Full practices for the ADM Football Tigers start next Monday, when a number of young players with little or no experience at the varsity level will have a chance to grab a number of starting spots available on both sides of the ball thanks to a large contingency of graduated seniors.

One position unit that has experienced a lot of turnover is the Tigers’ secondary. The only returning starter is junior David Howard at corner, but defensive coordinator Bric Nelson is high on the potential of the crop players coming in to take the open spots.

“I”m excited with the secondary. A lot of speed out there on defense this year, and on the high school level, speed is a very valuable thing to have,” said the sixth-year assistant coach. “We’ll have people like Ian LaFollete, Jacob West, Sam [McCartney] absolutely, h’ell be in there – he’s got a good football on him, [as a] sophomore we felt very comfortable putting him in there. There’s a few other guys that were maybe were linebackers last year that I think they’ll be good [in the secondary] … so besides the speed, there’s a few guys that will be physical for us back there in the backfield. ”

Gone from last year’s secondary are both starting safeties in Jake and Joe Sloss, as well as Johnny Reel and Jaxon Sloan, who split time at the corner position opposite Howard. McCartney figures to have an inside track to one of the secondary positions, having been used in five and six-defensive back packages last season as a sophomore.

LaFollete grabbed the No. 4 starting wide receiver spot late in the season to replace Jacob Hardy, whom the coaching staff wanted to rest so he would be fresher at defensive end. Hardy did occasionally get snaps at wide receiver and tight end after that, but LaFollete manned Hardy’s wideout slot more often than not once the switch was made.

The Tigers open the season August 28 at Perry.