As they always are under veteran head coach Keith Dabbs, the expectations are high for Tabernacle Christian’s eight-man football team.

Despite their bothersome battle with injuries, the Torches finished 2015 unbeaten throughout regular season play for only the second time in program history. They would later advance to the Christian Football Association championship game, losing to Tuscaloosa and caping the year with a mark of 10-1.

Off that 10-1 team, key players return to the huddle this fall, including senior running back Josh Florence. A natural-born artist on the hardwood, Florence has suddenly grown into an ideal football body that is sure to carry a large workload this season.

“I expect Josh (Florence) to have a great year running the football. This year he looks like a running back coming into fall camp, where before he looked like a kid that was a great athlete trying to learn how to be a running back,” said Dabbs, standing on the springboard of his 20th season coaching the Torches.

Dabs would also like to get junior ball carrier Nisit Sakaria involved in the running game. Sakaria won’t bring the power of Florence, but has more than enough speed to win a race to the end zone. Senior Justin Box will also log hours in the backfield.

Junior Micah Miller, who fell to injury on two occasions as a sophomore, will return to quarterback a capable offense that welcomes back six starters. He’s a proven pistol in the roll-out game, but lacks the stature of a prototypical pocket passer.

“Micah (Miller) is not really big, but he throws the ball well on the move. When you put him out on the corner, he can throw the ball and has the speed to run the ball,” said Dabbs.

Tabernacle Christian should benefit from a summer spent at CrossFit Gardendale. Team members took to the local gym three mornings a week to improve mobility, something Dabbs thinks can help his guys on Friday nights.

Following a jamboree game last Friday, the Torches will start regular season play on Aug. 19 at Moncrief Park against Hope.

Erik Harris is the Sports Editor of The North Jefferson News. Email him at njnsports@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jeharris2.