Needles Capsule Preview
Coach: Steve Price (seventh year)
2007 record: 11-1 (4-0 Southern League)
Returning starters: Seven offense, seven defense
Returning letterwinners: 16
Top players: FB/LB Derek Tye (Sr.), RB/DB Stevie Kidd (Sr.), RB/WR/DB Darra Russell (Sr.), QB/FS Blake Baldwin (Sr.)
Top newcomers: OL/DL Jeremiah Reyes (Sr.)
Key losses: OL/ILB Donovan Anderson, OL/DE Dillon McAndrews
Base offensive set: Wing-T
Base defensive set: 4-4
Outlook: Coming off their first Nevada state title, the Mustangs have seen interest in the football program boom among students, Price said.
Needles has 49 players in training camp.
"We’ve had a few more kids come out just because of what we did last year," Price said. "It was a special year for all of us and the community as well."
Needles outscored foes 410-165 last season, and most of the skill-position standouts who made it possible are back.
"They’re all skill guys," Price said of his top returning players. "So we’re going to need the front five to get us moving. Each of them has the potential to make a big play. … It’s really gonna be how well the front five comes together that determines how well we do the first part of the season."