The numbers problem that, a few seasons back, hit Fayetteville-Manlius football hard has resolved itself. Now it’s just a matter of turning heavy participation and enthusiasm into a consistent winning product on the field.

For a while in 2016, the Hornets were on that general path, starting 4-2. But an injury to its best two-way player, Eric Coley, proved too much to overcome, and F-M lost three in a row to end the campaign, including a first-round Section III Class AA playoff game to Baldwinsville.

Coley has graduated, as has quarterback Henry Josephson and a handful of other starters. But head coach Paul Muench has a large returning cast, too, with 30 veterans on the roster and plenty of depth behind them, too, on a 55-man roster.

F-M even looks different, returning to the white helmets it wore from the 1960s to the 1980s, though it is keeping the “Pride” motto on those helmets. Muench said it was a change the players pushed for, but added that, for coaches, it was easier to follow players on the field, too.

On offense, the theme is obvious for the Hornets – get as many people as possible involved so that things don’t hinge on a single player, as it did with Coley.

Mikey Porter, who waited his turn behind Josephson, gets his chance at quarterback for his senior season. Equally adept at running the ball and throwing it, Porter said he wants to pass more out of the shotgun formation.

In the off-season, Porter had a growth spurt, and now stands at 6-foot-3 with 185 pounds. This should help him scan a defense, and the Hornets could also see junior Owen Neumann under center, with wide receiver Tyler Powell also taking some snaps in certain formations.

Porter will have plenty of options to work with in F-M’s specialized Wing-T offense. Mitch Seabury and Zack Page started as sophomores following Coley’s injury, gaining valuable starting experience. Now they return to lead a backfield that also features Armando Adrian, Deion Travis and Ben Welling.

That same depth is found at wide receiver, where Powell is a returning starter, joined by junior Jack Hannah. At tight end, F-M could line up either 6-foot-5 junior Trevor Porzucek or 6-foot-2 senior Ben Thomas, or use them both in two tight-end sets.

John-Luke Buonfiglio, one of the returning offensive linemen, said his unit did more than the usual work in the off-season, including night sessions where, together, they would work on technique and footwork so that everything was sharp once the rest of the team got together for formal practices.

All told, four starters return on the Hornets’ front line. Buonfiglio is at tackle, with Andrew Testani and Andrew Guillaume back at guard and Joey Anderson at center. Only Charles Gadsden, at tackle, is new to the starting unit, with Austin Schefter another option at guard.

Even when F-M had winning seasons, the defense was an issue. Second–year defensive coordinator (and former Syracuse University great) Dan Conley has put in a 4-3 system emphasizing speed and aggression in seeking to improve that side of the ball.

On a deep front line, Testani, Zack Henderson, Adam Fox and Luke Ovadias all rotate at tackle, while Buonfiglio, Ben Thomas and James Ferro are part of the end rotation. They work in front of Tim Shaw, a junior linebacker who started as a sophomore and could turn into one of the area’s best defenders.

Muench said the entire defense revolves around Shaw, who gets help at linebacker from Welling and Brody Phelan. Nate Fischi returns at cornerback, joined by Adrian and Hanna as Neumann is part of a group of safeties with Trevor Fallon. John Egnaczyk, who has a range up to 45 yards, could prove an effective kicker.

F-M gets underway Friday night at Corcoran, one of four road games on the 2017 slate. The Hornets get Henninger for its home opener Sept. 8 and, two weeks later, welcome defending sectional champion CBA, again the AA-1 division favorite.

But it all starts at Corcoran, which Muench said is an even more important opener than normal. Here, F-M will quickly find out if its large numbers, and the enthusiasm they bring to the field, translates into a strong on-field product that could push for championship honors later this fall.