EMPORIUM — It’s not exactly the way they planned.

Nonetheless after a 1-8 season, Cameron County is entering 2017 under the radar.

“That wasn’t my goal last year, but we’re under the radar right now, there’s no doubt about it,” second-year coach Scott Burnside said with a laugh. “We’re flying low.”

While the Red Raiders aren’t entering the season with large external expectations, Burnside expects to compete in every game. Coming into his second season, he said he’s in much better position than he was last season, partly with his April hiring meaning the offseason was already at its midpoint.

“Things are coming a lot easier to me,” Burnside said. “I’m not talking X’s and O’s, that’s an adventure every year. As far as being a head coach and taking care of the administrative things, I know exactly what to expect. I came in in late April so I had to hit the ground running. The job was totally up in the air then and I wasn’t sure if I was going to get it.”

Speaking at Allegheny Mountain League media day in Ridgway earlier, Burnside said it was a big day for him because after meeting with the media, he was going to attend a rules and then parents meeting. From then on, the focus turns totally to football.

Cameron County, like many of its fellow AML North Division teams, doesn’t boast a huge roster. In fact, just 24 players will dress for the Red Raiders.

“That’s a struggle,” Burnside said. “First of all, you want enough to practice with. You want to have 22. You know that you’re going to be suffering injuries through the year and hopefully not lose kids for other reasons, but sometimes you do. So, that’s just where Cameron County is at right now.”

Burnside said the future looks bright for the program, though.

“We have low numbers in junior high and we have high numbers in the youth program,” Burnside said. “Cameron County football is not going away. We’re going to have a football squad this year and for the foreseeable future, so we’re going to have to get some guys on board and push through.”

Cameron County does return its starting quarterback, senior Adam Streich, and its second- and third-leading rushers from last season.

Streich threw for 772 yards and three touchdowns against 13 interceptions, while also rushing for 201 yards and two touchdowns. Jared Whiting is the returning back, having run for 358 yards and tied for the team lead in touchdowns (four) last year.

Burnside’s team also returns two two-way linemen – seniors Tim Banks and Bryce Heim. They’re part of a nine-man senior class Burnside is leaning on for more leadership this season.

“I think we have good senior leadership this year,” Burnside said. “We’re kind of counting on these guys to be ironmen. We have low numbers this year and they’re not going to get too many breaks, the guys who are taking the field.”

Will the Red Raiders play spoiler this year? That’s the plan, as Burnside said he and the other North coaches know the South Division teams are coming in confident and ready to fill their stat sheets.

“The one thing the North has going for them – and I know Coudersport stepped up and knocked off Bradford last year – other than that game, just about everybody in the South will be going into the North game ready to stomp them,” Burnside said. “Ready to have a stat day, ready to have a field day. [The] North has to use that and if there’s a tough team that’s able to jump somebody, you have your opportunity every [week] against the South because the South is coming in very confident.”

THE RETURNING starters:

Adam Streich, senior, 5-10, 160, quarterback/defensive back

Jared Whiting, senior, 5-10, 175, fullback/linebacker

Devin Palumbo, senior, 6-2, 210, tackle/linebacker

Tim Banks, senior, 5-7, 170, guard/linebacker

Bryce Heim, senior, 5-9, 205, tackle/defensive tackle

Derek Beldin, senior, 6-1, 180, tailback/linebacker

Eric Morton, senior, 6-2, 170, wide receiver/defensive back

ALSO LETTERING was:

Andrew Goss, senior, 5-11, 170, guard/defensive end

THE PLAYERS, by position:

Offense

Quarterback: Streich, Gunner Hornung (fr., 5-10, 135)

Runningback: Whiting, Beldin, Luiz Patricio (so., 5-9, 145), Ebon Jackson (so., 5-7, 140)

Receivers: Vislay, Morton, Wendell O’Brien (so., 6-0, 150), Nick Peters (so., 5-6, 120), Conner Nolan (fr., 5-6, 135), Caden Beldin (fr., 6-3, 160)

Tightend: Devin Geitner (jr., 5-10, 150)

Guards/tackles: Palumbo, Banks, Heim, Goss, Josh Summers (jr., 5-8, 160), Ethan Fields (jr., 5-5, 145), Damien Erickson (jr., 6-1, 200), Nathan Reed (fr., 5-5, 120)

Center: Caleb Pifer (jr., 5-10, 185), Logan Ullman (fr., 5-9, 145)

Defense

Ends: Goss, Geitner, Erickson

Tackles: Heim, Fields, Summers, Reed

Linebackers: Whiting, Palumbo, Banks, D. Beldin, Pifer, Patricio, Ullman

Defensivebacks: Streich, Vislay, Morton, O’Brien, Peters, Jackson, Nolan, C. Beldin, Hornung

Kickers: Palumbo, O’Brien, Beldin

Punters: Vislay