Mark Henninger is the last man standing.

Of all the coaches who were part of the inaugural season of N.C. Wesleyan football, the team’s current head coach is it. And as Henninger prepares for his third year at the helm, he continues to mold what was once an upstart operation into a perennial powerhouse.

The Battling Bishops, who begin their season Saturday at Salisbury University, were picked by the USA South coaches to win the conference.

Usually, when a team loses both the league’s Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year (quarterback Bo Jordan and defensive lineman LeeRon Boykin), the term rebuilding would quickly surface. But not only is Henninger’s team in a position to win its third league title in four seasons, but its main offensive weapon is a serious candidate for player of the year honors in 2010.

Senior running back Teron Bush, a former Offensive Rookie of the Year, entered camp five pounds lighter, and just as quick.

“He’s outstanding. We’re building off and around the things that he does very well. In addition to being a talented running back, he might be our best pure receiver. He catches the ball extremely well, and runs great routes. Having a guy like Teron, who is a very smart football player and can do all those different things, it really makes our offense dynamic. It gives us a lot of options,” Henninger said.

One of the few questions facing a team that returns 62 players from an 8-3 (7-0 USAS) 2009 squad is the offensive line. While senior Carmeron Deaver returns to anchor the unit, there is some youth.

“We’re going to be very young on the front line. We have some very talented freshmen offensive lineman, but they’re freshmen. We’re doing some things offensively that will hopefully take a little bit of a load off of those guys. At the same time, how quickly they come together is going to play a pretty large role in how successful we are offensively,” Henninger said.

Henninger, who was a defensive coordinator and assistant coach before ascending to the top spot, has led the Bishops to a 14-7 (12-2 USAS) record in two seasons.

Currently, four players are battling for the starting quarterback position to replace the dynamic Jordan. It seems, however, that sophomore John Jackson has distanced himself from the pack of junior Jarret Cofield, junior Josh Meeks and freshman Jordan Vann.

“John Jackson has really elevated his game and risen to the top. He’s not at the level of Bo and Cedric (Townsend) yet, but he definitely has a little bit of those two guys in him. He’s a playmaker and he’s doing a really good job,” Henninger said.

So as Henninger enters his third, but really eighth, season with N.C. Wesleyan football, expectations are no different than they’ve been throughout his tenure.

“Our goal every year is to be a league champion. That’s our goal this year. It has been this way for seven years now,” he said.

Nick Cammarota can be reached at 407-9951 or ncammarota@rmtelegram.com