COUDERSPORT — Frank Brown remembers well his first two games of 2021.

(Editor’s note: This story marks the seventh of 11 high school football team previews, which will run leading up to and alongside Friday’s “2022 Football Preview” tab.)

Brown’s first season as head coach of the Coudersport football team began with a one-point loss to Cameron County (28-27) on opening night. A week later, the Falcons lost by the same margin, this time to Elk County Catholic (13-12).

Coudy eventually turned its season around to finish 4-5, just missing the District 9 playoffs. If not for those two early-season setbacks, however, the Falcons could have extended their streak of postseason appearances.

Coudy relied on young talent in its first year under Brown’s staff, and improved throughout the year as it endured its growing pains. In year two, the Falcons won’t just be more acclimated to varsity football, but will benefit from familiarity with their coaching staff.

Elevated team speed and a deep group of returning skill players look to lead the Falcons back to the playoffs in 2022. And, at the center of the action, a top-tier athlete in Gavyn Ayers, who could be on the verge of a breakout junior season.

As one of the top contenders in D9’s Region 3 league, Coudy could find itself in the midst of multiple championship pursuits.

“These younger guys know what to expect out of us as coaches, and know what to expect with our familiarity and how we run our units,” Brown said. “You can see it already, how quickly these guys react to things on the field.”

Coudy leaned on underclassmen a year ago, including Ayers, who debuted full-time at quarterback as a sophomore.

Ayers struggled throwing the ball last season, completing just 36% of his passes, but averaged nearly five yards per carry on the ground. He added 508 yards and 11 touchdowns on 107 rushing attempts to the two touchdowns he completed through the air.

“(Ayers) took a big step in year one as a sophomore,” Brown said. “He was able to really work within the system, and he brings a lot of skill to the field. Now, as a junior, he’s basically mastered our offense, so we’re looking for big things out of him at that position.”

Ayers will be asked to step up on the other side of the ball, as well, as he’ll move to middle linebacker this year. At 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, Ayers will be Coudy’s anchor in the middle of the field more times than not.

“He’s an athletic quarterback,” Brown said. “If you have a quarterback that’s going to stand in one section of the pocket, it’s pretty easy for a defense to handle that offense. With Gavyn, besides being able to throw the ball 60 yards down field and run on the perimeter, he’s able to run inside the tackle box, which is pretty amazing.”

Systemic familiarity, Brown said, has allowed his team to play faster. That’s added to the talent of Coudy’s skill position returners, who look to be the team’s strength.

Viggo Brown and Xander Brown each return to the backfield, while James Culvey, Dylan Howard, Jackson Moss and Kyle Dunn return as pass-catching options. All started a year ago.

“Any time you can move quicker mentally, you’re going to move quicker physically,” Frank Brown said. “In varsity football, speed is what you need, and you can see that they’re playing faster just because they don’t need to think as much.”

Ott will step into the starting tailback roll after rushing for 230 yards on 44 carries last season as a freshman. Culvey had 10 receptions for 270 yards and three touchdowns a year ago, headlining a large group of receivers.

“We have good depth at all of our skill positions, to the point where we have different guys we can use for different formations,” Frank Brown said. “Guys will be able to move around within our packages.”

Cooper Rossman is Coudy’s lone returning starter on the offensive line, while David Barshinger will step into the starting center role after seeing limited game action last year. Dylan Howard will be tasked with leading the Falcons’ defense from the free safety position, a spot valued by Brown.

“Everything runs through (Howard),” the second-year coach said. “I ask my free safety to be the quarterback of the defense, and he takes command of the huddle. We play a pretty sophisticated defensive system and it all runs through him.”

Coudy will compete in D9’s Region 3 league, which contains the smallest of the area’s schools. The Falcons will start their season, however, with four non-league games, including a Week 1 trip to Keystone.

After an offseason of growth — physically and mentally — Coudy will seek to re-enter its name into the league and district playoff pictures.

“We know that, as long as we execute in all of our different phases of offense, we’re going to be able to put points on the board,” Brown said. “From what I’ve seen in our camp, this defense should be able to stop people from scoring. You score one more than the other team, you win.”