VEEDERSBURG — The Fountain Central football team lost about one-third of their squad to graduation this past May, so this season, the first job of the coaches is to fill some of those holes with younger players.
As is often the case when a large senior class exits a program, the class underneath is thin and this is true for the Mustangs who will have only two seniors this fall.
For some schools that would be a problem, but likely not for Fountain Central.
The Mustangs have some underclassmen with experience who can step up and some upperclassmen that have played small parts in the past but who should play more expanded roles this season.
Fans can expect to see a similar offense to the one the team ran last fall, namely a balanced run/pass attack.
Defensively, the team should be aggressive without being excessively so because they have so many lineup changes.
With several players in new positions or increasing their expected playing time, it is expected to be a work in progress throughout the year.
Squad size should not be a problem as the team currently has 34 players, with the coaches expecting that number to grow to about 38 by the start of the season.
With only a few days of practice so far this August, there is no depth chart yet as the coaches evaluate the talent they have but they believe they can be solid again this year.