Coaches got their first glimpse of the new THS squad at a five-day team camp, which concluded Friday at the high school. It provided underclassmen with a firsthand look at the varsity level, while giving returning players an opportunity to step into a leadership role for the first time.

According to third-year coach Al Troyer, the camp served as a springboard for what he hopes will be a productive summer.

“There was a lot of enthusiasm,” Troyer said. “We had a lot of young kids learning, and they picked it up real quick. We’re bringing in freshmen and they’re picking up the system that we do, and our older kids are picking it up and being great leaders.”

Seniors Carl Hecht, Jared Sommers, Justyn Leslie, Ray Munoz, Greg DeVeau and Ben Clark have been named team captains for the 2014 season. All six saw significant varsity time last season, helping THS to a 9-2 record, including its second straight bi-district title. Sommers tied for the team lead in tackles last season and was tops among returning players in several offensive categories.

This year’s team features just an eight-man senior class, so several starting spots will be filled by new players this fall. Select players will continue preparation this weekend at a 7-on-7 tournament hosted by Kansas State University in Manhattan. Troyer is taking several young players to the tournament to help them continue to adapt to the high school level.

“We had eight or nine seniors playing on both sides of the ball (last season), so there are going to be young, fresh faces that have to learn under fire,” he said. “We’ve installed everything in our offense. We’ll tweak it a little bit, but by the time we get to August, we’ll be ready to roll. The rest of the summer is just polishing, getting better with footwork and execution and things like that.”

In addition to the K-State camp and the high school’s summer weights program, players will have more chances to prepare for the upcoming season at neighboring schools. Starting next week, younger players will compete in 7-on-7 camps every Monday in June with various Kaw Valley League teams, while veterans will travel to Lawrence High School for drills every Wednesday.