BANGOR – For the last few years, talk heard around the John Bapst football practice field had to do almost exclusively with not just making the playoffs but sticking around awhile.

After a 9-2 season that ended with a 14-7 loss to three-time LTC Class C defending champion Foxcroft Academy in the LTC title game, the Crusaders can say “Mission accomplished.”

What they can’t say, or at least not within earshot of head coach Dan O’Connell, is “Mission over.”

“Last year was huge for us, but we don’t want it to a one-time thing,” O’Connell said. “We’re not necessarily going to rebuild because the tradition’s been established.

“They know what to expect and what they have to do. We did it last year, so we know how to do it and they understand how to get there.”

Seven returning starters on offense and five on defense understand even better than the rest of Bapst’s 40-player roster, but if preseason performance is any indication, the rest are learning very quickly.

“I didn’t know with the younger kids how they were going to respond or how the seniors would take over the leadership role, but I’m pleasantly surprised with the way they’ve come to work and how they’ve led the group,” O’Connell said. “They want to start a tradition where we’re going to be there year after year.”

After playing a key role as wide receiver last season, Derek Smith will now play quarterback and run Bapst’s I-formation attack. The senior will also play either linebacker or free safety on defense.

“We lost a lot of talent, but we still have a lot back,” said Smith, a senior captain. “We’ve got a great backfield with Bill [Wetherbee] at tailback and Chase [Huckestein] at fullback, and we think Chris Fogler will be a great receiver.

“We have a lot of guys that let us go with almost anything we want to do: Run, pass, whatever.”

The Crusaders have a young, but big offensive line to run behind. One of the anchors is offensive guard Tyler Chamberlain, another senior captain who also starts at linebacker.

“We used a 6-1 defense last year and really stuffed teams up front, but hopefully we’ll use more of a 5-2 this season because we have a lot of size on the line and more speed overall,” Chamberlain said. “Right from the first day of practice, we were flying all around the place and hitting people.”

It’s been that kind of preseason for O’Connell, who has been very pleased with what he’s seen.

“This group, across the board, is not flashy or big talkers. They’re more a lunch pail group. There’s not a lot of bravado or ego, but they come to work and play,” O’Connell said. “We lost a huge chunk of our identity with the guys who graduated, but these kids have decided to create their own identity and take another step, and I’m certainly not going to stand in the way of that.”

JOHN BAPST CRUSADERS

2007 results: 9-2, lost in EM Class C final

Head coach: Dan O’Connell, 6th year

Key players: Eric Smith, QB-LB, Sr.; Bill Wetherbee, TB-CB, Jr.; Chase Huckestein, FB-LB, Sr.; Shane Hass, WR-OLB, Jr.; Chris Fogler, WR-S, Sr.; Steve Kelly, OT-DT, Sr., Taylor Dube, OG-DT, Sr.; Tyler Chamberlain, OG-LB, Sr.; Grady Hayes, WR-DB, Soph.; Dan Keefe, WR-DB, Jr.; Keith Nelson, OC-DT, Soph.; Doug Dieuveuil, TE-DE, Sr.; A.J. Snapp, TE-DE, Sr.; Aaron Ortiz, OL-DT, So.; Chris Desmond, OL-DT, So.; Tim Armistad, OG-DL, Sr.

Outlook: The Crusaders finished last season eight points short of their first Eastern Maine title since 1976, and even with the departure of several key graduating seniors, O’Connell expects his team to pick up where it left off and establish itself as a perennial playoff contender.