Outlook: By all rights, the Tawas Area football team may need to film a commercial for the U.S. Marine Corps this season. With just over 20 players on the roster, and only five total returning starters, they are without a doubt the few, the proud and the ... well, Braves.

Tawas coach Tim Webb isn't wringing his hands over what he doesn't have. He does possess something that no other North East Michigan Conference team has, and that is a three-year starter at quarterback in Jesse Siwek. Of the other league squads, only Ogemaw Heights has a signal-caller that has ever started a high school varsity game.

"It's pretty nice to have that kind of experience," Webb says. "Jesse definitely gives us an edge there."

Siwek also returns to his defensive spot at safety. The other returning starters are center / linebacker Seth Thomas, who is coming off a knee injury; right tackle Justin Ott; fullback / linebacker Matt Compau; and cornerback Tim Schmidt.

Senior Jeremy Fuller, who saw some duty as a reserve last season, is one of several other returners that Webb is counting on for a breakout season.

"He's getting his chance to show what he can do," Webb says. "From what we've seen I think he's ready."

Despite the limited roster, Webb says his squad showed aggressiveness in its scrimmage that should serve it well.

"They like to hit," he says. "They don't get to do a whole lot of that in practice, so it was nice to see. They play hard, they're very competitive and they enjoy playing the game.

"We don't have many guys, but the guys we're putting out there are pretty solid."

The team's gauntlet run through the NEMC -- four straight games in weeks 3-6 -- will provide the biggest challenge to the Braves' mettle. But Webb isn't looking that far ahead just yet.

"Our goals haven't changed," he says. "We prepare to win every single game. We just try to focus on what is right in front of us, which is the next game, not the two or three after that.

"We can only worry about one week at a time."

As for the depth issue, "That's something the coaches worry about more than the players," Webb says. "The kids just go out and play. And I have not doubt that the kids that stayed and worked at this will be better for it."