Adam Papin/MDN A Nedrose wide receiver goes up for a catch during position drills.

While the top three teams in Class A Region 3 seem to be in a tier of their own, there looks to be a battle for the fourth and final playoff spot, and the Nedrose Cardinals expect to be in the hunt for it.

The Cardinals missed the playoffs last year after qualifying in both 2020 and 2021, but they are eager to prove that last year’s one-win season was just a fluke.

Offensively, Nedrose will run the option a lot, while relying on the strength of their offensive line.

“We’ll be an RPO [run pass option] team, more this year than ever before,” said Weidler.

“We’re still trying to figure out our identity a bit. And you know with injuries at a small school, sometimes you gotta kind of tweak things to fit who’s available for the week.”

Wiedler cited experience on the offensive line as a major strength for the Cardinals this season.

“Up front will our biggest strength this year, which is a good thing,” he said. “Football is won in the trenches, and the kids know that we’ve really preached that. I always tell the o-line and the d-line, ‘you don’t always get the glory, but you’re the reason why we’re winning games.’ And they’ve been buying into that.

“Hopefully, we can ride the guys up front throughout the year.”

Wide receiver Jodey Myers is another key returner for the Cardinals on offense.

Nonetheless, Nedrose will have a new quarterback and running back, and the coaches have spent camp getting those positions up to speed.

“The two guys we got in there right now, Derek Heinert at quarterback and Kaleb Eggen at running back, are making some big strides,” said Weidler. “Offensively, we have some guys returning, but we also have some important pieces we need to try and replace.”

Nedrose lost their leader in tackles on defense, so the coaches are busy identifying who will be the next standout while trying to get all eleven guys to the ball.

It won’t take the Cardinals long to find out how improved they are, with three of the first four games of the season against perennial favorites Shiloh Christian, Velva and Des Lacs-Burlington.

“We open up with a non-region game when we go to Shiloh,” said Weidler. “This can be a tough test for us right away, and then we face the top dogs in our region. The other teams will give us a fight too. We’re always scratching and clawing. Every game is important for us.”

The coaches know that making the playoffs isn’t the only measure of a successful high school football season, and that developing a player’s character is just as or more important than developing his football skills.

“We’ve been to the playoffs three times, and those are great years. But you also have to look at how far you come from day one to where you’re at at the last whistle,” said Weidler. “That said, we’ve never won a playoff game and that’s always been our goal.”

Nedrose opens the season on Friday, Aug. 25 when they travel to Bismarck Shiloh Christian. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.