Jordan-Elbridge’s football seniors can remember a time when their program was an afterthought.

As freshmen, in 2012, they watched the Eagles go 1-7. But in a span of two years, thanks to the hard work put in by the players and a new staff led by head coach Tim Hawkins, everything turned around.

A season ago, J-E, bolstered by a strong running attack and a defense that allowed less than a touchdown in all but one game, went 6-1, reached the Section III Class C playoffs and, in front of a packed crowd at home, routed Thousand Islands 42-6 in the opening round.

“There was energy around J-E that I’ve never seen before,” said senior captain Kyle Humberstone.

True, the Eagles’ season ended a round later with a 42-27 defeat to Herkimer in the sectional semifinal. But the memory of what J-E accomplished remains fresh.

“We have a very versatile group, and we certainly want to go farther,” said Humberstone.

There’s no question that J-E’s breakthrough season got more kids interested in football. J-E head coach Tim Hawkins said that his roster has grown to 30, with 43 more on the modified team, giving his team far more options and athleticism.

“We have more depth, and (our players) are a lot faster than last year,” said Hawkins.

At quarterback, Austin Barrigar is gone, but sophomore Dominic Walborn has taken over. At 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds, Walborn still is growing, and possesses a strong arm to go with an ability to make accurate option reads and find open receivers.

Hawkins said Walborn’s biggest challenge is getting used to the speed of varsity football, but it helps a lot that he has all kinds of proven, experienced players around him at the skill positions.

That includes the running-back tandem of Sam Robles and LaMatt Chisolm, each of whom are three-year starters and, with a combined weight of 400 pounds, will provide plenty of power.

Humberstone returns at wide receiver, flanked by H-back George Richardson and a pair of tight ends, Zach Pangaro and Aiden Carpenter, who are likely to split time.

On an offensive line that lost stalwarts like Justin Quinn and Ryan Cooper to graduation, Dylan Dunham transitions from tight end to tackle, with 300-pound Nick Hallinan at the other tackle spot. Tyler Rivenburgh returns at center, flanked by guards Cordell Sherwood and Anthony Ortiz.

It’s difficult to imagine the Eagles’ defense as stingy as it was in 2014, but in its 4-4 alignment, J-E’s linebackers could cause serious havoc. Robles, Chisolm and Pangaro were already well-established, but switching Dunham to middle linebacker gives them even more depth.

In front of them, as many as eight players could show up on the line, though the rotation is sure to include Carpenter and Sherwood at end, with Rivenburgh, Hallinan, Don Tamblin and Brenden Slater all seeing time at tackle.

Chris Ryan, who concentrates on defense, is, according to Hawkins, the “quarterback” of the defense, working from his free safety spot and ably flanked by Humberstone and Richardson at the corners. Pangaro, in addition to playing on every snap, handles the kicking and punting duties.

J-E might be the only team in New York State to have two female players. Junior Michaela Mills, who hopes to enroll in the United States Naval Academy, is back and could see time at wide receiver, and she convinced her lacrosse teammate, Anna Bozeat, to join the team.

All of them are caught up in the excitement around J-E football, which could only grow if the Eagles win Friday night’s opener at Watertown IHC.

On Sept. 25, Herkimer arrives for a sectional rematch that is also J-E’s Homecoming, following a battle with Bishop Ludden (where Hawkins was an assistant coach before coming to the Eagles) and before a long trip to Sherburne-Earlville on Oct. 2.

All of this is done with an attitude of not feeling content with one great season. Hawkins said he showed his players film of the 2014 state Class C final, where Chenango Forks prevailed, and told them they were as good as the Blue Devils, and could go as far, if they wanted.

“We’ve got to work like we did last year,” said Hawkins. “They (the players) still feel under-appreciated, and they’re ready to go.”