This is the third installment of our previews of fall sports. Football will have weekly previews throughout the season. To see our first two previews, click girls golf or volleyball. 

After reaching the state tournament in 2013, the Westside varsity football team, looking drastically different than it did when it last took the field, returns to action Friday, Aug. 29 at 7 p.m.

Following the most successful year for the team since 2006, the Warriors return only four starters — putting Westside in a three-way tie for fewest returning starters in all of Class A — from last year’s team: seniors Connor Flairty (OL), Ryan Golden (TE-DE) and Drew Combs (WR-DB) and junior Dante Sortino (OL). The team is inexperienced, to say the least. But head coach Brett Froendt — now in his seventh year as head coach — said the team will adapt.

“Just next man up; that’s the philosophy,” Froendt said. “Experience can only be gained on the field. It’s going to take some time, but they’ve worked hard in the offseason and we’ve had good numbers in the offseason, so they’re doing the right things.”

Among the fresh faces will be junior Mitchell Hagan, who will take over the reins of the offense from brother Christian Hagan, who passed for over 1,000 yards last season before going on to kick at Division I Northern Illinois University. The younger Hagan played in six games for the Warriors last season, entering in during the later minutes of solid Westside victories, completing 7-10 passes. But Hagan also split junior varsity snaps with senior Kieran Carter and has plenty of experience under center.

“[Hagan’s] been doing it a long time, through the youth leagues and everything,” Froendt said. “It’s taken him some time to get used to the timing and the speed. I think Kieran Carter has done a great job of mentoring him along because Kieran knows the position very well and Mitchell wasn’t here the entire summer, so he’s been catching up here since the season started.”

Hagan, who was also the first baseman for the spring baseball team that won a state championship, throws left-handed, and has shown a natural talent throwing.

“He’s got a lot of natural ability,” Froendt said. “I think he’s going to be solid. His role right now is just to manage the offense. If he does that, I think he’ll be fine.”

The team, captained — by player choice — by seniors Ryan Golden and Mitch Schenkleberg, will have it’s first test at Bellevue West, which returns 11 starters, including a Division I-caliber tandem of receivers in senior Malik Hluchoweckyj and CJ Johnson.

“They’re very athletic; they have some of the fastest guys in the state,” Froendt said. “[Stopping them]’s going to be a tall order.”

Bellevue West will sport a new quarterback of its own in junior Jadyn Kowalski. The Westside defense will look to pressure him into mistakes. Ultimately, however, the Warriors will need to execute their game plan to take the victory.

“Primarily, [we have] to just play our football and play solidly and not make many mistakes,” Froendt said “If we don’t [have] turnovers and we don’t have penalties, I think we’ve got a good shot.”

Westside Wired will be live tweeting the game @westsidewired on Twitter. Make sure to follow us on Instagram (@westsidewired), as well, for photos and videos of the game.

A recap of the game will be posted on Wired by Tuesday morning.

Game Notes

• The game is at Bellevue West
• Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
• The student section theme is “Blackout”
• When asked about how the team is staying focused with a matchup with Creighton Prep looming in week two, Froendt said, “We don’t talk about Prep. That’s how we stay focused.”