(ABC 6 News) — The Dover-Eyota Eagles showed some big progressions from 2023 including going 2-0 against Chatfield. But there’s a lot of gaps left by former seniors that need to be filled.

“Yeah, the guys that we do have (are) coming back with experience,” Eagles head coach Jon Hauswald said. “So we’re definitely going to lean on and count on them for some direction and count on those guys to make plays for sure. We’ve got a lot of work to do, a long ways to go to get there. We’ve got a good mix of guys and I’m excited to see how they all fit together in the end.”

The Eagles have to clash with many strong teams this fall and becoming more physical is a major goal for Dover-Eyota. But what separates the mighty from the mightiest is also having an iron will.

“We got to be a more physical team, more mentally tough team, more competitive team,” senior wide receiver Jacob Cornell noted. “We need to want to win, to be able to win. If you don’t want to win, you’re not going to be able to put a good product on the field.”

Junior cornerback Cooper Kellen agreed, highlighting the upperclassmen on the squad. “Especially those guys who have experience, we just need them to lead out there and just kind of kind of lead everyone on, show them how it’s done and we have a lot of skill up front. And I think I mean, we’re a little smaller, but we’ll still be physical.”

The new season for the Eagles begins on August 30 with a home contest against PEM.