One year after going 6-4 in a campaign that started with a ton of question marks, the Morgan football team is looking to do a little better with a squad that’s in a similar position this fall. With many key pieces from last year’s team having graduated, Head Coach Peter Nye is looking for athletes to step up and take on larger roles on both sides of the ball in 2017, so the Huskies can compete with the rest of Pequot Conference. However, he wouldn’t call this a rebuilding season.

“I never like to say rebuilding. In high school, you’re always building. Every year is their year, and they have to make the best of it,” said Nye, whose team kicks off the season by facing Stafford-East Windsor-Somers at Stafford High School on Friday, Sept. 8. “We have a lot of dedicated kids who have put a lot of time in and, hopefully, it will translate to a winning season.”

The Huskies graduated 18 seniors from last year’s team. One major contributor who they will surely miss is their 2016 Most Valuable Player, quarterback Madden Ward, who threw for 1,489 yards and 15 touchdowns, while also totaling 498 yards and 10 TDs on the ground. Coach Nye and his staff are looking to senior captain Sam Hauser and fellow senior Matt Newfield, as well as junior Deven Talarcyk, to lead the offense out of the huddle in various situations throughout this season.

“They’re close. It’s just one more thing that we don’t have a good handle on yet,” Nye said. “It’s kind of a slow-moving camp, and it’s difficult, because we don’t quite know who we are yet.”

The Huskies will also need to fill the vacancy left by Offensive MVP and All-Pequot Conference wide receiver Harry White, who had 50 receptions for 657 yards and eight touchdowns in 2016. This year, Morgan’s receiving core will feature a combination of Zak Johnson, Kenyin Douglas, Liam Whelan, AJ Fritz, Bryce Thomas, and Ray Rigat. Coach Nye also thinks that last year’s Most Improved Player, junior Ryan Caldwell, will become one of the leading receivers for his team this season. Caldwell had 39 receptions for 389 yards and one touchdown last year.

“He recorded a ton of receptions as a sophomore,” said Nye. “He’s one of the three or four returning starters we’ll have on each side of the ball.”

One area where the Huskies do return some experience is in the rushing game behind senior captain Isaac Eriksen and sophomore Miles Vogl. Eriksen rushed for 770 yards on 125 carries and scored nine touchdowns, while Vogl ran for 579 yards and four scores on 79 rushes last year. Hauser and fullback Hunter Kyne are also slated to carry the ball for Coach Nye, who thinks the ground game will be a big part of the Huskies’ attack.

“I think that we are going to lean on Isaac and some of the others,” Nye said. “We are going to try to get the ball to them in some creative plays. I don’t that will be a surprise to anybody.”

Morgan’s run game will heavily depend on an offensive line that returns no starters from last year.

“We have an entirely new offensive line. A lot of young kids. All five will be first time starters,” said Nye. “I have high expectations for these kids to step in and play. We always have high expectations whoever it is.”

Two of the Huskies’ new starters on the O-line who Coach Nye noted are senior Austin Daley and junior Matt Luchuk.

“Austin has the potential to play in college on the offensive line. He’s a right guard and he also wrestles,” said Nye. “Matt Luchuk—one of our junior lineman—he should be pretty good, and he’s a first year starter.”

On defense, junior captain Mike Savage will call the shots at the head linebacker position after recording 47 tackles with two sacks and a fumble recovery last season. Other key players on defense will be senior corner Joey Piacentini, junior linebacker Paddy Murray, junior safety John Leviness, and linebacker Mike Menacho, along with Luchuk, Newfield, and Kyhn. Whether it’s on offense or defense, Coach Nye knows that the biggest challenge his team will face this season is its lack of experience.

“We are starting to get good at certain things. A couple of kids who are there may be better on one side of the ball than the other,” he said. “There are always going to be kids who make great plays, but what’s so challenging is 11 people need to be doing the right thing at the right time.”

Nye’s coaching staff will include former Daniel Hand player Nick Merullo, former Southern Connecticut State University lineman Matt Roberts, and Morgan graduate Brendan Heilman. Nye believes that one of the biggest responsibilities for any coach is to help student-athletes manage all the demands that they have on their plate.

“These kids are highly motivated. They’re playing and taking [Advanced Placement] classes. Football is just overwhelming in order to do it right and safely,” said Nye. “Their workload makes it so hard on these kids. It’s hard for them to enjoy the game when they have homework and projects hanging over their heads. It’s not an excuse; it’s just a social reality. I’m patient with all the things they are dealing with.”

2017 Morgan Huskies Football Schedule

Friday, Sept. 8: at Stafford-East Windsor-Somers at Stafford High School at 6:30 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 15: at Valley Regional-Old Lyme at Valley Regional High School at 6:30 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 22: vs. Haddam-Killingworth at Peters Complex at 6:30 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 29: at North Branford at 6:30 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 6: vs. Nonnewaug at Peters Complex 6:30 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 20: vs. Ellington at Peters Complex at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 28: vs. Lewis Mills at Peters Complex at 1:30 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 3: vs. Cromwell-Portland at Peters Complex at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 11: at Coginchaug/Hale-Ray at Coginchaug at 1:00 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 23: at Old Saybrook-Westbrook at Old Saybrook High School at 10:30 a.m.