Arcadia will defend its 2009 4A East Sky Region football title with a “reloaded” offense and a revamped defensive scheme in 2010.

The Titans are returning only three starters on offense. Because of the graduation of star quarterback Colby Kirkegaard and wide receiver Joey Artigue, Arcadia will look to run the ball more than it did last season.

In order to ease transition to the new offensive style, head coach Jim Ellison brought in some new blood on the coaching staff.

Ellison brought in former Pinnacle coach Lenny Abt to shore up blocking on the offensive line. Abt will be Arcadia’s new offensive and defensive line coach.

“He is the best offensive line coach I have ever met, and he also is a great defensive minded guy,” said Ellison.

The offensive line will be built around returning guards Dalton Kaye and Ryan Turner.

Kaye will be tough to move after gaining 25 pounds of muscle in the offseason, said Ellison.

The guards will block primarily for returning senior running back Bradley Teft. Teft averaged 5.5 yards a carry and scored three rushing touchdowns as a backup last season.

Despite the personnel losses at the skill positions on offense, Ellison is confident in his team’s replacements.

“We don’t rebuild, we reload,” Ellison said.

For the first time since losing Kirkegaard to graduation, the Titans have found a new field general.

Junior Cole Richardson, last year’s junior varsity starting quarterback, battled for the job during summer practice and really took hold of the position in early August during the varsity camp in Payson.

“Cole is having a very good camp,” said Ellison. “It looks like he is going to be the guy.”

Richardson has good arm strength, and his accuracy is improving. He also moved around well in the pocket at camp.

The team seems to be buying into its new leader.

The Titans voted for captains during the middle of camp and selected Richardson along with senior linebacker Landen Berry, Kaye and Teft.

Richardson beat out fellow junior Brendan Satran for the quarterback job. Satran missed all of last season with a baseball-related shoulder injury.

While he will not be starting behind center, Satran gives the Titans an incredibly quick and versatile athlete, and his skills will most benefit the team at other positions, said Ellison.

The speedy junior will start at safety on defense and take situational snaps at quarterback on offense.

Additionally, he will function as the offense’s third receiver in certain formations.

“(Satran’s) speed is ridiculous,” said Ellison.

“If we can match him up with an outside linebacker in a trips formation, he will be unstoppable.”

Arcadia also has question marks at wide receiver, where Artigue excelled last season.

Senior Kyle York and juniors Cody Neal-Purkiss, Ryan Bollinger and Austin Quinonez are all vying for receiver spots.

Bollinger is a returning starter on defense but took few snaps on offense last season.

“We have three or four guys going for the wide receiver spots and they are all improving, but I want to see them in a varsity game,” said Ellison.

The Titans are much more secure on the defensive side of the ball, where the team is returning almost every starter.

Ellison also brought in some new coaches to help shore up the Titan defense.

Pat Hurley will take over as defensive coordinator. Hurley has coached at Pinnacle and Chaparral high schools. He was the defensive coordinator for Pinnacle for the past five years.

The Titans will still operate the same 3-4 defense as last year, with slight modifications, said Ellison.

“The new defense is more sound and prepares the players to read more keys in the opposition,” he said.

Hurley and Abt also brought two former Pinnacle players with them to help the Titans adjust to the new system. Joe Distor and Bryce Wawrzyniak will help the players feel comfortable and execute new schemes.

The Arcadia linebacking core is one of the team’s biggest strengths.

The Titans are two deep at every linebacking position, and any one of the backers is capable of making some big plays, said Ellison.

The probable starters at the position are Berry and juniors Alex Bolton and Andrew Bradway.

“We are very intelligent on defense, and our reaction on plays is unbelievable,” said Ellison.

“We come downhill very well.”

The Titans will work to avoid fatigue this season by limiting two-way starters.

Fatigue was a major factor in last season’s first-round playoff loss to Douglas, and the Titans do not want history to repeat itself in 2010, said Ellison.

Arcadia is scheduled to open the 2010 season on the road, traveling to Flagstaff on September 3 to face the Coconino Panthers.