10 questions heading into USA Football/MaxPreps Football Media Day

Video: 2015 USA Football/MaxPreps Football Media Day presented by the San Francisco 49ers
Local teams get opportunity to check out home of five-time Super Bowl champions.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The high school football season keeps getting moved up. So do inquiring minds.

Northern California and Bay Area prep journalists will be locked and loaded with plenty of questions for the second annual USA Football/MaxPreps Media Day presented by the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on Wednesday.

Coaches and players from 34 teams throughout the region will be on hand, fielding questions in a press conference setting, participating in Heads Up Football tackling drills from USA Football and taking in equipment demonstrations from Riddell. This season, USA Football has organized a series of 7-on-7 tournaments nationwide. In conjunction with Wednesday's event, a Western Regional tournament will be played at Twin Creeks Sports Complex in Sunnyvale.

Among those teams partaking in media day who also qualified for West Regionals are California School for the Deaf (Fremont), Hillsdale (San Mateo), Lower Lake, North Salinas (Salinas), Encinal (Alameda) and Sacramento.

Last year, then-49ers head coach Jim Tomsula surprised media members and players with an impassioned, impromptu plea to seize the the moment.

"This is huge, man," Tomsula said. "This is high school football and this is your senior year. It's huge and exciting and it should get you fired up. It should be the last thing you think about before you fall asleep and the first thing you think about when you wake up in the morning. It's huge.

"You are playing football at the greatest time of your life. It's high school football on Friday night. It's the perfect time to play, so enjoy the heck out of it."

There's no plans for new 49ers coach Chip Kelly to speak, but another surprise spitfire speech wouldn't be out of the question.

Before then, here's 10 questions we'd like answered.

1. Who will be the starting quarterback at De La Salle (Concord)? The Spartans haven't lost to a Northern California team since the Cold War officially ended (Dec. 26, 1991). But they must replace 18 starters from last year's 13-1 team that finished No. 1 nationally in the MaxPreps computer rankings, presented by the Army National Guard.

Winners of seven state titles in 10 years, De La Salle rarely misses a beat even after graduation takes a heavy toll. But experience running the veer offense is critical and as of the spring, it wasn't clear who that new starter to replace two-year starter Anthony Sweeney would be.

There's no panic in Concord, however. Coaches are upbeat about the new crop of Spartan players both on the talent and attitude front.

2. How good can Serra (San Mateo) quarterback Leki Nunn be?

As a junior, the versatile 5-foot-10, 175-pounder was the West Catholic Athletic League Player of the Year. He threw for 1,766 yards rushed for 1,068 more and accounted for 32 touchdowns.

All in 10 games.

Remember, the Padres (6-4) were ineligible for the playoffs last season.

3. How hungry will Serra be in 2016?

See above.

Without a chance to make it to make the postseason, the Padres might have been the best 6-4 team in the state, losing to state champion De La Salle 37-21 and state finalist St. Francis (43-42) and Bellarmine (36-28).

They better hit the ground sprinting in 2016, with a non-league schedule of Sac-Joaquin Section power St. Mary's (Stockton), De La Salle and Pittsburg, the latter two on the road.

4. Will Burbank (Sacramento) defensive end Deonte Johnson hit triple digits? The second highest national recruit at media day will be Johnson, a 6-5, 240-pound defensive end who is rated the 105th best recruit in the country by 247Sports composite.

According to the site, Johnson has a ridiculous 96 college offers, including what appears to be his top choices Alabama, Arizona, Miami, Michigan and Oklahoma.

Apparently, Johnson wants to see the country. Good for him.

5. What possibly can Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton) do for an encore?

The school of about 600 has played with the big boys the last four years, winning four straight section crowns, regional titles in 2013 and 2015 and a Central Coast Section Open championship in 2014.

Led by one of the best in the business Pete Lavorato, the Gators are 50-7 in those four seasons but they lost a ton to graduation including three-year starting quarterback Mason Randall.

As usual, Lavorato won't play cupcakes in the non-league season, taking on Bay Area powers Palma, Riordan, San Benito and McClymonds.

6. Will Campolindo (Moraga) ever slow down? Much in the same vain as Sacred Heart Prep, but a public school, the Cougars have used a remarkable system devised by coach Kevin Macy and staff to earn Northern California "power" status despite a lack of depth or top-end talent.

The Cougars backed up the unlikely 2014 state championship with an even more unlikely 2015 regional title.

Since 2011, Campolindo is a remarkable 65-6. Those are approaching De La Salle numbers.

7. What is the ceiling for Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland) lineman Alijah Tucker?

Unlike Johnson, Tucker appears to be staying on the West Coast in college.

The 6-5, 291-pound senior is the 14th best offensive tackle in the country according to 247Sports Composite and No. 82 overall.

He has 16 offers with USC, Washington, Arizona, Cal and Arizona State among his favorites.

8. Who will Wilcox (Santa Clara) coach Paul Rosa plug in this season?

The Chargers went 9-3 last season and ran roughshod on CCS opponents, averaging more than 400 yards rushing per game and 500 games overall.

But they lost dynamic quarterback Eduardo Andrade, who accounted for almost 2,800 yards and 37 touchdowns. They also lost 1,000-yard rushers Robbie Saulus and Manu Turturi to graduation.

Wilcox always seems to rebound, having won at least eight games in 12 seasons.

9. Will Pittsburg dethrone Antioch?

When was the last time anyone asked that?

Pittsburg has ruled East Contra Costa County and the BVAL forever, but last year, led by the nation's top-rated junior player Najee Harris, Antioch took down the Pirates in one of the best games in Big Little Game history, winning 44-42.

The Pirates, with 10-3 records each of the last three seasons, are loaded again and feature one of Northern California's top running backs in 5-8, 185-pound Montaz Thompson. He rushed for 1,766 yards and 19 touchdowns last season.

Thompson and Pittsburg will take on Harris and the Panthers at Antioch on Nov. 5.

10. How does Elk Grove replace Ryan Robards?

The answer to that one is probably obvious: it doesn't. How could the Thundering Hurd, or anyone else, replace one of the state's top all-around talents?

Robards rushed for 2,884 yards and 43 touchdowns last year but did so much more, scoring seven more touchdowns four other ways. He led Elk Grove to a 13-1 season and lost in the CCS Section Division I finals to Folsom.

Don't feel too bad for the Herd. They have QB Jayden Machado (1,743 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, three interceptions) back and his top two receivers 5. Gavin Reinwald (46 catches, 853 yards, 13 TDs) and Jonas McMillan (31-446-6).