LINCOLN – It’s every young football player’s dream come true: a chance to play quarterback for the high school team … only in Jon Carney’s reality, things are a little bit different.

The junior will be Mattanawcook Academy’s third starting quarterback in as many years, and the athletic 6-foot-1 Carney saw much more time last year on the receiving end of the ball. He did serve as the backup quarterback last year.

“It’s been a personal thing,” Carney said. “It’s the top thing you can do in football and I’ve always seen it as something I’ve wanted to try out. I don’t really have a lot of experience at quarterback, but I feel that I can do just about anything that anyone else at the high school level can do.”

The Lynx are excited to see what this team can do to extend their recent run of football success. MA won the Class C state title two years ago, had a 19-game winning streak going, and got to the LTC Class C semifinals (where they lost to eventual Eastern Maine champ MCI of Pittsfield).

Coach Tom Whitney is concerned about lack of senior leadership – there are just two seniors this year – but encouraged by the progress made by the juniors and sophomores and the depth of the team.

“Our hopes are up,” he said. “We’ve got kids who played last year but played different positions. We know what we’ve got to do, though. We’re young, but I think the young kids are going to step up.”

Whitney said he doesn’t have one standout offensive player; rather, he has a number of kids who will contribute. Senior Cory Tash and junior Chris Kyes are among the top backs and John Woodman should get some playing time at wide receiver.

“It’s more of a balance,” Whitney said. “There are kids that can be [standouts], but they have to share the roles. We’re gonna run the ball a lot, come out with a couple of different looks because we’ve got more people that can run the ball. Passing the ball is gonna come last to us right now. We’ve got a lot of young kids, so we have to get the timing down.”

Perhaps the best news for Carney is the return of several linemen and the emergence of younger players, including sophomore Nick Ireland and juniors Ryan Leighton, Matt Malone, and Cole Averill. The line averages 190-200 pounds.

“We’ve got some size, but it’s a lot of technique,” Leighton said. “The line really knows what they’re doing, they know how to take care of business.”

Not only is Carney a new face at quarterback, but there have been some major defensive changes. Instead of the 5-2 base defense the Lynx have run for five years, defensive coordinator Mike Bisson switched to a 4-3.

“We changed our pass coverages, we changed our stunts, we changed everything,” said tight end-linebacker Tom Lasko. “Coach Bisson thought we could work better as a team running out of a 4-3. I think it’s great.”

MATTANAWCOOK LYNX

2000 results: 7-3, lost in LTC Class C semifinals

Head coach: Tom Whitney, fifth year

Key players: Jon Carney, QB-DB, Jr.; Tom Lasko, TE-LB, Jr.; Ryan Leighton, OL-DL, Jr.; Cory Tash, RB-P, Sr.; Tyler Libbey, OL-DL, Jr.; Matt Malone, OG-DT, Jr.; Chris Kyes, RB-CB, Jr.; Tyler Gardner, RB-CB, So.; Nick Ireland, C-DL, So.; John Woodman, WR-CB, Jr.

Outlook: Whitney said 43 kids came out for his opening practice, and all 43 stayed through the first week, which has never happened. The Lynx’s schedule should help Carney adjust to his new role – MA doesn’t face a perennial Class C contender until Maine Central Institute in the fourth week of the season.