High school notes: Region 1-1A loaded with contenders from Carter County

Cloudland and Hampton might not be known for an air raid offense, but both teams are known to routinely compete for conference championships.But unlike recent years, both teams are battling each other and Carter County rival Unaka for the same conference title — otherwise known as Region 1-1A. The Watauga Lakes Conference is packed this year, with Sunbright and Hampton both joining the chat to make an eight-team field.For Hampton, the biggest question mark has been who will replace Northeast Tennessee's rushing champion. Dominique Burleson ran for 1,449 yards and earned All-State honors while helping Hampton navigate through the devastation of Hurricane Helene. Peyton Townsend, Isaiah Belcher and Brock Shelby are currently the frontrunners in the Bulldog backfield.The quarterback position, however, is a lot more settled with the return of Connor McKinney — who eclipsed 1,000 yards passing, 300 yards rushing and 300 yards receiving at Unaka his junior year.Speaking of Unaka, the Rangers had made the playoffs five straight years prior to last year's 1-9 campaign, including the program's first-ever playoff win in 2022.Whether it's Ben Shutko or T.J. Parenteau calling signals for the Rangers this year, they'll have a reliable target in sophomore Ashton Fuller. As a freshman, Fuller had six receiving touchdowns and over 500 yards.As for Cloudland, the Highlanders' conference winning streak which dated back to 2015 finally ended last fall at 35 games. In fact, Cloudland's two conference losses to North Greene and Cosby came by a combined three points.Junior running back Grayson Cole had 1,104 yards and 17 touchdowns as a sophomore despite missing two games. Fellow junior Landon Barnette and sophomore Gavyn Shell are both expected to complement Cole in the Highlander backfield.REST OF THE LEAGUENorth Greene — The Huskies have climbed a long way under coach Eric Tilson, having equaled their all-time most wins last year while finishing region runner-up to Cosby after a 26-14 loss. The program's all-time leading rusher Yeshua Vaught graduated as did top receiver Jake Duffy. But quarterback Thomas Darnell returns with two-way standout Brandon Weems also back.Cosby — Coach Levi Cooper's club won the school's first-ever outright conference title in 2024. Quarterback Matthew McMahan threw for 1,908 yards and 25 touchdowns while David Baker ran for 924 yards and 10 TDs as sophomores. If there's a concern, it's that the Eagles lost their top two receivers to graduation including Devonte Wigfall, who grabbed 47 passes for 921 yards and 12 scores.Jellico — Other than a winless 2022 campaign, the Blue Devils have reached the TSSAA playoffs every year since 2017. Jellico finished region runner-up in 2023 before last year's 3-7 mark.Hancock County — The Indians are seeking their first playoff berth, and their second win, since restarting its varsity football program in 2023. Only once did Hancock County score more than eight points last year, a 36-18 loss to Unaka.Sunbright — The Tigers have lost 25 straight games and haven't enjoyed a multi-win season since 2020, or a playoff berth since 2014.TRIVIA TIMEQ: Cloudland and Hampton have both finished state runner-up once, Cloudland in 2001 (Class 1A) and Hampton in 2021 (Class 2A). What's the deepest playoff run by any of the other six Region 1-1A teams?A: The round of 16. Unaka advanced in 2022, and Sunbright has been twice (2009 and 2014). Cosby, North Greene, Jellico and Hancock County are all seeking their first playoff victories this fall.