ORONO – Bob Sinclair remembers last October rather vividly.

After the Orono Red Riots lost their three straight games at the end of September by a combined score of 126-0 and fell to 1-4, Sinclair watched his young team mature in a big way.

“We had a very tough schedule last year with a very young team, but we played good competitive football in October,” said Sinclair, who enters his fourth season as the Red Riots coach this season. ” It took us a while to get going. By the time we got on track though, we were playing some pretty good football.

“The big thing was, the kids never quit last year.”

The Red Riots went 2-2 in the final month of play, losing to John Bapst 34-20 in the final game after leading earlier in the game. They finished the season 3-6, 2-5 in the LTC, missing the playoffs.

“It helped a lot [going through those growing pains],” junior quarterback Kash Keezer said. “It helped us bond as a group and we’ve really connected since then.”

Despite ending the season on a loss and missing the playoffs, Orono has high hopes for 2007 with a return to the playoffs. And it hopes to do that by relying on its veteran leadership, something the Red Riots had little of last season.

“We only had 10 seniors last year [with five playing football for the first time], so we bring back some very good numbers in the sophomore and junior classes,” Sinclair said. “Now those numbers translate to large junior and senior classes.”

One of those leaders who returns this season is junior Marcus Leek, a linebacker and fullback who epitomizes the physical brand of football 5to which Orono subscribes.

Leek made the transition from freshman football to two-way varsity starter last year, and now that he is one of the Red Riots’ savvy veterans he wants to help lead the way for the younger guys the only way he knows how – by example.

“I’m just hustling around and showing new kids what high school football is about: flying around and hitting people,” Leek said with a smile.

After Orono’s promising scrimmage against Class B Hampden, Sinclair thinks this team is ready to put its smash mouth-styled stamp on the LTC.

“Those kids never quit last year … remember, we were ahead of Bapst last season and that was important,” Sinclair said. “They kind of took our place in the playoffs last year and we want it back.”

ORONO RED RIOTS

2006 results: 3-6, 2-5 LTC

Head coach: Bob Sinclair, 27th year (4th at Orono)

Key players: Kash Keezer QB-DB, Jr.; Colin Bates HB; Ben Perry FB; Marcus Lee LB-FB, Jr.; Nigel Kass TE-DE, Sr.

Outlook: After a disappointing 3-6 season in 2006, the Red Riots looks to capitalize on their large corps of experienced leadership to return to the Class B playoffs. Look for Orono to continue to punish its opposition with a two tight end Oklahoma offense, and don’t be surprised to see the Red Riots take to the air a little more.