1. Cory Hunter, Fuquay-Varina, junior RB — The reigning conference Player of the Year returns for his junior (yes, he’s only a junior) season, and if Hunter can match last year’s 1,888 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns, Fuquay will again be the team to beat.

On multiple occasions last season, the Bengals would sustain an entire scoring drive off nothing but Hunter carries. The son of former Olympic shot-putter C.J. Hunter, Cory has lower body strength unparalleled in the conference.

Only 6-feet and weighing about 190 pounds, Hunter can power clean 315 pounds. His explosiveness while running in between the tackles makes him the hardest player in the conference to bring down, and the vision to follow his blocks and enter the next level of defense. To boot, when his team needs a crucial stop on defense, Hunter can also double as a lock-down corner.

Fuquay doesn’t plan on being quite as run-heavy this year, but Hunter should still get more than 20 carries a game — which will be bad news for the rest of the conference.

2. Shawn Underwood, Fuquay-Varina, junior DT/OG — Teams found it impossible to run up the middle on the Bengals last year, and they have Shawn Underwood to partially thank for that. Underwood started as a sophomore, boasting menacing strength and unusual agility for a player his size.

When paired with the the now-departed Joe Figeuroa, the Bengals had nearly 500 pounds of person clogging up the middle of the field. The 6-foot-3 Underwood may be one of the state’s most gifted lineman on either side of the ball, weighing 295 pounds but running a sub-5.0 40-yard dash.

Underwood looks to extend his dominance to this season not only as a defender, where he recorded more than 50 tackles and five sacks last year, but as an offensive guard. With a number of F-V offensive linemen now gone, Underwood will play a pivotal role in the Bengals’ vaunted rushing attack.

3. Fre’Shad Hunter, Cary, senior DE — Hunter may be the best senior in the conference this year, and he’s certainly the most recruited of the bunch with offers from Tennessee, South Carolina, N.C. State, East Carolina and a few others.

Hunter’s numbers last season won’t jump out at anybody — although six sacks and eight tackles for loss isn’t too shabby for a first year at the position — but his athletic ability is undeniable.

Cary had one of the conference’s best defensive lines last year, but with Eloheim Palma and Chris Barfield now graduated, Hunter will have to take his game to another level this year. A former linebacker, Hunter runs a 4.6 40-yard dash and has a 6-foot-4, 245-pound muscular frame that has college scouts drooling.

4. Isaac Minor, Fuquay-Varina, senior LB — Yes, three of the top four players are from Fuquay — and you wonder why the Bengals went 11-2 last season. If a running back had the good fortune to get past Underwood and the Fuquay defensive line, linebacker Isaac Minor was there, waiting to put a lick on the unsuspecting victim.

At only about 5-feet-7 and 155 pounds, Minor may be pound-for-pound the heaviest hitter you’ll see. Last season, Minor laid out opponents over 150 times — the most tackles of any Tri-9 player. A first-team All-Conference selection and a third-year starter, Minor is among the most feared defenders in the conference. As former Apex quarterback Houston Hawley put it: “He will just keep hitting you.”

5. J.J. Graves, Holly Springs, senior RB — If there’s reason for optimism in Holly Springs this year, it starts with being one of just two area schools to return a 1,000-yard rusher. And to think, J.J. Graves eclipsed that mark in just 10 games, totaling 1,007 yards (6.5 per carry) and eight touchdowns.

In a finesse league, Graves will be one of few true downhill runners on a team that preaches the option pitch. At 5-feet-6 and 195 pounds, Graves is as slippery as he is strong. For a team that only passed the ball 97 times last year and will be breaking in a new quarterback, expect Graves to see even more work this season.

6. Garrett Leatham, Middle Creek, junior QB — Leatham was stellar as a sophomore, leading the Mustangs to the second round of the 4-A playoffs while throwing for 2,248 yards and 18 touchdowns. With another year under his belt, the strong-armed QB could improve his 52 percent passing and put the Mustangs in contention for a league title.

As the year went along, Leatham got better each week. In a first-round playoff game against Smithfield-Selma, he tossed a season-high four touchdown passes. With a talented JV to draw upon for weapons and several returning starters, expect Leatham to put up huge numbers again this year.

7. Mike Fogg, Apex, senior LB/S — This linebacker/safety hybrid lacks nothing in athletic ability and can absolutely de-cleat opponents. With Conference Defensive Player of the Year Lewis McAlister now graduated, as well as eight other defensive starters, the Cougars will ask a lot of Fogg as those around him get used to playing at the varsity level.

As a first-team all-conference player last season, Fogg fortified the Apex linebacking corps. This year, Fogg will be moved around as a strong safety/linebacker hybrid in hopes of fully utilizing his athleticism.

8. Graham Love, Panther Creek, senior WR — At 6-feet-2, Graham Love provides a tall, lanky target for whichever Panther Creek quarterback wins the starting job. Love caught five touchdown passes last year and totaled 603 yards.

Love is an excellent jump-ball receiver, but can also make moves after the catch. He also doubled as a trick-play quarterback, completing two out of three passes for 108 yards and one score.

9. Phillip Ochieng, Cary, junior DT — While teammate Fre’Shad Hunter gets most of the attention, junior Phillip Ochieng quietly led the Imps with 12 tackles for loss and added three sacks. With so much attention sure to be on Hunter this year, Ochieng may be due for another big season.

10. Matt Beauchamp, Apex, senior OL — With most teams in the area suffering key losses along offensive lines, Beauchamp is the de facto cream of the Tri-9 crop this year after being named second team All-Conference last year. A stringy at 6-5 and 230 pounds, Beauchamp gives new Apex quarterback Adam Nelson a protected blindside, and hopefully for the Cougars, a clean backside as well.

11. Xavier Bailey, Holly Springs, senior LB/S/WR — Bailey might be the most-utilized two-way player in the conference, essential to the Golden Hawks’ defense and selective passing game. Bailey totaled 74 tackles last year and, as he’s well-equipped to play pass coverage, picked off two passes.

Another smallish Tri-9 linebacker, the senior can bring some pop when meeting ball carriers. On offense, Bailey caught five passes last year for 115 yards, and two of those completions went for touchdowns.

12. Ralph Chapman, Cary, senior RB/LB — Few Tri-9 players put on the all-around show that Ralph Chapman did last year. Like most Imp players, Chapman played both sides of the ball, rushing for 433 yards (average of 6.2 per carry) and six touchdowns while also recording a team-high three interceptions and 75 tackles. The plan this year is to have him play less linebacker and more running back, but he gives coach Ben Kolstad versatility on a team that lacks depth.

13. Stephen Sladek, Middle Creek, senior RB — In a pass-happy spread offense, Stephen Sladek still managed to run for 853 yards and 10 touchdowns. Sladek runs hard between the tackles and gives the Mustangs some much-needed offensive balance and change of pace. Sladek is also an asset in the passing game, where totaled 220 yards receiving last year.

14. Louis Wilder, Athens Drive, junior WR — Athens has a way of developing top-notch quarterback-to-receiver combinations, and this year’s edition starts with Louis Wilder. Wilder recorded 605 yards receiving last year and four touchdowns — and wasn’t even the No. 1 option on his team. Now he is paired with classmate Ben Snotherly, who had his share of moments as a backup last year, and Athens will once again be expected to put up big numbers through the air.

15. Aaron Womack, Green Hope, senior DB — It was easy to be overlooked at Green Hope last year, but Aaron Womack got the attention from opposing coaches and players after completing an impressive season for the Falcons. Womack wrapped up his junior year with a second team all-conference selection and turned heads with his 90-yard kickoff return for touchdown against Lee County.