Entering his ninth season at the helm of the Polson boys program, Coach Jess Kittle is looking for his team to make a trip to the postseason. His squad missed the playoffs last season for the first time in three years.

They will be led by the junior class, an experienced bunch that Kittle expects to step up this year. Their midfield play, which features juniors Alex Helgeson and Sam Heutmaker, should be especially strong. Helgeson got an all-conference nod in his sophomore year.

Jonah Kasnitz is the leading returning scorer. He will hope to fill the graduated James Larson’s shoes as the primary shot-taker. Larson, who will play forward at Division III St. Mary’s in Minnesota, earned all-state accolades in both his junior and senior seasons.

“We’re going to be looking for guys to step up and finish,” Kittle said. “We need some goal scorers on the team. … We’ve got a lot of guys who can kick the heck out of the ball. We want to see some composure with the ball at their feet. [We need guys] who can place it where the keeper’s not standing.”

With a solid defensive unit and experience in the midfield, Kittle thinks his team could make a run in the postseason, provided the timing is right.

“We just have to position ourselves to have that opportunity at the end of the year,” he said.