McMinn Central's Chargers have been picked to win the Region 3-3A high school football championship.
In a coaches poll conducted by and published in Murphy Fair's 2008 Tennessee High School Football Magazine, the Chargers were picked ahead of Howard, Polk County and East Ridge.
The magazine can be purchased at www.murphyfair.com.
2008 Coaches' Predictions
1. McMinn Central
2. Howard
3. Polk County
4. East Ridge
5. Meigs County
6. Notre Dame
7. Sequoyah
8. Grundy County
9. Tellico Plains
2007 Final Standings
1. McMinn Central, 8-0, 9-2
2. Howard, 7-1, 8-3
3. Polk County, 6-2, 7-4
4. Meigs County, 5-3, 7-4
5. Notre Dame, 4-4, 5-5
6. East Ridge, 3-5, 4-6
7. Sequoyah, 2-6, 2-8
8. Grundy County, 1-7, 2-8
9. Tellico Plains, 0-8, 0-10
Coach Brandon Derrick and his Chargers won the region title last year, but were then eliminated only one week into the playoffs.
East Ridge will have a new coach in Mike Martin, who coached last year at Meigs County.
Howard will have to replace talented running back Tremaine Hudson.
(E-mail Stan Crawley at wscrawley@earthlink.net)