With the football season going into full swing, the El Camino Eagles are ready to make some noise.

After finishing last year with a 4-6 record, the Eagles look to bounce back from a 61-30 loss to Colfax last week. El Camino’s home opener is against Union Mine on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

"We have high expectations this year," said starting junior quarterback Jonah Lessard. "I'm confident (for the season). We have a tough schedule but we have some great players.

With only one game played in the season, senior running back and defensive back Will McGehee, a co-captain, said he thinks his team can bounce back after the blowout

“Our defense should have meshed a little bit more,” McGehee said. “We weren’t wrapping up when we were tackling and just letting the running back get through.

“We definitely clicked a little bit,” he said about the offense. “But we didn’t have enough time like we needed to actually do some damage.”

Like every team starting the season, there’s always room for improvement.

“Last season, we got better as the year went on,” head coach Adam Reinking said. “We’re just looking to build on that.

“We’re just looking to continue to grow and make the program something the area can be proud of,” Reinking said.

All-League nose guard Devon Doll acknowledged that the team has some work to do but the team he has is a spirited one.

“I like that we bring a lot of heart,” Doll said. “We have effort. Some people get lazy but that’s easily fixed.

“I think heart makes the team and without it, it’s broken," he said. "You can’t fix it.”

Reinking said he can see his team’s heart during practices.

“I like that these guys are here to work,” he said. “There are not a lot of complainers. They just come out here and do what they’re asked to do.

“They understand that hard work pays off and I think that’s important," Reinking said. "In years past, I don’t know necessarily everybody understood that the hard work is what made us better and these guys understand that that’s what it takes to win.”

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