Toronto, OH. (WTRF) – Head Coach Josh Franke is looking to bring the momentum from the last season into this one.

“Since I’ve gotten here the goal was always to reach the playoffs and host a home playoff game and we’ve been able to accomplish that the last two years. So, we’re on a daily basis almost having a conversation of that’s not the expectation. You’ve accomplished that goal the past two years. The expectation is now that. You have to change your goal. You have to go up another rung on the ladder. So, I think now it’s going multiple rounds in the playoffs and competing for a regional final game is what the goal is,” Franke said.

The Red Knights are a tad inexperienced but that is not of too much concern to Franke.

“We’e losing a large senior class. A majority of them were starters but we have a lot of kids who are coming in who are tremendously athletic. Up front we’re very large and strong so we think we have a core group together but it’s just a group coming together (and) learning and meshing,” Franke said.

Speaking of the line, Senior Shane Kenan is fielding offers from programs like Akron and Youngstown State to line up as an offensive lineman. However, with Toronto, he is mostly utilized as a Tight End who catches his share of passes.

“Yeah, I definitely think that we’re one of the hardest working teams around here. No one is like us. I mean, even when we’re not practicing double we got kids going to lifting. We got kids doing speed and agility drills. Yeah, a lot of it is led by example. The younger guys see someone like me or Fitch or Mickey doing something they’ll most likely tag along because we’re seniors and we’re who they look up to,” Kenan said.

Like most teams in the area, Toronto is scrambling to put the pieces together before its first game.

“We’re in a scramble to get everything ready and to get all of the guys prepared for the August 20th kickoff so I think that’s been challenging but if they can come together in that three week period of time I think thy have potential to be very very good,” Franke said.

Toronto’s first game is on August 20th versus Wellsville at home.