2013 Independents football preview capsule

NORTH CROSS

Coach: Stephen Alexander (fourth season)

Record at North Cross: 22-11

Last season: 6-4

Returning offensive starters: 7

Returning defensive starters: 6

Players to watch: QB Max Revercomb (6-0, 185, jr.), CB Harrison Call (6-0, 170, sr.), WR-FS Penn Draper (6-0, 175, sr.), SS Andrew Proctor (5-10, 175, sr.), DE Jimmy Coles (6-0, 205, sr.), WR Jordan Lowery (6-0, 175, soph.), OL Kyler Stemen (5-11, 235, jr.), RB Ryan Dent (5-10, 175, jr.), RB-FL Isaiah Harris (5-8, 160, jr.) OL-LB Sterling Moskal (5-11, 190, jr.).

2012 summary: The Raiders left the VIC and moved to the Old Dominion Football Conference, a six-team league that had the VIS Division II and Division III state champions last year. North Cross finished a game out of the playoffs. Revercomb averaged 25 passes a game. His final line for the year was 124-249, 1,754 yards and 23 TDs. Lowery had a breakout season, catching 39 balls for 603 yards and 10 TDs.

Outlook: North Cross eyes a top-three finish in its second year as a member of the Charlottesville-based ODFC. That's tough in a conference that had 2012 VIS state champions Blue Ridge (Division II) and Virginia Episcopal (Division III) along with Division II semifinalist Christchurch. The spread offense features a wealth of talent at the skill positions. Stemen will be the linchpin of the line. Dent and Harris - a pair of Salem transfers - will be used as short receivers as much as runners in this pass-happy offense. Draper, Proctor and Coles will anchor the Raider defense. The Raiders have nine games this season and only three at home. This looks like a playoff team.

ROANOKE CATHOLIC

Coach: Bob Price (11th season)

Record at Roanoke Catholic: 58-41

Last season: 3-6 (did not make playoffs)

Returning offensive starters: 6

Returning defensive starters: 5

Players to watch: QB-DB David Hart (5-10, 161, sr.), RB-DB Nick Fittz (5-11, 175, jr.), LB Matt Kuehler (5-6, 148, jr.,), RB-LB Michael McInnis (6-0, 185, jr.), OT-DT Tommy Perini (5-11, 205, sr.), WR-DB Jack Pilgreen (6-0, 157, sr.), OL-DT Nicholas Ruble (5-10, 198, sr.), C-DL Ethan Wright (6-0, 210, fresh.), RB-LB Christopher Zoller (5-10, 152, soph.), WR-LB Cameron Thompson (6-2, 198, jr.).

2012 summary: The Celtics suffered their first losing season since 2004. They dropped their first five games before winning three of their last four. Fredericksburg Christian, which shut out the Celtics in the 2012 opener, is not on this year's schedule. QB Paddy Cotter, who threw for 423 yards in 2012, has transferred to Patrick Henry. The leading tackler was Ben Price, who has graduated.

Outlook: Roanoke Catholic remains in a rebuilding mode. There are only 19 players on the roster. The backups are inexperienced. Fittz will miss at least the first four games because of a dislocated shoulder. McInnis, a transfer from Northside, should help. Zoller is back after rushing for 763 yards last fall. The Celtics will again employ a wing-T offense, but they might pass more this year. Price hopes the Celtics will be more physical on both sides of the ball. Catholic has 10 games on the schedule after playing just nine last year. Four are against VHSL teams, so the other six are crucial.

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