By DAN HINER

sports@vindy.com

COLUMBIANA

Columbiana football team finished the 2016 season 7-3 and posted its first back-to-back winning seasons since 2011-12.

But if the Clippers are to put together a third consecutive winning season, they’ll have to do it without quarterback Mitch Davidson, who owns every conceivable passing mark in Columbiana football history. Davidson and most of the Clippers’ offensive starters — all but three of them — were lost to graduation.

Offense

In addition to replacing Davidson, Columbiana will have an entirely new offensive line and a new group of running backs.

The running backs will feature three new running backs. Nate Carter, Frank Rupert and Stephen Anderson are all competing for the starting spot.

Sophomore Jakob Cross will be the quarterback this season. Cross played sparingly behind Davidson last season.

The strength of the offense will be the receivers. Jarrett Nemick, Zach Phillips and Dustin Bennett were the Clippers’ leading receivers last season and all three will be back in 2017.

Defense

The Clippers’ defense is also in rebuilding mode and the team will need to find players to fill the voids left by Conner Stacy, Keenan Green and Sean Congemi on that side of the ball.

Only three starters are returning from last season.

Two of the three returning starters — Rupert and Zach Witherow — are linebackers.

Bennett and Phillips will see time in the secondary.

Finding experience on the defensive side of the ball will be tough for the Clippers in 2017. Outside of the four defensive players mentioned, the team features just six other seniors.

Special Teams

The kickers will be freshman Collin Schick and senior Jared Bryarly. Coach Bob Spaite said Bryarly has looked good throughout the summer and expects a strong performance from his kicking game.

The punter has not been decided. Spaite said the team needs to find answers at that spot and a couple other positions. He said the team’s decision will be made before the start of the season. Several players have been battling for the job.

Outlook

It will be important for Columbiana to get off to a good start. The Clippers open season at Western Reserve, then host McDonald and go back on the road to play Springfield.

Spaite said the team is aware of the challenge those first three opponents present. He said all three teams could potentially win the new Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference and make the playoffs.

“It’s a very, very difficult schedule for us,” Spaite said. “But just like we were in the early 2000s, it’s kind of the way we schedule things. We schedule things knowing the league is going to be highly competitive, which I think this one will.

“We may not win the league, but we can take care of ourselves in the non-league and be very, very competitive. [I think] 7-3, 8-2 gets us in the playoffs, puts us in the hunt for the title and those are successful things.”