#6 MAIDEN

For the first time in a long time the Blue Devils will enter a football season without the services of the self-proclaimed "oldest rat in the barn," Tom Brown. Hope springs eternal, however, because there is another Brown in charge now. Brian Brown, son of Tom, is the new head ball coach at Maiden and who knows how that will turn out...

AT A GLANCE

2007 Record: 7-6 overall, 4-4 CVAC

Coach: Brian Brown
Career: 0-0 (1st year)

Returning Starters: 12; 8 on offense, 4 on defense

Primary Strengths: Senior quarterback Justin Sizemore reminds people a little bit of Tim Tebow. He is a big kid who can pass the ball but also run it when necessary. In addition to his 2,211 passing yards and 17 touchdowns last season he also was the team's #2 rusher with 423 yards and seven touchdowns. He is a playmaker who will have plenty of targets to chose from in 2008. The main target will once again be Brian Huffman, who was the team leader in both receptions (44) and yardage (527). Jordan Shade, Wesley Killian and Jacob Lineberger are also reliable receivers. Other than Sizemore all these kids will be heavily relied-upon for defensive duty once again.

Potential Problems: Shade, along with Joshua Friday, will attempt to provide some much-needed balance to Maiden's no-huddle, spread offense. The Blue Devils were not very productive in the rushing department last year as Shade, the leading ballcarrier, only accumulated 423 yards and four touchdowns. As a team Maiden ranked 6th in the CVAC for rushing and only managed 18 rushing touchdowns for the season. Depth could be a serious problem if the injury bug bites them. Perhaps the biggest question mark is coaching. It's been a long, long time since they've had to take the field without Tom Brown. It remains to be seen how the team will adapt to the new situation.

Key Losses: Reliable receivers Dexter Shelton, Alan Lane and Tony Wilson. They were also key members of the Blue Devil defense.

Overview: It's a new era at Maiden and it is unclear exactly how everyone will react to the new situation. There was a time not so long ago when Maiden was a dominant program in Class 1A with an intimidating little stadium, a gifted, record-breaking running back carrying the team on his shoulders and a legendary head coach stalking the sideline. Now all of that is gone and the mystique of Maiden football has taken several body blows because of it. I felt last year that Maiden was suffering an identity crisis following the graduation of Tommy Henry. I don't know if things will get any better this season, despite the talent of the quarterback. Chemistry is a crucial element in the success of a football team. The Blue Devils may be running the spread but they absolutely must get better at running the football if they want to challenge for the CVAC title. The jury is definitely still out on Maiden.