Alex Eisen/MDN The Des Lacs-Burlington football team lines up to hike the ball during practice Tuesday in Des Lacs.

DES LACS — Senior starting quarterback Dante Gunville wanted to be more involved this season. Taking the snaps and managing the team huddle on offense for a third straight year wasn’t enough.

Des Lacs/Burlington football head coach James Johnson was hesitant to expand Gunville’s role in the past. But now, in Gunville’s final season with the Lakers, Johnson gave in.

“(Gunville) has been begging to play defense,” Johnson said. “I think this is the year we are going to let him play some defense… It’s not like he couldn’t (play defense) as a junior, we were just a little shy. As much as we were throwing last year, we didn’t want our quarterback making tackles all the time. But, he can handle it.”

The Lakers will use the season-opening game this Friday against Bottineau to determine which defensive position suits Gunville the best. The current plan is in the secondary at cornerback.

“Hopefully, this first game will be a proving point for us, and we get the season going with a good start,” Gunville said. “I have to be that leader. When things aren’t going our way, you have to keep on the guys and keep them going.”

Gunville joins a defense that features an imposing front line. Johnson classified the defensive front as a team strength, pointing out linemen Coy Spooner, Tanner LaFountain, Walter Winkler, Jayson Kurtz and Michael Schwant.

“For the beginning of the year, we are feeling alright for where we are at,” senior Spooner said. “But, we know there are some things we have to work on and some places where we need to improve.”

There are more than a dozen returning players who saw playing time on defense last season, either as a starter or backup.

“We have a lot of playing experience coming back,” Spooner said. “So, that’s definitely one of our strong points. And we have younger kids that are going to need to step up and be playmakers. They have the capability to do that.”

Offensively, the spotlight hasn’t shifted off Gunville. The dual-threat quarterback is one of the more experienced field generals not only in the region but in Class A as a whole.

His arm strength and speed make him difficult to contain.

“It’s always good to have your quarterback back,” Johnson said. “Dante Gunville, third year as the starter, has gotten stronger and faster from a year ago. I think he has become a mature senior that we are going to look to for leadership.”

Gunville’s two main receiving targets will be seniors Jameson Lesmann and Jacob Burleson; whereas, there will be less experience when it comes time to hand the ball off.

“With the running back situation, we do have Weston Wahus back, who started at fullback,” Johnson said. “At tailback, I think we have a stable of four — two young freshmen, one is a sophomore and one is a junior. They are probably all going to see a little bit of time.”

The sophomore, Caleb Rist, has stood out in practice to Johnson, but he doesn’t want to overwork his youthful ball carrier either. The season is too long, and the Lakers have run into injury problems in the past.

Two years ago, running back Caleb Bonness was injured right before the playoffs. The injury bug wasn’t avoided last season either.

“Last year was a fun year,” Johnson said. “Things didn’t end the way we wanted when it came to playoff time. But, they were a good bunch that worked hard. We battled quite a few injuries last year, and to some key players. That allowed some of these kids to play last year who we’ll be counting on this year.”

In the postseason, Dickinson Trinity has been a pesky thorn in DLB’s side. The Titans have ended the Lakers’ past two seasons by a combined score of 97-13.

DLB has made the playoffs in five out of the last six seasons and reached the Class A state championship game in 2016.

“We have to be calmer in big games,” Gunville said. “Have more poise when things aren’t going our way, and just doing the things we normally do in practice.”

The quest to capture the program’s first state title since 1993 starts at 7 p.m. Friday at home against Bottineau. The two teams last played in 2016 with the Lakers winning 46-0.

Alex Eisen covers Minot State athletics, the Minot Minotauros and high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @AEisen13.