The Indian Land Warriors struggled through a 1-9 season a year ago. The team was shutout in five of its first six games and scored just 50 points all year long.

The Warriors did, however, win their final game of the year to end the season on a positive note.

The 2007 season was just two years removed from a Warriors team that went 10-1 before losing in the upper state semifinals to Ware Shoals. That 2005 team finished 10-2.

Fast forward to today and you again find optimism at the region 3-A school. Coach Mike Mayer has more than 25 juniors on the team to build around. He says the bevy of 11th graders is more than double the largest football class in the school's history.

"We need to get off to a fast start in the jamborees and win the first two games," said Mayer, now in his eighth season at Indian Land.

"We need momentum early in the season. We will only have eight or nine seniors and they must provide leadership both on and off the field. We will be much improved, especially on defense. Offensively we will only be as good as our offensive line blocks, which was a major weakness last year."

Two of the returning linemen are guards Josh Gray and Dakota Landrie. Both are members of the junior class Mayer is relying on so heavily. Senior tackle Keyadd Miller was also a starter a year ago.

Junior Josh Camarire will be the quarterback. He'll have senior wide outs Chad Jones and Luke Lambert as targets. Breon Williams, a sophomore tailback/linebacker, led the JV squad in rushing last year and could do the same this season at the varsity level. Chad Carlton will start at fullback.

Jones (linebacker), Lambert (free safety), Carlton (linebacker) and Miller (defensive end) will all start on defense as well. Junior Mark Gunter returns at linebacker. Justin Gordon and Ted Boston will be the cornerbacks. Juniors Maurice Tolbert and Bradley Walker will play defensive tackle.

Three other players could make an impact for the Warriors in 2008 after playing JV a year ago.

Wide receiver/defensive back Rasheed Hasan, fullback/ linebacker Tommy Groll and linebacker Trevor Jones should all contribute. Tight end/defensive back Marcus Williams did not play as a junior last year due to a leg fracture, but is ready to go.

Region 3-A produced the 2007 Class A state champion. Chesterfield got hot late in the year en route to winning the title. The Golden Rams, under former USC quarterback turned head coach Steve Taneyhill, won its final five games of the year, including a 13-6 win against Carver's Bay in the championship game. Chesterfield lost in the finals in 2006, 22-21, to Carver's Bay.

The Warriors host Chesterfield on Oct. 3.

Students at Indian Land moved into a new high school last year just a few hundred yards west, behind the old building. Mayer's players used the old gymnasium locker rooms before and after the games during the 2007 season. They came out to the football field through the gym.

But by October, renovations on the old school took priority and the gym was filled so full with construction materials that the players almost needed a trail of bread crumbs to find their way in and out.

Fortunately, construction is anticipated to start soon on a field house complete with two locker rooms with 50 lockers each. The structure will be used for football as well as the track, soccer, baseball and softball programs.

Mayer is looking forward to the field house being ready. Until then his team will use a mobile classroom better suited for 35 students than for his team.