EAGLE -- The Eagle High School Mustangs are in unchartered waters this year.
"This will be the most inexperienced team that I've ever lined up with here at Eagle High School no doubt," said Eagle head coach Paul Peterson. "I mean we lost 20 starters from a year ago."
Peterson, who is entering his 13th season with the Mustangs, is confident about his quarterback position, as the Mustangs return three-year starter and 1st team all-SIC quarterback Devan Bridgewater.
.@EagleMustangs lost 20 of 22 starters from last fall--good news is 1 of 2 returning starters is SIC 1st team QB Devan Bridgewater #KTVBhss pic.twitter.com/cHspjPm800
— Will Hall (@WillHallKTVB) August 7, 2017
"Last year we had a bunch of those older guys starting," said senior quarterback Devan Bridgewater. "Now I really got to step up and be that leader and lead this offense, get this team going."
"Devan and I have had some heart to hearts that he needs to be my lieutenant on this deal and help lead and sell these kids into what it's going to take because Devan is the one guy that knows what it takes," said Peterson.
Bridgewater threw for over 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns last fall, and while there are promising young weapons on the outside, he'll also have to handle five new starters blocking for him.
Defensively the Mustangs return just one starter in senior cornerback Rylan Wood.
"We had some great talent on that team and now that it's gone, we can't really rely on that," Wood said. "You have to step up and be the talent yourself."
"I like our secondary, I think we got guys back there that have seen enough action on Friday nights and have some ability," said Peterson.
The young Mustangs will have to grow and learn on the fly as they open up the season on August 25th against defending 5A state champion Mountain View.
"We are really young, the energy is there, we just need to let it out and play as a team, we got to come together," Bridgewater said.
"We are going to have to scramble to find a formula to like keep us in a competitive situation, so a lot of pressure on the coaches and it starts with me," Peterson said.
2017 Schedule
8/25 - vs. Mountain View
9/1 - at Highland (Holt Arena)
9/8 - vs. Nampa
9/15 - at Meridian
9/21 - at Kuna
9/29 - vs. Timberline
10/5 - vs. Centennial
10/13 - at Rocky Mountain
10/20 - vs. Borah