Storylines to follow:

Heritage is coming off a 3-7 under first year head coach Wendell Early after advancing to the playoffs two years straight, the Patriots missed the playoffs last year.

The Patriots are looking for a starting quarterback to take over after Anthony Stanley and David Turner manned the spot last year.

It's Early's second year with the Patriots and the team has had the opportunity to get used to him. It's the first time in years the head football coach has stayed on for more than one year at Heritage.

Early is slowly but surely changing the culture for the better at Heritage, but will it result in wins?

The top starters

QB: Heritage has three QBs competing for the starting job, senior Cohen McElligott, junior Malik Howard and sophomore Caleb Pruitt. Each one has a particular skillset and brings certain things to the table. The starting spot is still up for grabs, but they are not opposed to playing two of them on a regular basis.

RB: Senior Christian "Blade" Reid returns after rushing for nearly 800 yards last year.

WR: Senior Anthony Stanley returns and is a bonafide Division 1 player.

DL: Keundre Rias, Caleb Shaw, Corey Moore, Adarius McCoy and Jacob Whatley will all rotate.

LB: Josh Williams, Donovan Butler, Mario Welch and Joseph Andrews will work there.

DB: Darrion Fountain, Adeolu Adeleke, Anthony Cook, Jaylen Davis, Christophe Page will all contribute.

KR/PR: Anthony Stanley

Projected award winners:

MVP: Anthony Stanley

Most improved player: I believe our entire team has improved.

Hardest worker: Again, all our players have worked extremely hard. We have truly changed the culture here with regard to work ethic.

Best defensive player: Juniors Adeolu Adeleke and Darrion Fountain are two very good players in Heritage's secondary; and are joined by seniors Jaylen Davis, Anthony Cook and Cristophe Page. Up front, we have senior Keundre Rias, and juniors Corey Moore and Daniel Brown.

Best offensive player: Anthony Stanley has the potential to go "A to Z" at any time. We also have weapons in Blade and Brandon; both have great skills, also. Adeleke WILL surprise some folks.

Breakout player: Adeolu Adeleke will be a HUGE surprise at wide receiver.

Starters

*Heritage has NOT determined all of its starters yet, and this is a projection of what could be the starters for this year.

Offense:
QB: McElligott/Howard/Pruitt
RB: Reid
RB: Welch
WR: Stanley
WR: Adeleke
WR: B. Lewis
OT: Shaw/Tanigan
OT: Rias/Hunter
OG: Rias/Moore/Brown
OG: McElroy/Brown
C: Ekiss/Caulton

Defense:
DT: Moore/McElroy
DT: Rias/D. Brown/Ekiss
DE: M. McElligott/Shaw
DE: Whatley/Flanigan
MLB: Williams/Patterson
OLB: Chappell/Butler
OLB: Welch/Andrews
CB: Page/Stanley/Cook
CB: J. Davis/B. Lewis/Hymes
S: Fountain/Howard/D. Lewis
S: Adeleke/McElligott

Schedule:

8/21 7:30p.m
@ Rockdale County (Conyers, GA)
Rivalry Game

9/4 7:30p.m
Vs. Salem (Conyers, GA)
Vs. Rivalry Game

9/11 7:30p.m
@ Loganville (Loganville, GA)

9/18 7:30p.m
Vs. Flowery Branch (Flowery Branch, GA)

9/25 7:30p.m
Vs. Gainesville (Gainesville, GA)

10/2 7:30p.m
@ Cedar Shoals (Athens, GA)

10/9
BYE WEEK

10/16 7:30p.m
@ Lanier (Sugar Hill, GA)

10/23 7:30p.m
@ Apalachee (Winder, GA)

10/30 7:30p.m
Vs. Clarke Central (Athens, GA)

11/6 7:30p.m
Vs. Winder-Barrow (Winder, GA)