Alex Cummings has rounded up a staff and nearly 80 football players ready to turn up the fortunes of Flathead football.

What they might lack in experience — there are five starters back on offense and four on defense — can be made up with enthusiasm and skill.

“I’m really happy with where we’re at,” Cummings, in his first year as head coach after six as an assistant, said. “The kids are doing a good job; I think the energy is good.

“Obviously we’ve had the ebbs and flows of 2-a-days, but overall I’m super happy with the kids and I’m super happy with my coaching staff. It feels positive. We’ll see where we’re at Friday, obviously. But I think we’re antsy.”

The Braves traveled to Butte Thursday and then to Billings this morning to play Skyview at 7 p.m. at Daylis Stadium.

Flathead is working in a somewhat new starting quarterback — junior Jackson Walker started two games a year ago — and has a capable running back crew led by senior Kaden Henshaw.

“Jackson had some varsity time,” Cummings noted. “He’s a really good kid, really athletic, a great leader.”

Behind Henshaw, who ran for 115 yards in limited action last season, are sophomores Joe Jones and Anders Thompson.

“All of them run really hard,” Cummings said. “The biggest thing is they play hard. That’s a tough position.”

Up front Flathead can build around senior Kayden Berkey, a 225-pound senior, and 280-pound junior Logan Lang. Joe Hansen, a 6-foot-6 senior, is listed at tight end but Cummings visualizes him also putting in time at tackle.

“He has that prototypical college tackle body,” said the former Frontier Conference lineman (MSU-Northern).

Out at receiver are junior Robert Walker and sophomore Bordy Thornberry; senior Caleb Riley is a 6-foot-3, 225-pound tight end.

The goal is to get running lanes for Henshaw and Co., a plan that helped Flathead (led by back Blake Counts) reach the State AA championship in 2018 under Kyle Samson.

“Kyle Samson was my OC in college,” Cummings noted. “I coached with Kyle and that’s the system that I like. I’m a run-first guy.”

The numbers could help Flathead avoid a lot of double-duty for its players, though a guy like Berkey is too valuable to not play both ways. He’ll lead the defensive line along with junior Brandon Lewis. The linebacking crew starts with senior Chase Youso and includes Gunnar Thompson, Anders’ twin.

The defensive backfield is well-stocked: Seniors Dylan Zink and Nate Prieto and junior Trevor Burke lead the way there.

“Nate is a speed kid,” Cummings said. “He really has grown up a lot the last 4-5-6 months. He loves football and he’s going to be a kid that’s going to get it done for us on defense and special teams. He’s fast.

“Dylan Zink, I think he’s come far. He’s the one that’s developed the most in his time here — he’s made himself into a very solid AA player.”

Defensively the idea is not to put too much on a young team’s plate and let them play.

“You’ll see a (straightforward) scheme. We want them to play fast and not give them too much,” Cummings said. “You look at the Helena Capitals, the CMRs, they have not changed much defensively in 40 years.“

Going by the preseason coaches poll compiled by Anthony Nachreiner, Flathead is picked last in the Western AA. Skyview. 3-5 a year ago, was picked sixth out of eight Eastern AA teams.

Kailua Fatupaito, a junior linebacker and running back, is a top player for the Falcons. Dylan Goodell led the Falcons in passing (452 yards) as a junior and is a run threat as well.

KGEZ will have the call with new play-by-play man Joe Sova on the microphone at 6:45 p.m.