LEBAM — Pe Ell-Willapa Valley rolled into the Tacoma Dome in 2015 with a lineup full of seniors with physiques befitting their mascot — Titans. This season, PWV still has plenty of size to make another run at a state title, but inexperience as its biggest obstacle. With only three starters returning from the 2015 campaign, most of the 2016 senior class watched the Titans run to the semifinal from the sidelines.

“They learned from the upperclassmen from last year how to work hard and get stuff done,” PWV coach Josh Fluke said. “How to be a good football player and a disciplined football player and I think they are taking that really serious. They are finally going get their chance to get in the fire and I think they are going to do alright. The intensity is just huge. They are bringing it. The work and the work ethic is amazing for the young kids that are new to the program.”

The Titans will not veer far from the rushing attack that helped pave the way to an 11-1 record last season. Seniors Kaelin Jurek and Tyler Justice will return to the starting lineup in the backfield with a strong group of linemen paving the way. Matt Minton will return to start at center with junior Bradley Prestegord and senior Josh Prestegord starting at the guard spots. Fluke said the tackle spots have been up for grabs.

Another battle has been waged for the quarterback spot between Cub Bair, Matt Pearson and Ryan Shepherd. Fluke said he expects the two players who don’t start at quarterback to see time at wide receiver with Tyson Nissell starting at tight end.

Defensively, Minton, Josh Prestegord and Bradley Prestegord will anchor the line with Leonel Ruelas as one of the possible choices to round out the front four. Nissell and Jurek will both start at linebacker with Justice and freshman Max Smith possibly seeing time there as well. Fluke said Shepherd will lead the defensive backfield from the free safety spot, but he was unsure who will round out the rest of the backfield.

“We are going to run the same plan we did last year, just execute,” Fluke said. “Experience is going to be huge. We have some athletic kids that are ready to play. They have the same intensity as the guys we lost last year.”

With a slight reconfiguration to the 2B football leagues, PWV will move from the Central 2B League into the Southwest Washington 2B Coastal Division, which includes its old rivals Raymond, South Bend and North Beach. While Fluke said he is pleased to see a few old foes on the schedule again, the Titans are not looking much further than their first game against Adna on Friday.

“I always tell them we have to aim high, but we start low,” Fluke said. “Let’s just win a game at a time and Let’s get to the playoffs. If you put your mind to it, you can do a lot of things.”