By Jacki Wood

When the North-West Nodaway Muskets take the field this season, they will look quite differently from last year’s team that went 2-7.

With eight starters graduating – obviously a lot for eight-man football – and only one senior, the Muskets will have to grow up quickly.

But first-year Head Coach Cody Marriott, who is in his second year with the team, expects big things.

“I’m excited to see the players buy in and put all their hard work on the field on Friday nights,” Marriott said, who will be assisted by Michael Goff and Tony Christian. “I’m also excited because we have great leadership on our team and it will be huge for us being a young team. The players always want to learn and get better.”

Marriott will look to four team captains for that leadership in junior QB Korbin Koch, junior TE/DE Dylan Carden, sophomore RB/DB Tyler Bix and junior OL/DL Alex Roderick.

Other projected impact players include senior TE/DE Wade Torres and freshman FB/LB Gabe Goff.

The Muskets will focus on consistency on offense and tackling this year, he said.

“We have to tackle better and take better pursuit angles,” Marriott said. “We also need to be more consistent on offense and convert on third downs and keep our offense on the field.”

Marriott listed several team goals for the season: improve on last year’s record and go at least .500; win a district game; be able to look teammates in the eyes at the end of games and tell them you gave it your all on every play; be good teammates and be able to pick each other up; end the season and each individual game with a positive turnover differential.

The Muskets will take those goals to the field when they host Stewartsville on Friday, August 18 at Hopkins.

For more stories on each school and each team, see the printed Nodaway News Leader.