AHS AT A GLANCE

Coach: Tim Johnson (1st year; interim) Last season: 4-6 Returning starters: 7 offense, 2 defense

Key players: Roel Pavia, sr. (5-9, 140, QB); Kano Nious, sr. (6-0, 190, S/LB/ RB); Santiago Williams, sr. (6-2, 180, WR/CB); Lorenzo Cantoja, sr. (5-11, 180, TE/ DB); Anthone Stevens, soph. (5-9, 140, WR/CB); David Marquez-Hernandez, sr. (5-11, 185, LB); Kyle Lujan, sr. (5-10, 167, G/LB); Loren Martinez, sr. (6-0, 155, WR); Christian Carreathers, soph. (6-1, 286, DT); Oscar Corona, jr. (6-3, 225, OT); Kyle Ruth, sr. (5-11, 302, C/DL); Manuel Romero, jr. (5-9, 153, K/WR/CB).

Outlook: Despite plugging in an abundance of new starters, AHS doesn’t think it’s all that far behind as many young athletes were given decent playing time last fall. Still, this is a program that isn’t entirely 100 percent, since the Bulldogs won’t field a JV team this year. As a result, the talented sophomores in the program will be in varsity uniforms, and some, like Stevens and Carreathers, will need to contribute immediately. Pavia, new to the QB position on the varsity, has a high football IQ, said Johnson. The entire defensive line is new. “We’re not the

biggest team, but we do have a lot of heart and ambition,” said Nious. 2016 schedule (x-District 4-6A game; M: Milne Stadium; C: Community) Aug. 26, Centennial (M), 7 p.m. Sept. 3, Valencia (M), 1 p.m. Sept. 9, OPEN Sept. 16, Eldorado (M), 7 p.m. Sept. 22, at Del Norte (M), 7 p.m. Sept. 29, at Cibola (C), 7 p.m. x-Oct. 7, Rio Grande (M), 7 p.m. x-Oct. 13, at Valley (M), 7 p.m. x-Oct. 21, West Mesa (M), 7 p.m. x-Oct. 28, at Highland (M), 7 p.m. x-Nov. 4, Atrisco Heritage (M), 7 p.m.

Circle the date: The Bulldogs and Del Norte have had some entertaining meetings the past couple of years, with the Knights winning by 7 points both in 2014 and 2015. This is a team AHS badly wants to beat.