Here are 10 storylines for football season that begins Wednesday

Here are 10 storylines to follow this year as the season dawns.

Corky Kell: First played in 1992 at the old Georgia Dome, the annual kickoff classic begins Wednesday with a doubleheader at West Forsyth. The event’s first out-of-state team, Alabama-power Hoover, is taking on North Gwinnett on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Fourteen of the AJC’s 26 preseason all-state players in Class 7A are playing in this year’s Corky Kell.

Milton: The Eagles are the preseason No. 1 team in Class 7A and probably the state’s most talented overall. They possess five of the state’s top-100 senior recruits and the No. 1 junior prospect nationally, defensive lineman Lebbeus “L.T.” Overton. Milton was a Cinderella first-time state champion in 2018. A second title wouldn’t be so shocking.

North Cobb: The Warriors, coming off a 10-2 season and returning a star quarterback, Malachi Singleton, were going to be good regardless. Then, four major Division I recruits — two receivers and two cornerbacks — moved in from Brookwood, making North Cobb an instant state contender. Ranked No. 3 in preseason, North Cobb is chasing its first state title in history.

Gunner: The state’s most popular player is probably Rabun County quarterback Gunner Stockton, who committed to Georgia in the offseason. A four-year starter, he’s on pace to break Trevor Lawrence’s Georgia career record for passing touchdowns and Deshaun Watson’s records for total passing and rushing yards. What Stockton most wants is his school’s first football state title. Rabun County is ranked No. 1 in 2A.

Horn to Hunter: As a duo, Collins Hill quarterback Sam Horn and wide receiver Travis Hunter are Georgia’s greatest show on turf. A pair of Super 11 seniors who have hooked up for 36 touchdown passes, the most ever for a QB-WR pair in the highest classification. And they have a season to play. Collins Hill, seeking its first state title, enters ranked No. 2 in Class 7A.

Old magic: Two of Georgia’s most successful coaches have returned after ventures into college football, and their impact will be closely watched. Joey King, whose record is 57-4 with two state titles at Cartersville, has taken over at Carrollton, the most consistently frustrated good program with its five consecutive quarterfinals playoff losses. Jeff Herron, who won three state titles at Camden County in the century’s first decade, is back at Camden County, which had run aground on the Georgia coast since he departed in 2013.

The unexpected: Collins Hill wasn’t ranked in the preseason last year but played for the Class 7A title. Pierce County won an unexpected first state title in a 3A overtime thriller. South Atlanta and River Ridge won region titles for the first time. The great surprises of 2021 are guaranteed, but they’re revealed on their own time.

TV: More games than ever will be televised. CBS46/PeachtreeTV will broadcast a record 31 of them, including all 11 Corky Kell Classic games. GPB will have a weekly game beginning Sept. 10 and televise all eight state finals again. ESPN will show No. 1 Milton at No. 3 North Cobb on Aug. 27 and Pace Academy at Rabun County on Aug. 28. Stations in Savannah, Augusta, Ellijay and Chattanooga also will televise games.

Credit: Jason Getz

Credit: Jason Getz

Travel resumed: Interstate games in 2020 were a near-total casualty of COVID-19, but they’re back to gauge how Georgia stands nationally. Alabama’s most famous program, Hoover, is in town Saturday. Milton will travel to Philadelphia to face a top-25 national program, St. Joseph’s. Blessed Trinity is playing a North Carolina champion, Charlotte Catholic. Marist is playing a Florida runner-up, Bolles. Collins Hill is playing a Mississippi champion, Greenville Christian. And Eagle’s Landing Christian is playing an Ohio champion, St. Xavier.

COVID: Just a reminder, it’s not over yet. In 2020, the football season was backed up two weeks while 10% percent of regular-season games were canceled and hundreds more rescheduled. This week, 13 season openers have been taken off the books. Unlike last season, teams that cancel over the pandemic are subject to forfeits, and those that can’t guarantee full seating in the playoffs — which are run by the GHSA — can lose their privilege to host. The GHSA has curtailed its guidance this season, giving local school districts almost full say again on COVID protocols. Executive director Robin Hines struck a positive chord this week. “We’re back to normal,’’ he said. “We’re ready to go.’’