It doesn’t seem all that long ago that the Grand Meadow football team was in the Metrodome on the heels of a 40-22 loss to Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley in the nine man state football title game.

Now the Larks are opening practice for the first time since that loss, which took place in late November of 2012.

The Superlarks had 10 seniors on that are graduated from last year’s team, but they’re not thinking about starting over.

Senior quarterback Trenton Bleifus and junior running back Landon Jacobson combined for 4,975 yards and 68 touchdowns last season so the team isn’t exactly desperate for guys who can make plays.

But those two alone, won’t bring the Larks back to glory.

Last year’s success was built on team balance and different players stepped up in every game of the state run. This year will be no different and that was pretty apparent in GM’s first practice Monday.

Head coach Gary Sloan was making sure everyone on the team was involved and he had his JV running the exact same plays the varsity was running immediately after the varsity team had run the play.

It’s also important to note that the Larks are bringing in plenty of talent. Last year’s JV team went unbeaten for the first time under Sloan in his career.

They’re used to winning and they expect to do it. Jacobson said he’s already seen a fire from his younger teammates and he hopes it continues throughout the fall.

“We have a lot of younger kids coming up. We’ve got to bring them up and get them on our level,” Jacobson said. “I try to be a leader out there.”

If the younger players can mold with the veterans, who know what it takes to get to to the state title game, the Superlarks could be in for a memorable season.

But their chances of success certainly won’t be on the shoulders of just two players.

It will be on the shoulders of the entire squad.