Joe Hayden isn’t your typical first-year head coach.

After spending the better part of the past 28 fall seasons roaming various sidelines as a coach at the youth, freshman, and varsity football levels, Hayden is doing so this fall as a head coach for the first time.

Hayden is succeeding Chris LeBlanc, another Madison alumnus who’d like nothing better than to see Bulldog football return to its days of dominance in the 1980s and ’90s.

But for Madison to even get back to a point at which it can contend for its first state title since 1994, Hayden has a lot of work to do: short and long term.

In the short term, the Bulldogs have a good nucleus of players to build around with six returning starters, but depth is a serious concern with only 27 players on the roster.

The Bulldogs’ roster is loaded with contradictions: low numbers but surprising depth at key positions. The team has already lost a key, versatile, two-way player (junior tailback-cornerback Josiah Wing) for the season, but it appears to have the players who can step in and replace him.

They just don’t have a lot of those players, so any more injuries could cripple the ‘Dogs.

“No one in our backfield started last year, but it’s fairly talented,” said Hayden. “Our line was very young last year, but because of our depth, a lot of younger kids had to play, so ironically our line has more experience this year despite us having so few starters back.”

Wing, a speedy guy who can play as many as five different positions, broke his tibia and fibula on his first carry in an informal scrimmage against Orono three days before the team’s official preseason game (a 13-6 win over Dexter). The special teams standout is also the team’s primary punter.

“We can replace him in the backfield, but it hurts us on defense and it’s almost like losing four guys in one,” Hayden said.

If that wasn’t bad enough, the Bulldogs also lost their starting center and his backup that same day.

“We didn’t have someone to center the ball until [two days later],” said Hayden. “Our center’s back, but our backup is questionable with a knee injury.”

Defensively, things won’t change much as the Bulldogs will stick with the base 5-0 defense and go with a 5-2 alignment most of the time. Offensively, the veer option will replace the power-I/wishbone used last year.

“We’re not big in the line and the backs, but we can hit you hard and get some yardage after contact,” Hayden said.

MADISON BULLDOGS

2003 results: 3-6

Head coach: Joe Hayden, 1st year

Key players: Tony Fortin, TE-MLB, Sr.; Timmy Fortin, HB-LB, Jr.; Woody Noyes, HB-CB-OLB, Jr.; Brian Mann, HB-FB-OLB, Sr.; Josh Paine, QB-SE-CB, Sr.; Dan Kalagher, QB-SE-FS, Jr.; Floyd Renard, OG-DE, Sr.; Sam Wagg, SE-CB-DE, Jr.; Alex Grover, OG-NG, Jr.; D.J. Dorin, WR-CB, Jr.

Outlook: There are plenty of reasons to like the Bulldogs, but work ethic, versatility, attitude, and effort only go so far, especially if injuries mount. Madison must avoid any more critical injuries with a thin roster if it’s to make progress and contend for any kind of playoff spot.