This year’s Aberdeen Central football team will feature a blend of experience, youth, strength and speed. However, the one thing that all the Golden Eagles have in common is athleticsm.

“I think we’re a really athletic group of kids that as coaches, using those abilities and talents to our advantage is going to be fun throughout the year,” said Central coach Justin Briese. “We’ve got a lot of kids that have got some speed. We’ve got some tough kids. But overall, I just think a really athletic group of kids, that we’ll have to keep working with and figure out what they do best, and as coaches put them in position.”

Graduation wiped out a variety of players from last year’s squad.

The defense will be led by the secondary and the interior line.

All-stater Cordel Rychlik returns to his spot in the defensive backfield, while Felipe Gonzalez and Jack Bertsch will be mainstays on the line. Both are coming off of big track and field seasons this past spring.

“They got experience last year as sophomores,” Briese said.

At 6-foot-4 and 295 pounds, Gonzalez is an imposing figure on the field.

“He’s really starting to get a feel for how big and how strong he actually is,” Briese said. “He’s a large man.”

Bertsch is also coming off solid campaigns in both basketball, and track and field.

The Golden Eagles also have some experience on offense.

“You look at the other side of the ball, we’ve got some returners over there,” Briese said, pointing out receiver Brady Aesoph, running back Joey Dallman, lineman Ryker Meister and receiver Colby Dauwen.

Sophomore Brenner Waldrop got some major minutes at quarterback last season.

“He stepped in and played two games for us last year when Parker Lemer got hurt,” Briese said. “He had a really good summer and good fall so far.”

Briese said the Golden Eagles will enter the upcoming season with some momentum gained from a productive summer, including making plays in game-like situations.

“I saw us take steps over the summer. We went to a 7-on-7 tournament, and I saw us come back and win a couple of games where we were behind,” Briese said. “That kind of thing, where we have guys that build some confidence, but having that ability where, OK we’re down and we need to score or we’re up and we need a stop and being able to mentally put our nose to it and … make a play.”

Central will once again open the season against a pair of perennial Class 11AA powers. The Golden Eagles host defending state champion Pierre at 5 p.m. Saturday before traveling to Tea Area the following week.

When asked about goals, Briese didn’t mention a particular number of wins.

“We don’t talk about winning games. We talk about what we need to do to win games. Our overall goal is to win every single game, that’s why we play it, and of course our goal is to be in the championship game in the Dome,” Briese said, “but we don’t get focused on how many wins we’re going to have, or what level of playoffs we’re going to get to. We focus on, OK in this game what are we going to do to be successful?”

Briese said his prefers his players to focus on the little things during the course of a game that can help swing the outcome in the team’s favor.

“If we do those things, we’re probably going to win games and if we don’t do those things, we’re probably not going to win games,” Briese said. “So we kind of focus on just us and what we can control, and that’s just, hey, what’s your first step as offensive lineman, how’s your release as a receiver, all those things. Just focus on ourselves and be able to play our best game, which is going to give us a really good chance to win games.”