Redmond High School football head coach Jeff Chandler isn’t one to sugarcoat the situation at hand as his team prepares to play in arguably the state’s toughest and most talented football league — 4A Kingco.

His team is young, raw, and just last year graduated two Division-I athletes in James Boker and Michael Conforto at the crucial tight end and quarterback positions, respectively.

On the other hand, in his second year at the helm, the learning curve has flattened out and the team is coming off a strong spring and summer session of training, and will be ready to go next Friday night when they take on 3A power Juanita in their season opener.

“We’re ahead of where we were,” said Chandler, who noted that they took 42 kids to summer football camp, which was cancelled last year due to low turnout. “The kids are much more familiar with our offense and defense, and coaching styles. From that standpoint, we’re in pretty good shape. I think we’re more talented, raw talent, across the board.”

SENIOR POWER

The Mustangs have a very small senior class this year of only about 10 upperclassmen, but the ones they do have will have a big impact this year.

Nikolaj La Cour, a solid receiver and defensive back, had a tremendous offseason after dislocating his shoulder in the team’s final game in 2010, and tight end Conner Floan, at 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds, has the size to play the position and will be an imposing figure on the Mustangs’ defensive line as well.

“We’re expecting good things from (La Cour), and Conner Floan certainly has the potential to play well,” Chandler said. “Those two guys are coming into their own and stepping up, leadership-wise.”

In addition, returners such as returning linemen Gabe Williams and Michael McClellan, and third-year starter at center Keegan Farley, will add to the team’s experience factor.

One key position that Chandler hopes will develop over the course of the year will be at quarterback, where junior Brady Anderson looks to get the call.

Anderson started two games last year for Conforto, and will have to be on top of his game on Friday nights to help the Mustangs stay competitive.

“He’s much improved over his sophomore year, but he still has a long ways to go,” said Chandler.

The second-year coach said that he will be starting plenty of untested sophomores, including Ian Seabrooks, one of the biggest players the program has seen in many years at 6-5 and 300 pounds.

“You can see the athleticism, it’s in there wanting to come out,” Chandler said of Seabrooks’ potential. “He’s a real smart kid and getting better every day.”

And the players themselves are definitely looking forward to the opportunity to take the field and end their prep football careers with a bang.

“I just want to have a good season,” La Cour said. “I think it’d be awesome if we had a winning season, instead of going 4-5 maybe 5-5 or 6-5 if we can make it to the playoffs.”

Williams added, “There’s a sense of commitment to the team that hasn’t been there before … we just want to show everyone we’re (coming back) as the Redmond football program.”

UP FOR THE CHALLENGE

Although Redmond does not play 4A Kingco Crown powerhouse Bothell this year, they still have their hands full against their Crest Division opponents, particularly Skyline, who the Mustangs play on the road on Sept. 30.

Last year Redmond pulled off a couple of non-league upsets against Woodinville, 20-6, and a formerly ranked team in Edmonds-Woodway, 34-28, and the team believes more is in store this year.

“Obviously there’s a skill set, but (football) is more mental than people think,” noted McClellan. “We have to be mentally prepared going in, and we’ll do better in those (tough) games.”

Added Floan, “We’ll be coming in usually as the underdog, so when other teams think we’re the lesser team, if we can come out hard, we’ll have a good shot.”

Coach Chandler said he read a lot of the legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden’s works over the summer, and said that he has been implementing some of the 18-time national championship winner’s schematics and translating them onto the football field.

“All of his players mentioned in excerpts that he never talked about winning or losing – he focused on fundamentals, and quite honestly that is where we’re at,” Chandler explained. “Everyone wants to win, and obviously that is our goal every Friday night when we line up, but our goals are to get better every day, to become a team and get closer and closer, and to have fun. Our goals are to put forth our best effort … and the scoreboard will take care of itself.”

The Redmond Mustangs open the season Friday night, Sept. 2, on the road at Juanita High School with kickoff at 7 p.m.