High School Football Media Day Primer: 10 things to watch

The inaugural USA Football/MaxPreps High School Football Media Day is set to take place at the Seattle Seahawks' VMAC facility on Sunday, with over 30 programs from the Seattle-Tacoma area.

Dozens of local and national media members will be in attendance interviewing coaches and players from many of the area's top programs.

Here are 10 Seattle-area high school football storylines to watch heading into Media Day.

1. Will Bellevue ever lose?
The Wolverines own one of the nation's longest winning streaks at 54 games and have not lost to an in-state opponent since Skyline.

Bellevue has also tested itself against national foes, defeating Euless Trinity (Texas) in 2012 and booking Serra (Gardena, Calif.) for 2014.

Entering the season, Bellevue checks in at No. 16 in the MaxPreps Preseason Top 25 Early Contenders, despite losing its most explosive player in years in Budda Baker. Bellevue has shown a nearly-unmatched ability to reload, but that will once again be tested in 2014.

2. How good can Bothell be?
Bothell and head coach Tom Bainter will arrive at Media Day with rather lofty expectations.

The early MaxPreps Computer Rankings peg Bothell as the state's No. 2-ranked team entering the season. The optimism is justified.

The team returns 16 starters, evenly divided between offense and defense. The group is highlighted by quarterback Ross Bowers, a rapidly-rising recruit who will no doubt field questions on Sunday about his recent commitment to Cal.

With Sam McPherson and Dayzell Wilson also back on offense, Bothell could improve on its 37 point per game average from a year ago.

3. Metro schools look to make their mark
Franklin (Seattle) and Cleveland (Seattle) are among the Metro conference schools looking to take a step forward today.

Under head coach Juan Cotto, Franklin has a lot of momentum heading into the season. Sophomore quarterback Jaylen Generoso will lead the offense.

Cleveland improved from 2-6 to 5-6 in the first season under head coach Jeff Schmidt. Returning quarterback Amonte Phillips could help Cleveland improve even further in 2014.

4. Will the state's best running back please stand up?
It seems like a banner year in Washington at the running back position.

Marysville-Pilchuck (Marysville) standout Austin Joyner is the state's No. 1-ranked recruit overall according to 247Sports. Entering his senior year, the Washington State commit is already a two-time all-state pick.

Not to be outdone, future University of Washington running back Myles Gaskin will also be in attendance. The O'Dea star was an all-area and all-state pick. He helped lead O'Dea (Seattle) to a 12-1 record a year ago.

Bellevue has a returning all-area pick of its own in running back Ross Connors. He could end up being the most productive back in the state this season, seeing a majority of the handoffs in Bellevue's dynamic Wing-T offense.

All three will be in attendance on Sunday. Federal Way's Chico McClathcher won't be in attendance, but is definitely in the conversation.

5. Can Tumwater make another run?
One of the teams traveling farthest to attend Media Day is Tumwater. However, as last season proved, Tumwater is not intimidated by long drives or larger teams.

Sid Otton's squad finished as the runner up in Class 2A a year ago, and finished No. 12 of the statewide MaxPreps Computer Rankings regardless of class.

Graduation can be crippling to any team, but its effects are normally most profound among small schools. Tumwater is no exception. However, standout linebacker T.J. Davis returns; he may see more action at running back this season.

6. Eastside rising
Eastside Catholic (Sammamish) and head coach Jeremy Thielbahr have great momentum heading into Media Day and the 2014 season.

The squad finished 11-3 last year but advanced to the 3A title game against Bellevue (which it lost 52-20).

Eastside Catholic returns productive passer Harley Kirsch and a big offensive line led by Cody Baker and Alexander Neale. To start the season, there may not be a more explosive offense in the state. Last year, it topped 40 points in nine games. Expect improvement, not regression.

Perhaps the biggest testament to how far Thielbahr's program has come lies in the team's ninth-grade ranks: Jahlen Jack, the younger brother of UCLA star Myles Jack, chose to attend Eastside Catholic instead of Bellevue.

7. SPSL superiority?
Entering 2014, it seems as if the South Pugent Sound League has a number of good teams, but are there any potentially great ones?

Graham-Kapowsin (Graham) finished 10-1 last year and has high hopes for this season. Trevor Asbjornsen will once again lead the offense. He has the luxury of not only a big offensive line, but one of his favorite targets returning in Austin Ewell. Curtis (University Place) and and Federal Way will be back in the discussion.

There will be plenty of competition in the SPSL North with the likes of Auburn Riverside, Tahoma and Kent-Meridian.

8. Mount Si continues to build
Charlie Kinnune's Mount Si (Snoqualmie) program continues to take steps forward.

In 2012, it started the season unbeaten with a 6-0 record before running into Bellevue. That team ended up finishing 11-2.

Last year, the team finished 9-2, with losses to Bellevue and O'Dea.

Chris Schlichting, an offensive lineman with an offer from Montana, will help try to lift Mount Si into the category of the state's elite teams.

9. Lacrosse stars on the gridiron
Seattle Prep running back Sam Kopf might be even better with a lacrosse stick in his hand than a football under his arm.

The 5-foot-10 senior rushed for 1,600 yards last year, but is committed to play lacrosse at Navy. He accepted the offer after his sophomore season.

Liberty (Renton) offensive lineman Nate Jarvis and Eastside Catholic's Arend Broekmate (who will continue the sport at Lafayette) are also two-sport stars who spend their springs playing lacrosse.

10. Foster Sarell: Manchild
No player at Media Day will be physically more impressive than Foster Sarell of Graham-Kapowsin.

The 6-6, 290-pound sophomore lineman was a runner up for MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year honors last year, and could be the nation's top sophomore offensive linemen this fall.

He already has offers from Eastern Washington and Washington. Plenty of others are on the way.