DAPHNE, Alabama — The Daphne Trojans return a number a starters to key skill positions while integrating younger faces into more varsity positions.

Louisiana Lafayette commitment T.J. Fleeton returns at quarterback with a solid junior season under his belt. Helping to protect him will be veteran offensive linemen Ashton McQuitery and Robert Alexander along with wide receivers Chris Sain, Jonathan McGaster and Horace Johnson to pass to in the air. On defense, defensive backs Trey Jenkins and Trey Rembert, linebacker Jalan Coleman and defensive lineman Duquan Able will be essential to keeping the Trojans in the playoff hunt, said Daphne head coach Glenn Vickery.

“Our more experienced players are always important elements from the first day of practice ‘til the last game,” he said. “We rely on them to help encourage the newer players and also to push them and really to just lead by example by pushing themselves. I think we have a good mix this year of experienced kids and players coming up. Everybody seems to want to contribute and part of our job as coaches is to get them in the right shape and situation to do that whether it’s a starting position or as a backup, everybody is important.”

The Trojans will also have two new guys at top-level coordination this year. Nathan McDaniel is the new defensive coordinator taking over from Mark Hurt who is now the head coach at Blount. McDaniel, like Hurt and Bart Sessions before came from Prattville.

“We’ve had good success with coaches coming from Prattville,” Vickery said. “And we feel like coach Mac is on top of things and the players, especially the secondary and linebackers who have worked with him during 7-on-7, have not missed a beat.”

Daphne also moved assistant coach Mike Vickery to offensive coordinator to replace Brian Campbell who took over the head coaching job at Robertsdale.

“Mike and Brian have worked real closely together for a long time,” Vickery said. “I think this is about as smooth a transition as possible and it’s definitely better than someone coming in cold from the outside.”

Daphne also lost, indefinitely, the contribution of outside linebacker coach Jacy Todd who was severely injured in a wreck Aug. 1. The young husband, father and history teacher was Life-Flighted to USA Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. At press time last week, he remained in serious condition awaiting surgery and a long rehab.

“We keep coach Todd in our hearts and prayers and a lot of the players and students are posting messages of their love and support for him and his family to the website,” Vickery said. CaringBridge.org is maintaining an update site where his progress is posted and where well-wishers can leave messages. In spite of the tragedy, preparations for the season have to go on.

“It’s been hard on the kids,” Vickery said. "Jacy is everything you want in a coach and an educator. But Jacy and his family are going through a bad time and it’s going to be a long time to recovery. But we know he wants us to go on and focus on the work of the season ahead and we hope to honor him that way. Coach Todd would be mad at us if we didn’t.”

Now with the players in full pads for a while, Vickery was generally pleased with the Trojans’progress since practice started earlier this month.

“First few days have been really very good. Seeing great attitudes and very productive results. Everybody is moving around with enthusiasm getting ready to go and play the game of football. I think the kids are getting into the full preseason, preschool-time mode and are all showing that they are ready to take ownership of this team. Right now we are stressing the importance of getting the most out of every day, every practice, every drill. Like I was telling — especially the seniors and the juniors — everyday is a chance to get better that you will never get back. So put all you can into it because you can’t go back or come back later. It’s one more day gone from your senior or junior season that you put a lot into or you didn’t. So make the most of it.”

6A Daphne opens the season with a big, non-region but high profile, match up with seven-year-old 5A Spanish Fort at the Toros home bull ring on The Hill on Labor Day Monday at 3 p.m. on ESPN. It will also be the first time the two neighboring high schools have met on the gridiron. Each one won a state title in 2010. The Toros won the 5A championship and the Trojans claimed the 6A crown.

“The Spanish Fort game will tell us a lot about ourselves,” he said. “It will tell us about where we are versus where we want to be. It doesn’t matter whether it’s on TV or not. Our basic expectations for ourselves are to play hard and play at a high level. That is, give it your best effort every time whether it’s practice or however high level a game it might be. Just give your all. That’s what we try to instill in all our kids.”

The 6A Region 2 race for the playoffs kick off for DHS the following week with a road trip to Bay Minette to face the Baldwin County High Tigers starting their second season under head coach Bobby Moore.

“Expectations are high for the region,” Vickery said. “We set them high for ourselves and we know all our region opponents set high standards for themselves, too. We have a lot of respect for coach Moore and his players and coaches. His teams are always well prepared and well coached. And always play hard at home, but we are going to do our best to be ready.”

The schedule does not lighten up with three new 6A schools from southeastern Alabama coming into Region 2 this year.

“We also have new teams from the Wiregrass coming into Region 2,” Vickery added. “Some people are not happy about that many long drives for away games, but we don’t have a choice. Besides, I look for the positives in things when I can and I see the road trips to those games (region opponents in Dothan, Northview and Enterprise) as chances to condition the kids to the types of road trips we hope to have to take in the playoffs.”

Northview and Enterprise will be home games for DHS at Jubilee Stadium while Dothan will be away this year. Next year, the schedule will flip and Daphne will travel to Enterprise and Northview and host Dothan.

Vickery also touched on Daphne without four-year starter T.J. Yeldon now at Alabama.

“You don’t replace a T. J. Yeldon, but you do what you have to. He was a special player for us, but he is a special person, too. So, we don’t have a T.J. Yeldon anymore, but we do have a T. J. Fleeton. T. J. (Fleeton) started at quarterback for us last year and did a great job for us. We won the Hoover 7-on-7 last year and he was a big reason for that. And he has good receivers like Chris Sain and Jonathan (McGaster) coming back. At running back, I think Josh Johnson and Ronnie Davis are quality 6A backs and will be a big help to T. J. (Fleeton). Josh and Ronnie have different styles from T.J. (Yeldon) but they work hard and that’s what we want. It’s all we ask. And with Ashton (McQuitery)— who has always done a good job for us and will be a leader on and off the field— back up front for us.

“I have no doubts about the effort, but I know we can always do better and we will keep focusing on execution in all aspects of the game.”