A very young and inexperienced Kaneland team started last year 4-0 and made the playoffs.

Starters return in 17 positions this year as expectations are high for what is now an experienced and explosive team.

“The main thing is we’re all smarter,” senior defensive back and running back Carter Grabowski said. “We’re all playing our positions for the second year or maybe third year in a row. Everyone just looks on key. Last year was a lot about learning and getting into position and now I think we’re hitting the ground running.”

Grabowski was a key weapon for the Knights last year, finishing third in tackles and leading the team in rushing.

Kaneland coach Michael Thorgesen, entering his third year, said Grabowski has developed even more during the offseason.

“He was always a really good athlete,” Thorgesen said. “He played defense, I think he was second on the tackle list. He was the leading rusher. He returned a kick. He returned some punts. He became a nice all-around football player for us and that’s continued into this year for us.”

Grabowski is far from the only weapon returning for the Knights, who went 5-5 last year and 2-3 in Interstate 8 play.

Brady Brown returns at receiver, while Jack Parker and Jake Buckley are three-year starters on the offensive line. There’s also a pair of new players who will help power an offense Thorgesen said has big-play capability.

Senior Jalen Carter will take over at quarterback, having started for St. Francis two years ago. He’ll have not only Brown as a target but also Evan Frieders, who sat out last year to focus on basketball after a strong sophomore campaign.

“We have a lot of weapons and our line can definitely block,” Frieders said. “We have big guys up front, then a bunch of speedy guys. Good weapons on the outside, too.”

The defense returns nine starters from last year. Buckley and Reiss Thompson return on the defensive line. Thorgesen said the linebacker group, which includes returning starters Rogan O’Neil, Jackson Little and Parker, is physical and fast. And the secondary is very experienced with Grabowski, Brown and Luke Gadomski.

“Last year was a lot of teaching and now we can really dive in and focus on getting better,” Thorgesen said. “We’ve got some experienced kids, some kids that have good instincts defensively.”

Kaneland started the year 4-0, including wins over Washington and Wauconda teams that each finished 8-3 and reached the second round of the playoffs. The Knights played three teams with a losing record, winning all three by an average of 34 points.

But they lost four of five to close the regular season, although each team they lost to reached at least the quarterfinals. They lost 14-10 to 1A state champ Althoff Catholic in Belleville. They also lost to conference powers Morris, Sycamore and Rochelle.

“We kind of hit the buzzsaw there in conference,” Thorgesen said. “The top end of our conference for a 5A, 6A public league is as good as it gets. Sycamore, Morris, Rochelle - the winner of our league is going to go to the semifinals every year it seems like. And nothing’s changed. We know we’re going to face those same good teams and we just have to hope all the work we put in pays off.”