The Austin football team is hoping to take the first step toward a solid year when it opens its football season at Rochester John Marshall 7 p.m. Saturday.

The Packers have a roster with plenty of seniors who have been a part of the program since head coach Brett Vesel took over, and they’re hoping to make their last year their best year. Austin will have around 25 seniors and it brings back much of last year’s team that finished 3-6 overall.

The Packers have the potential to make some noise in this season, but the team must be consistent and stay healthy.

“There’s no easy games for us,” Vesel said. “We’re one of the smallest teams in the section and we don’t have a lot of recent history going for us. We’re getting better and we’ve got a bunch of great guys. I think if we keep our heads on straight and we pay attention to detail, I think we’ve got a chance to compete with everybody.”

Austin will look to junior Jakob Crouch to pick up where he left off at quarterback at the end of last season and senior Nate Conner will move from quarterback to multiple positions. The team will also rely on veteran linemen Jayden Cantu and Damien Ryks.

“Our offensive line is pretty stacked,” Ryks said. “Most of us started last year and will come back this year. On defense, we’ve been flying to the ball and getting everywhere.”

Conner will likely play at wide receiver, running back and defensive back.

He’s getting used to playing on both sides of the ball.

“I’ve never had anything to do with defense before, but it seems like once we get it, it’s going to be really effective,” Conner said.

Conner has been a varsity player since he was a freshman and was Austin’s quarterback as a junior. Wherever the team puts him, it’ll look to get him involved.

“Nate is such a great athlete,” Vesel said. “He’s going to play a couple of positions and he can fill in when someone needs a rest. He’s a really good defensive player too.”

The Packers are finally hoping to get senior Jon Gallagher on the field this year. The running back/linebacker has been injured for the past two seasons, but Vesel is counting on him to contribute this year.

“He’s feeling good and he’s looking good. He’s healthy,” Vesel said. “He’s one of the best physical specimens I’ve ever been around. He’s got a ton of talent. We’ve just got to see it on the field for a year. He’s got potential to put the ball in the end zone on both sides of the ball.”

At wide receiver, the Packers have all of their major contributors back as Jason Stoulil and Elijah Andersen return to the lineup. Vesel said they’ve embraced their roles as blockers, as well as receivers.

“The one thing about wide receivers is they tend to get a little bit lazy,” Vesel said. “This group is working really hard.”

In year’s past, injuries always put a damper on Austin’s team, but Cantu said this year’s team has a lot of players who can step up.

“We have a lot of depth,” he said. “We’ll have a lot of key back-ups, which we didn’t have last year.”