ETSN.fm 2013 Preseason Class 2A Poll: No. 7 Garrison

Garrison handled the jump to Class 2A about as well as a Class A football program could in head coach Craig Barker's first year at the helm.

Garrison, which went 25-2 in 1A ball during the 2010-11 seasons, kept the momentum going in 2012, when the Bulldogs finished 8-4 with a 2A Division II Region III second-round playoff appearance.

ETSN.fm fully expects Garrison to reach the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year this fall. Barker welcomes back 16 starters -- eight on each side of the ball -- to his playoff-proven squad.

Offensive playmakers Cameron Rodriguez and Logan Clark return after accounting for more than 2,300 total yards a year ago, when the Bulldogs averaged 28.8 points per game.

Garrison also can depend on a veteran-laden defense that allowed only 16.9 points per game last season. Khiran Arrington, Kade Hammer, and Josh Robison combined for almost 200 tackles in 2012 and will again be key cogs on the Bulldogs' defense.

Garrison fell 41-7 at Arp last September in a District 10-2A Division II opener, but the Bulldogs return twice as many starters this season as the Tigers. That game falls on Sept. 27 this season and could very likely decide the district championship, which it ultimately did last year.