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For years, their foes have waited in the wings for the mighty to fall.

But each season, those questions the doubters routinely fling at the Maryville Rebels are easily deflected by yet another state-championship ring.

Yet something seems different this season, as another cluster of college prospects exited Maryville for universities across the Southeast.

Halls coach Kevin Julian, whose Red Devils host the four-time defending Class 4A state champions Friday at 7:30 p.m. in a season opener between Region 3-4A rivals, laughs at the thought of his region foe being "down."

But even in the midst of praising the Rebels' 60-game winning streak, a faint sense of optimism can be detected. And why not? Julian returns 18 starters from last year's team that advanced to the playoffs and fell just short of Red Bank in second-round action.

"Top to bottom, are they as good as they have been the past couple of years? Probably not," Julian said of Maryville. "But they are still the best team we will play all year long -- by far. That's a testament to (Rebels) coach George Quarles, his staff and those kids out there."

And while Quarles' success is undeniable, this may be his toughest task during his tenure in Blount County.

The Rebels get a reprieve from their almost-annual season opener against fellow power Alcoa -- the Tornadoes visit Shields Stadium on Aug. 29 -- but Halls may prove to be just as formidable of an opponent, especially considering the current state of the Rebels' depth chart.

Maryville entered this season with questions at quarterback due to the graduation of Brent Burnette, a Class 4A Mr. Football Award winner last year.

Those questions got even more inquisitive when the Rebels learned earlier this week that senior Aaron Chamberlain, the frontrunner among three candidates to start at quarterback, will miss significant time after undergoing an appendectomy.

Senior Mark Young and junior Philip Juhlin both are likely to see time under center at Halls, but that is only one of the areas Quarles will be watching closely.

While a jamboree loss to Seymour on Friday meant a little less than nothing, it did confirm one of Quarles' fears.

"We felt like depth was an issue," he said. "Now, we know for sure it is an issue. We feel pretty good about our first-team guys. After that, we have a long way to go. We have guys that just aren't ready yet."

Not the best of news heading into a matchup with a veteran Halls team picked by many to finish second in the region.

The Red Devils boast a handful of running backs that Julian feels comfortable letting tote the rock during his team's bid for an upset. The coach also has no fears lining up returning senior starter Tyler Turner under center, just a week after he suffered a concussion when he landed head-first on a sprinkler head.

"Kevin Julian has done a really nice job there of building it back up," Quarles said of the Red Devils. "Halls has been a really good program, but it slipped the past couple of years. I think he has it going in the right direction."

But will that direction point toward an upset victory over one of the most dominant teams in state history?

While neither coach was eager to offer up a prediction, both were in agreement that a meeting against one of the toughest opponents on their schedule is not the way they hoped to open the 2008 season.

That is especially true of Quarles, who is not sure what to anticipate from the large number of inexperienced players on his roster.

"I think it will help us in the long run," Quarles said of the early test. "But sometimes those lessons are tough to learn. And who knows? They may come out and respond and play lights-out. But I think there will be a bit of a learning curve involved."