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During preseason, the Gaithersburg varsity football staff puts its sophomores in blue jerseys until they show they can play on Fridays. Earning a gold shirt requires adjusting to the so-called "speed of the game."

If all goes to plan for the Trojans, the sophomores' initial shock of speed will come from their own teammates.

Gaithersburg has some burners in 2009, be it at running back (senior Axel Ofori), wide receiver (seniors Sean Combs and DeSean Brown) or, most noticeably, linebacker.

The three-senior linebacking corps returns regulars Edwin Johnson (4.5-second 40-yard dash) and Travon Carroll (4.6), and adds converted defensive back Dillon Davis (4.6). Johnson, a three-year starter and 4.0 student, is "the Rhodes Scholar of the group," according to head coach Kreg Kephart.

"When it comes time for blitzes, people are going to have to watch for our speed," Johnson said. "That's really going to work to our advantage."

Davis is the hard-hitter in a group trying to do to others what they did to the Trojan offense a year ago. They committed 35 turnovers last season, six each in season-defining losses to Churchill and Northwest.

Ofori holds scholarship offers, including one from Big East program Louisville. He should create some of the long gainers the offense has lacked in recent seasons, but he also knows big runs won't help if he fumbles at the end of them.

"Everybody's trying to strip the ball [in practice], hitting hard," Ofori said. "I'm trying to get at least over 1,000 yards, and hopefully 1,500. And no fumbles, no turnovers."

Junior Zack Fetters returns at quarterback after taking over the starting job late last season. But Kephart did not just hand over the reins; senior Anthony Howard is also competing for the job. Both could see time at safety, with the backup quarterback rotating in at receiver, as well.

Whoever throws the ball will have plenty of potential targets; fast ones like Combs and Brown, and big ones like bookend 6-foot-4 juniors Sylvester Oni and Chris Westphal, and senior tight end Jason Akinseye (6-1, 215 pounds).

Akinseye will also hold down one end of the defensive line, with Oni, Westphal and sophomores Ben Rockwood and Joel Kwessi in the rotation. The offensive line and defensive tackles will come from among Rockwood (6-2, 200), seniors Jonathan Cortez (6-4, 305), Ryan McHenry (5-10, 310), Ryan Hart (5-10, 210) and Reggie Banks (5-10, 200) and juniors Dan Shields (5-10, 185) and Demetric Brown (6-0, 185).

Ofori will start at safety, alongside Fetters and/or Howard. Combs rotates at one corner with senior Tyler Lardy, also the backup running back. The other cornerback job goes to this year's most precocious sophomore, Simba Gwashavanhu, already wearing gold less than a week into two-a-days.

Present and future are equally important for a program locked out of the playoffs for the last two years.

"The key with those sophomores; if they're going to start or they're going to play a lot, we'll keep them," Kephart said. "If they're not going to start … we'll try to save them to play with the JV on Saturday."

Gaithersburg

Head coach: Kreg Kephart, 9th year (64-34)

League: Montgomery 4A West

Last year's record: 6-4

Last playoff appearance: 2006 (12th)

Last state title: 2000 (3rd)

Players to watch: RB/DB Axel Ofori, FB/LB Edwin Johnson, QB/S Zack Fetters

2008 results

Sept. 5 — Springbrook (W), 10-7

Sept. 12 — Wheaton (W), 28-7

Sept. 19 — Blair (W), 28-14

Sept. 26 — Churchill (L), 20-13

Oct. 3 — Quince Orchard (L), 35-0

Oct. 10 — Blake (W), 31-6

Oct. 17 — Northwest (L), 30-22

Oct. 24 — Watkins Mill (W), 33-0

Oct. 31 — Sherwood (L), 41-0

Nov. 7 — Magruder (W), 25-0

2009 schedule

Sept. 4 — at Churchill, 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 11 — at Wootton, 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 16 — Clarksburg, 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 25 — Walter Johnson, 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 2 — at Sherwood, 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 9 — at Paint Branch, 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 16 — Whitman, 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 23 — Magruder, 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 30 — at Northwest, 6:30 p.m.

Nov. 6 — B-CC, 6:30 p.m.