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: Maine South (Park Ridge, Ill.)

2016 finish: 11-3; Class 8A state champion

Head coach: David Inserra

School/Team Twitter: @MaineSouthAth

Key departures:

QB Nick Leongas

MLB Michael Pusateri

OL Kevin Jarvis

WR Matt Holbrook

K Sean McNulty

Key returners:

RB Fotis Kokosioulis

WR Cam Stacy

KR Paul Sasso

Spotlight matchup: @ Glenbard West, Aug. 26

Season outlook

Maine South stunned the Illinois high school football world by upsetting previously unbeaten and No. 1-ranked Loyola Academy, 27-17, in the Class 8A state finals.

It was the program’s first state title since 2010, when it completed a three-peat.

Perhaps the biggest factor in the team’s chase for another crown this fall will be quarterback play, as the team loses Nick Leongas to graduation.

Leongas, an All-State pick, was a dual-threat dynamo who accounted for more than 4,000 yards and scored 41 combined touchdowns rushing and throwing.

Head coach David Inserra will have to shift his approach this fall. John O’Sullivan, currently in the lead to replace Leongas, is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound pocket passer with a rocket arm.

RELATED: Built by high school coaches, for high school teams: Sign up for a USA Football 7on7 event

As the team did last year in the USA Football regional event, Maine South will utilize 7on7s as a way to grow and develop in the summer—something that will be critical as the team shifts from Leongas to O’Sullivan.

“It’s more for competition than practice. We find it valuable,” Inserra told USA Football. “When you have a dual-threat guy, maybe it’s not as realistic. But this year, it’s even more valuable, with a pro-style quarterback.”

That’s not to say that the team won’t have any dual-threat packages on offense. Robert Inserra, a 5-8 junior and the coach’s son, will provide that change of pace behind center.

The focal point of the team’s offense will likely be running back Fotis Kokosioulis, an NIU commit who is  extremely versatile out of the backfield. He’s accounted for more than 4,000 all-purpose yards over the last two seasons.

Cam Stacy returns at wide receiver for the defending champions, joining Sean McNulty. McNulty does everything for Maine South from playing linebacker and offensive lineman to kicking and punting. In the 2016 state finals against Loyola, he tied a record with a 66-yard punt.

The loss of Kevin Jarvis, a two-way lineman who is now at Michigan State, will be felt on both sides of the ball.

Despite capturing a state title last year, don’t expect to see Maine South near the top of preseason rankings in Illinois. Prairie Ridge, Loyola, Marist and others will likely capture most of the attention heading into the fall.

It’s odd for Maine South, one of the state’s top programs, to fly under the radar. But it was the formula that led to a state title in 2016, so don’t be stunned to see Inserra and his squad back in Champaign on Thanksgiving weekend with a chance to add to their ring collection.

SEE ALSO:

• The Road to Repeat: Whitehaven (Memphis, Tenn.)
• The Road to Repeat: Fayetteville (Ark.)
• The Road to Repeat: Hoover (Ala.)
• The Road to Repeat: Grayson (Loganville, Ga.)