“It’s a good mix of kids,” says Landis, whose team was 8-5 in 2010. “We’ve never had the luxury of having depth on the O-line and D-line, and this year we do.”

He’s hopeful that his team, which opens the season at home against Westminster Catawba, will also have less people playing on both sides of the ball. That doesn’t apply to junior skill players Andre Diouf and Dmitri Allison, however. They will rarely leave the field.

The Eagles will have to replace Sam Remick, a star on offense and defense, and a state champion in wrestling and baseball. Remick compiled more than 3,000 yards as a quarterback and was one of the top tacklers as a linebacker last year.

“It’ll be tough on both sides of the ball,” says Landis.

At quarterback, the Eagles have two options, senior Kendall Godwin and junior Randy Schroeder.

“They complement each other,” says Landis.

SouthLake will again leave town for preseason camp. The Eagles will spend next week at Blue Ridge Assembly near Asheville.