FRANKTON — A new season brings with it new — and sometimes exciting — challenges.

For the Frankton Eagles football team, those challenges deal with age and experience, but as head coach Otis Cress says, the Eagles are ready to get started and become better.

The roster boasts only six seniors, and two of those players are in their first year playing the sport. Two out of 11 starters return to an offense that averaged an impressive 25.4 points per game, and just three return on the other side of the ball. Is there reason to worry?

“This is the first team I have had that starts practice on their own,” Cress said. “They go out 15 minutes early every practice and begin stretching and flex runs. When the coaches take the field, we are ready for drills. I attribute that to great leaders.”

Cress returns for his 24th year as head coach and is 27th among active coaches with 163 wins. He has had some good seasons with the Eagles, but they have not finished with a winning record since 2003 or a sectional title since 2001.

Coaches always talk about the importance of winning the first game of the season, and Frankton would have a difficult time disputing that. The Eagles have opened the year against Northwestern each of the last four seasons, losing every game. They never won more than five games during those years, finishing with a combined record of 18-25.

All of that being said, Frankton would have a good chance to start the season with a winning record if it can get that first one out of the way. The Eagles began 4-2 a year ago with the two losses coming by only three and seven points.

“All games are crucial. It is important that we learn from every game and come out of each one a better team than we were when we went in,” Cress said. “We need to improve rapidly and hopefully become a contender by the end of the season.”

Trevor Cress will act as the team’s leader as he is a two-year returning starter and both tailback and cornerback. He’s the only Eagles player who starts on both sides of the ball. Trevor Cress is a strong believer in growing together as a team and using that to help win football games.

“We want to go out on the field and play as a team,” he said. “(We want) to make the brotherly bond between us stronger.”

Like his coach, Trevor Cress acknowledged that every game is important, but he said the rivalry with Lapel means even more. And despite multiple close losses a year ago, he’s confident his coach can train his team to win those games.

“Coach Cress knows a lot about football and the way you should play it,” he said. “We have been working hard in practice to make us a four-quarter team so we’ll be ready.”

2008 SCHEDULE

Friday — at Northwestern, 7 p.m.