Argonaut Mustangs

Coach: Rick Davis

Career record: 99-55-1

Record at school: 86-47-1

Last year: Argonaut (10-2, 5-0) rolled through league, its average win was 40-7, but section officials forced it to give up a favorable seed in the Division 4 playoffs and that led to a quarterfinal loss to Central Catholic.

Last league title: 2011

Last playoff berth: 2011

Coaching staff: Matt King, Gary Landerberg, Fred Fletcher, Brian Drake, Scott Hunkins.

Top returners: RB/DB Colton Merriman (6-1, 195), RB/DB Ryan King (5-8, 165), OL/DL Raf Velasquez (5-9, 275), QB/LB Broc Hayes (6-1, 210), OL/DL Daniel Lyle (6-5, 300), O/DL Zach Luchan (5-10, 225), TE/LB Anthony Chansler (6-0, 185), OL/DL Kydan Lewis (6-1, 285), OL/DL Austin Arevalo (5-8, 175).

Top newcomers: OL/DL Tyler Clays (6-5, 300, jr.), RB/DB Tyler Love (6-0, 175, jr.), K/DB Emilio Pineda (6-0, 185, jr.), OL/DL Chase Cobb (6-0, 245, jr.).

Outlook: They grow ‘em big in Jackson, as the Mustangs will have one of the heaviest lines in the district – on both sides of the ball. … Merriman (1,198 yards, 9.4-yard avg., 20 TDs) had a potential career year, and he was just the No. 2 back, and he could easily top 1,500 this season behind that talented line. .. King (753 yards rushing. 8.3, 10; 76 tackjles, 6 INTs) was the MLL Defensive MVP and is looking at a 1,000-yard season as Argonaut’s No. 2 back. … Valasquez was the MLL Linemen of the Year, while Hayes steps into the QB role. The Mustangs thow only six or seven passes a game, but Hayes will be instrumental running the complicated Cox Box-style attack that sends three and four blockers through the same hole in ab id to overpower the defense. It’s a Blitzkrieg approach, hoping to create a hole and then burst through it – and it’s been successful for Argonaut.

Key game: Week 4 (Sept. 14) vs. Ferndale. One of the North Coast Section’s top small-school programs, this is the first time these programs have met. It’s always good to get a game against a quality foe from a different region.