EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second of the Reporter Newspaper’s prep football previews. Previews for Kentridge, Kentwood and Tahoma will follow in the coming days leading up to the Sept. 1 season kickoff.

Brett Allen has been hearing The Question since the end of last football season.

How does the Kent-Meridian High football team replace David Jones?

It’s understandable that fans of South Puget Sound League football would be curious about Allen’s plan. After all, Jones, who is now playing at Portland State University, accounted for nearly 75 percent of the Royals total offense last season after amassing 2,453 yards to go along with 22 rushing touchdowns and nine more scores through the air.

So how does Allen respond to The Question?

“You don’t (replace Jones). I’ve been telling people that all summer, you don’t replace him,” said Allen, who is now entering his second year with the program. “He’s a once-in-a-lifetime, once-in-a-career kid. But, I think we will be a better overall team now that he’s gone. Last year, everyone in the stadium, including the players on the field, ended up standing around watching the David Show.

“This is going to force us to play team football.”

Despite Jones’ departure along with the graduation of several other key offensive weapons, the cupboards are hardly bare on the Kent-Meridian field. In fact, with seven starters back on offense and four more on defense, the Royals boast more returning players than many of their SPSL North counterparts, including an offensive line that is almost entirely intact.

“That’s the strength of our team. It’s what will make us go,” said Allen, noting key returning linemen Boogie Yuhashi, Ronald Fa’aagi, Thomas Kemp and  Alex Hawkins among others. “They’re really athletic. It’s a nice situation to be in.”

The Royals will be putting it all on the line this fall, both literally and figuratively, when the top four teams from the North advance to the postseason. Kent-Meridian will begin its post-Jones era in a nonleague game at Foss High in Tacoma Sept. 1. Kent-Meridian hasn’t advanced to the playoffs since 1995, a 16-year stretch in which the program has gone through five coaches.

Allen believes the tide could finally turn in Kent-Meridian’s favor this season.

“That’s the goal,” Allen said. “We’re going to climb out of the cellar of obscurity and get into the playoffs.”

Allen’s optimism stems as much from the team’s talented offensive line as it does from the return of honorable mention running back B.J. Phillips, who rushed for more than 700 yards and seven touchdowns last season. Phillips, a 5-8, 155-pound senior, possesses good speed and an uncanny ability to hit the holes the offensive line provides.

“He’s one of those hard-working kids … dependable, durable, and doesn’t go down on first contact,” the coach said. “It takes a couple guys to tackle him, and he really understands the system. When he gets into space, he has decent speed, too.”

In addition, Kent-Meridian tapped into the school’s elite track & field talent to help infuse more athleticism on the field. Among the track standouts who’ve made their way onto the gridiron include wide receivers Jarey Suiter and Abu Kamara, both of whom played key roles on the school’s state title track team in the spring.

“We sought them out,” Allen admitted. “One of our things was that we’re not going to let athletes walk the hall. We wanted to tap into that track talent.”

Yet, The Question remains.

And though the Royals have no way of replacing — or replicating — what Jones accomplished last year, Allen will turn to sophomore Quincy Carter as the new quarterback. Despite Carter’s youth, Allen has been impressed thus far in the 5-foot-11, 170-pound signal caller. Carter has all the athletic ability and the necessary intangibles to succeed in the SPSL North despite his young age.

“He has a lot of moxie. Obviously there’s going to be pressure. There’s no going away from it,” Allen said. “It’s how you respond to it. Quincy isn’t replacing David. Nobody could. (In the offseason) he has made himself a student of the game. He understands what it means to be the guy. He has all the football savvy and ability to play the position well.

“He just needs to maximize his potential.”

If Carter is able to do just that, and the offensive line does the same, Allen won’t have to answer The Question any longer.

KENT-MERIDIAN ROYALS: AT A GLANCE

• COACH: Brett Allen, second year

• LAST YEAR: 4-5 in league (6th), 4-6 overall

• TYPE OF OFFENSE: Spread

• OFFENSIVE RETURNERS (7): RB B.J. Phillips, sr., 5-8/162; WR R.J. Franada, sr., 5-10/170; T Timmy Cordova, jr., 6-0/210; G Thomas Kemp, jr., 5-7/175; C/G Ronald Fa’aagi, sr., 6-3/255; G/C Alex Hawkins, sr., 5-11/225; OL Boogie Yuhashi, sr., 6-2/250.

• TYPE OF DEFENSE: 4-2-5

• DEFENSIVE RETURNERS (4): DL Ronald Fa’aagi, sr., 6-3/255; DL Alex Hawkins, sr., 5-11/225; DL Boogie Yuhashi, sr., 6-2/250; CB B.J. Phillips, sr., 5-8/162.

• TOP NEWCOMERS: WR/FS Michael Banks, sr., 6-0/155; WR/CB Cartez Green, jr., 5-7/145; QB/S Quincy Carter, so., 5-11/170; OL/LB Teddy Garcia, sr., 6-0/190; WR/S Randall Cooper, jr., 5-9/160; WR/CB Jarey Suiter, sr., 5-8/160; WR/S Abu Kamara, jr., 6-3/175; C/DT Austin Brenner, jr., 6-3/250; WR/CB Christopher Wright, jr., 5-8/155.

• OUTLOOK: Things will look considerably different for Kent-Meridian this year without the services of star quarterback David Jones (Portland State), who accounted for roughly 75 percent (2,435 yards, 22 rushing and 9 passing touchdowns) of the team’s total offense last fall. Though the Royals won’t be able to replace Jones’ numbers, they do return a strong contingent of seven offensive starters, which should soften the blow. The biggest chunk of returning talent is on the offensive line, where the Royals could be as strong as any team in the SPSL North and pave the way to a big senior season for running back B.J. Phillips. The key, however, very well could come on defense, which has long been a thorn in K-M’s side. If the Royals can slow down opponents (they allowed 36.4 points per game last season), they should be in the hunt for one of the final playoff berths come season’s end.

• KEY GAME: Sept. 16 vs. Kentridge at French Field. With Kentwood, Auburn and Kentlake — the three top teams from a year ago — in succession during the final three weeks of the regular season, it’s vital that the Royals pick up early season victories if they’re going to remain in the playoff hunt. Last year, Kentridge derailed Kent-Meridian in what proved to be a pivotal early season game. Rest assured, the Royals will be ready for the rematch.

KENT-MERIDIAN SCHEDULE 2011

DATE                 OPPONENT                 LOCATION

Sept. 1                Foss*                            Foss

Sept. 8           A. Riverside                A. Memorial

Sept. 16           Kentridge                   French Field

Sept. 23         Mount Rainier                    MR

Sept. 29            Jefferson                  French Field

Oct. 7                Tahoma                     Tahoma

Oct. 14              Kentwood               French Field

Oct. 21               Auburn                    A. Memorial

Oct. 27             Kentlake                    French Field

All games begin at 7 p.m.

* Nonleague