There’s nothing wrong with Lawrence football that first-year coach Scott Walker doesn’t think can’t be fixed.

Granted, the Fairfield school is coming off a forgettable 2001 season in which the Bulldogs won just twice against six losses.

But Walker, who played quarterback for the legendary Pete Cooper for four years before graduating in 1991 says that the team got away from its Lawrence roots.

“It’s easy to say that when Coach Cooper retired [in 1996] there was a change, but there was a change in the staff as a whole,” Walker said.

So Walker, who was an assistant under Brad Bishop last year (Bishop has moved on to coach at Livermore Falls), has brought back Mike Mealy, who spent 22 years as an assistant under Cooper and retired when Cooper left. And Walker also lured Dick McGee out of retirement. McGee was the head coach at Lawrence in 1956 before leaving for Colby College.

“[McGee] is literally the godfather of Lawrence football,” Walker said. “What I’ve tried to do is bring Lawrence people back into the program. People that were here when those traditions were established.”

No matter how good the coaching staff, winning still requires good players as well, and Walker has a few.

Senior Matt Kent (5-foot-10, 165 pounds) will quarterback the Bulldogs’ I-back, pro-set attack.

“He can throw the ball, but Matt is extremely athletic. He started the second half of the season last year. He’s a good leader and a great defensive back as well,” Walker said.

Walker describes 6-0, 260-pound senior lineman Gary Quirion as “one of the strongest kids in the state.”

Senior tight end and defensive end Pete McLaughlin (6-2, 190) “has great hands” and is the team’s punter while junior fullback and linebacker Ryan Ackley (6-2, 210) is “gifted athletically” and started on offense last year as a sophomore.

Keith Palmer (5-11, 170) is a senior starter at tailback and defensive back.

“He has wonderful feet,” Walker said. “He is fast, but his lateral movement is fantastic.”

Junior Sean Leary (6-1, 190) is the coach’s pick at wingback and defensive back and the coach described Matt Berard, a 6-2, 205-pound lineman as “incredibly athletic.” Berard ran the 400 for the Lawrence outdoor track team.

The Lawrence feeder program, the Police Athletic League, has a reputation for developing players who know the system when they hit junior high school. Now Walker must redevelop a winning attitude in a program that once knew nothing else.

“I think the bottom line is that winning is such a frame of mind,” Walker said. “We’re trying to raise the bar of expectations.”

LAWRENCE BULLDOGS

2001 results: 2-6 6th in PTC Northeast

Head coach: Scott Walker, 1st year

Key players: Matt Kent, QB-DB, Sr.; Gary Quirion, OL-DL, Sr.; Pete McLaughlin, TE-DE, Sr.; Ryan Ackley, FB-LB, Jr.; Keith Palmer, TB-DB, Sr.; Sean Leary, WB-FL-DB, Sr.; Matt Berard, OL-DL, Jr.

Outlook: It’s Walker’s first year in charge at Lawrence, but he has head coaching experience from a two-year stint at Lakeview High School in St. Clair Shores, Mich. Losing seasons don’t come around often at Lawrence, but when they do it makes for a long wait for the start of the next season.