OLD TOWN – Jarrett Lukas is experiencing the rebuilding process taking place within the Old Town football program from the ground floor, for as a freshman he was thrust into the role of starting quarterback.

Now a junior, Lukas is beginning to see that rebuilding effort take hold.

“The biggest difference is attitude,” said Lukas, who passed for 524 yards last season. “When I first got here, everyone expected to lose, but it’s different this year. I think this year is a big step up for us.”

Old Town scored a pair of victories last year to end a lengthy losing streak, and narrowly missed a third win in a 2-0 loss to Morse of Bath. Third-year coach Dan Baker hopes his team can build on that modicum of success in 2005.

“Chemistry-wise we’re much further ahead of where we were last year,” he said. “There’s great camaraderie within this group, everyone’s on the same page when it comes to the team concept.”

Indeed, preseason practices at Victory Field have taken on a more workmanlike approach, a tribute in part to the fact that the returning players have tasted victory in small doses and like that taste.

“As far as discipline goes in practice, it’s been all business,” Baker said.

As evidence of Lukas’ growing maturity, Old Town plans to feature a no-huddle, spread offense out of the shotgun formation designed to capitalize on the quarterback’s abilities while emphasizing speed and finesse.

“We’re still establishing our weight program,” said Baker. “With the spread we’re able to put the ball in Lukas’ hands while spreading out defenses. Jarrett’s going to be a focal point of the offense for us, and the idea is to make defenses play different from what they normally do.”

And in Lukas the Indians seemingly have a choreographer capable of reading those defenses and making decisions in the best interest of the Old Town offense.

“I’m definitely excited to run the offense,” he said. “I think it fits me and the team great.”

An overall lack of depth remains a challenge within the program, though for the first time in his tenure Baker is able to field a separate freshman team rather than force-feed the first-year players into the varsity ranks.

“We’re going to try and keep them on the freshman team,” said Baker. “It’s a good step from two years ago, when we started eight freshmen.”

But one source of stability has been on the coaching staff, where Baker and his top two assistants are all back for a third straight year. And there is a core group of juniors of seniors that have been together for three years, too.

“They’ve really stepped up the leadership,” said Lukas, one key member of that group.

Old Town’s goals remain somewhat modest, though the Indians do hope to build on last year’s improved performance.

“I think we’re headed in the right direction,” Baker said. “But’s its a tough league, everyone seems to be on the upswing.”

OLD TOWN INDIANS

2004 results: 2-7 (eighth in PTC B)

Head coach: Dan Baker, third year

Key players: Travis Shaw, TE-DT, Sr.; Jarrett Lukas, QB, Jr.; Jared Goody, C-LB, Sr.; Zach Levesque, OG-NT, Jr.; Nate Emerson, OG-LB, Jr.; Justin Morin, WB-FS, Jr.; Jesse Buxton, DT, Sr.; Brian Lonko, RB, Sr.; Chris Avery, OT, Sr.

Outlook: Baker continues rebuilding the Old Town program, an effort that has seen positive steps taken each of his first two years. The Indians will try to capitalize on the talent and athleticism of junior quarterback Jarrett Lukas by working him out of a spread, no-huddle offense. Lukas has a high-quality receiving target in senior Travis Shaw. The graduated Tyler Eastman represents a big loss along the line of scrimmage, but Old Town is building some depth in the trenches that it hopes will pay off this fall.