The Road to Repeat will feature 2016 high school football state champions as they attempt to defend their title and repeat as state champions—an effort that requires program-wide collaboration, hard work and development.

Team: Fayetteville (Ark.)

2016 finish: 12-1; Arkansas Class 7A state champion

Head coach: Billy Dawson (@CoachBDawson)

School/Team Twitter: @FayBulldogsFB

Key departures:

QB Taylor Powell (Mizzou)

DL Akial Byers

RB Terrance Rock

WR Barrett Bannister

Key returners:

QB Darius Bowers

DL Dotson Schaefer

RB Dan Hinton

Spotlight matchup: @Bentonville (Ark.), Sept. 26

Season outlook

After leading Fayetteville to a Class 7A state title a year ago, head coach Bill Blankenship returned to the state of Oklahoma, where he once served as a Division I head coach, to become the head coach at Owasso High School.

That paved the way for Billy Dawson to take over as the team’s next head coach.

In 2016, Dawson won a state title at Class 6A Russellville (Ark.) and has four state titles to his name to go along with a career record of 174-57.

“Coach Dawson has an impeccable reputation across the state of Arkansas as a leader, mentor, and coach of student-athletes,” said Fayetteville’s athletic director, Steve Janski, in a release. “Billy’s tremendous success and his strong character and integrity make him the right fit for Fayetteville.”

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The most glaring hole staring at the team’s 2017 roster is behind center, as it will need to replace Taylor Powell, who threw for more than 9,000 yards throughout his career. For Fayetteville, a 2016 participant in USA Football's 7on7 national championship, quarterback development will be more critical than ever.

To earn another state title for both himself and his new team, Dawson will have to rely on a young quarterback with a bright future: Darius Bowers.

Bowers, a 6-foot-1 rising junior, played receiver last year but filled in occasionally behind center, showing impressive glimpses in limited reps. He'll have a much larger role in the offense as a junior.

The team’s defense improved throughout the season last year, as it allowed just 40 points spanning three playoff games. This fall, it will look to Dotson Schaefer to lead the charge. The 6-4, 230-pound defensive end has Division II offers and should be primed for a big senior campaign.

Following its state title-winning season of 2015, Fayetteville was in a similar position, having graduated key playmakers and needing to turn to unproven underclassmen to fill the void.

That recipe worked in 2016, as the program captured its fifth state title.

Though it will be challenged by the likes of Bentonville, North Little Rock and Har-Ber in 2017, Fayetteville projects to be a major threat for a three-peat.

Photo via Fayetteville Flyer