This year is not a ‘rebuild’ for Millennium football, but the Tigers know there is work to be done to replace the production of last year’s special senior class. Ask the players though, and they will tell you they are excited for the challenge.

The class of 2020, coach Lamar Early’s largest in his short Tigers tenure, was integral in leading Millennium to back-to-back region championships. Now, the current roster, boosted by a talented young batch of kids, feel the pressure from both themselves and their upcoming opponents to uphold a winning tradition.

“When we first started practicing this season, on paper I never felt like we were the biggest or deepest team. But when you come out and see the athletes here it’s exciting because it’s new and we’re ready,” said senior running back Jaylen Hawkins.

“I think it could be looked at as a down, because we’ve got a lot of young guys. But they’re coming in hungry and I know they’re trying to prove themselves,” added Tiger senior Mikaele Fuamatu.

Fuamatu is part of a group of linemen that still has experience as a group, one of few positions that does. They will hope to lead a nearly-new offense trying to create holes Hawkins and other running backs, as well as whoever comes up best in the team’s heated starting quarterback battle.

Defensively, the line will be integral as well. Early sees some talent in the secondary, but the majority of the projected starters simply do not have many varsity reps. He is hoping pressure from the trenches eases their load early-on with little time to prepare due to the pandemic halting practice this summer.

“We’ve got some young linebackers that we’re looking at and some young DBs too that we think can help fill the mold,” Early said.

“But they’re just inexperienced and the you look at all these teams we’re playing. So we hope that line can make it a little easier on them.”

The schedule does no favors either.

The newly-formed 5A West 1 region is among the most rugged in 5A. Of six teams, five made the playoffs and Fairfax went 6-4 in 2019. And Millennium added a trio of 2019 playoff teams in Gilbert, Horizon and Campo Verde to round out its eight-game campaign beginning in early October.

Millennium players sense foes coming at them claiming shots at the region title. For now it is the Tigers’ to lose, and they don’t plan on letting up easy.

“We’re not expected to do much, just because we’re younger. But we’re going to surprise some people,” Hawkins said.

Millennium opens the 2020 AIA season at Gilbert on Oct. 2.