EAGAN, from 14

because we lost so many seniors from last year.

“ I think we’ ve gotten a lot better since the team camp. We had a lot of different people trying out for different positions. We’ ve cut it down to the people that we’ re sure are still trying out for( specific positions), and I think we’ ll have a really strong offense and defense for Week 1.”

Senior Logan Gilbertson and junior Gage Halvorson got some varsity work as running backs last year, with Halvorson averaging almost 8 yards a carry and Gilbertson gaining more than 5 yards per attempt.

Brooklyn Evans, a varsity quarterback for three seasons, is now playing at Minnesota State Mankato. The chase to replace Evans is on, with candidates including senior Mason Ressie, junior Brendan Mademann and sophomore Parker West. Also working at quarterback for the Wildcats is junior Piper Larson, the quarterback for Eagan’ s flag football team who Johnson said is one of the best passers in the program.

What’ s it going to take for the offense to click?“ Not missing days, not

missing reps, working hard every day and not just expecting things to be handed to us,” Bierly said.

Johnson subscribes to the timehonored theory that a team that takes care of its business all day, every day, will be rewarded in the standings.“ We started at the bottom, and we’ re looking for just a little bit more every year,” he said.“ It’ s not just about wins and losses. It’ s about, how are you perceived in school? How much effort are you putting into the classroom? You can’ t really quantify that, but it’ s still very important. But as a team on the field, if we’ re playing our best football at the end of the year, I would be very happy.”

That’ s also what the players are looking for, Recer said. That won’ t be easy because the players who graduated last June also helped return the Eagan program to respectability.

“ The class that just graduated set the standard so high,” Recer said.“ Now we’ re expected to raise the bar even higher, which I think we can do.”

Mike Shaughnessy can be reached at mike. shaughnessy @ apgecm. com.

TIGERS, from 10

pass for a touchdown.”

Blandin and Rehak said the Tigers put in a lot of effort in the offseason to be more unified. And tougher.

Rehak said it used to be that the first string would get upset with the scout team if the scout group played hard in practice. No longer.“ We

LIGHTNING, from 12

Aiden Petter take charge.

Petter said that he is looking to improve his performance for the Lightning on and off the field, while also being invigorated by the energy of change around the team.

“ I’ m really excited to get back to playing. All the guys have been in the weight room and we have a good scheme going,”

encourage that now,” he said.

“ We want to show other teams we’ re not just a small team,” Blandin said.“ We can be big and physical.”

All of that sounds good to Pieper.

“ The boys have a pretty high standard for each other, and the coaches have been pretty demanding about those

he said.“ We’ ve changed everything up really, going into this season compared to the past, even new equipment or changing the room or environment for something like watching film. … I don’ t feel I was the best leader I could be last season, but I think that can change this year. I’ ve been better at motivating people and getting my voice out to the guys.”

Petter also noted that

standards,” the coach said.“ I couldn’ t be more excited about where we are in development right now, both with installing the new offense and with our discipline overall.”

Mike Shaughnessy can be reached at mike. shaughnessy @ apgecm. com.

success for him is pursuing dramatic improvements on the field, saying that he felt the team was capable of being a truly winning program.

“ Success would definitely include a winning record. I want, a lot of the guys want, a 7-1 record if not 8-0. But, at the same time, just having fun this year with my teammates is going to be a kind of success for sure.”