little young at some spots so we're going to have to rely on our senior leaders to get us over the hump, especially early in the season," Parker said.

EFFERSON

The Colonials play a National District schedule again this year, but are ineligible for the district title and All-District honors for their players until 2003 when they will be a full-time member in football.

``The kids have worked hard all summer," said head coach Tim O'Reilly. ``We're anxious to get the season started."

Jefferson graduated a large contingent of seniors and has just three starters back from last year. The quarterback job will go to Ivan Hall, Jeremy Root or Shane Warren. Hall is one of the returning starters, having played receiver last year, and the senior will move back to that spot if he doesn't start at quarterback. Root started on defense in 2001. He will play tight end, as well, this year if he isn't at quarterback. Warren, a sophomore, is a versatile athlete, one of the best on the team, and can play running back or receiver.

Joe Shields, a junior, and senior Brian McDonald are the other receivers, an area that O'Reilly feels confident in.

Pat Duffy is the only other returning starter and will be at running back and cornerback. Seniors Lheep Kim, Robert Simon and Dan Miller anchor an inexperienced offensive line.

Jess Riedel and Timmy Salisbury are the mainstays at linebacker.

Jefferson's young players have talent. The junior varsity went 5-2 last year and those players know what it takes to win. Winning at the varsity level is a different story, however.

``The whole group has had a year with our terminology and another year of lifting," said O'Reilly, beginning his second year at Jefferson. ``We have very few players with varsity experience and we're trying to work these young guys into the mix ... They did a good job last year, but until they line up you never really know what to expect."

MOUNT VERNON

The Majors caught fire at the best possible time a year ago. After squeaking into the playoffs with a win over Jefferson in the regular-season finale to improve to 5-4, Mount Vernon stunned district champion Yorktown in the Northern Region semifinal and then took care of Madison, the Liberty District winner, in the Northern Region championship.

It was a strong finish for a team that got blown out against both Division 6 opponents it played last year and lost to Yorktown and Edison during the regular season.

Even a loss to Phoebus in the Group AAA state semifinals couldn't take away from the Majors' outstanding postseason run.

Mount Vernon's talented tailback Thomas Clayton earned a scholarship to Florida State after rushing for 1,283 yards and 13 touchdowns. That means the Majors will move away from the I-formation, power running game employed to take advantage of Clayton's talents and instead will move back toward the option game.

Chris Spencer returns at quarterback and the coaching staff is still sorting through several candidates at running back. Kelly Sharbel, a returning starter, Ernest Asante and Curtis Wright are the wide receivers. At tight end the Majors will rely heavily on Justin Bell, one of the top tight ends in the state who has received scholarship offers from several major D-I schools, including Pittsburgh most recently. Bell will also play defensive end. Last season he led the team in receptions with 10, good for 179 yards receiving and five touchdowns.

Hillard McMorris anchors the offensive and defensive lines. The second-year captain led the Majors' weight room effort during the offseason. Juwan Barron will also start at defensive end and offensive line.

``There are some unproven commodities on this team, but we have a deep, strong line," Stone said. ``We have experience on both sides of the ball and some starters coming back."

Ryan Troupe started at center last year and will join Rob Valentine at linebacker this season. The other two linebacker spots are up for grabs. Valentine may see time at fullback as well. Curtis Puryear is the punter.

STUART

When he arrived at the first practice of his first season as head coach at Stuart last summer, Bill Holt was stunned by what he saw.

``Morale was poor, the players hadn't lifted at all during the summer ... It was the worst I'd seen and I've been a head coach for 27 years, so I've seen a lot. We were behind the eight-ball to say the least."

It all added up to a winless season for the Raiders, the team's second in five years. Most disappointingly, few games were even close. The closest Stuart came to a win was against Wakefield when it trailed, 6-3, at halftime before giving up 20 third-quarter points to lose, 26-3.

So Holt went about restructuring things in the offseason. Only players dedicated to the coaching staff's weight program would play and anyone who wasn't, including seniors, would be cut on the first day of practice.

``We have a good core of kids now who want to get better," Holt said. ``And you do that between November and July. If you wait until August it's too late."

Holt produced seven Division-I quarterbacks while coaching in Orlando and Norfolk and believes he has another one in Hassan Costella, a 6-4, 225-pound senior. Costella will hand off to junior running back Billy Arnez. Victor Kulnarong, a junior, will be at guard, alongside Stephen Gutjhar and tight end Derek Rollins, another potential collegiate prospect, according to Holt.

David Destan and Walter Williams will both play receiver and cornerback. Travis Wren, a senior, is at strong safety.

It isn't easy coaching at Stuart, the most diverse school in Fairfax County. Students often grow up having played a variety of different sports and are often football novices. But in a few short months, Holt has noticed an improvement in attitude and aptitude.

``In just [a few days] of practice I can see that we're vastly improved from where we were last summer," Holt said. ``How that translates into wins and losses though I'm not really sure. Doubt is the next hurdle we have to overcome. We have to believe that we can compete and win."

WAKEFIELD

The Warriors finished 3-6 overall last season and tied for fourth-place in the district with a 3-3 record.

Wakefield quarterback Brian Pickney and most of the wide receiving corps graduated, including Nick Gilreath, who had the fifth-most receiving yards in the region. So with the heart of its passing game gone the Warriors will move to a more option-oriented, ball-control attack.

``We're counting on them to grow up in a hurry," Files said. ``We play at Westfield to start the season so they're going to have to grow up in the next two weeks ... But that's OK, that's the fun of it and it's why we like coaching. It's a challenge."

Junior John Garner quarterbacked the junior varsity to five wins last year and now moves under center for the varsity. He will be handing the ball to David Gilbert, already a two-time All-District performer heading into his final season. Gilbert is also an excellent wrestler, finishing as the Northern Region runner-up at 215 pounds as a junior.

Donnie Armstrong, who broke his wrist in the third game of the season and missed the rest of the year, will also see time in the backfield.

The offensive line lost three starters, but seniors Paul Tauch and Barrett Goode return at left tackle and center, respectively. Senior Mike Smith is the right tackle. Arien Hegg, a speedster who placed third in the Northern Region Track and Field championships in the 100-meter dash, is at receiver. Defensively, corner Courtney Taylor is the only returning starter in the secondary. Hegg will play opposite him. The defensive line features Tauch and Goode at the tackles and Jeff Vasquez at end, a three-year starter. Armstrong will see time at linebacker, as will junior Chris Edmonds, who led the junior varsity in rushing and will act as a multi-purpose back on offense. Edmonds is also a starter on the school's basketball team.

``It always comes down to whoever has the most depth," Files said. ``Every year we go hard every week. I demand perfection and that we play as hard as we can play ... If we do that then the wins and losses will take care of themselves."

WASHINGTON-LEE

Generals head coach Chad Lewis is pleased with the level of his skill position players and the team's work ethic in practice so far this year.

Sean Somlar played just six games in 2001 due to injury, but the senior has the potential to be one of the top running backs in the region. Somlar rushed for 827 yards and seven touchdowns and had 126 yards receiving as well in 2001.

The Generals will also use junior Aldwin Jones in the backfield along with senior Roland Ferecho. Senior Brian Rogers is the quarterback.

Washington-Lee will not have to rely on many two-way players this year along the offensive and defensive lines. But while the team has depth at those spots it is still young. John Sette is the center, a returning starter. Kevin Sasfai is the returning tight end and Frank Millien leads the receivers. Lewis is impressed with his linebackers, juniors Mark Jacobs and Kjell Cordero. Juniors Victor Smith and Henry Gabriel are at defensive tackle and Russell Sutton is at defensive end. Brian Nettles and Jeron Williams will be the corners.

``We have a lot of skill guys who can make plays, but we're young almost everywhere else," Lewis said. ``In the first week of practice I've been extremely happy with their attitude and their work ethic so far."