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CITY  (NewsDakota.com)–With a lot of experience back in Hi-Liner blue and white this fall, head football coach Scott Roehrich used a key word when discussing the upcoming season.

Expectations.

Valley City looks to take a step back toward the top of Region I (eastern division) football this season after a 3-6 campaigin in 2011, and with a senior-heavy roster, Roehrich likes what he has seen after a week of pre-season camp.

Roehrich says the team has has found it’s stride in picking up it’s base offense, one of the biggest challenges of camp, and is now moving on to some of the finer points of the offensive gameplan.  He says this year’s team will be true to its roots of focusing on the running game, both offensively and defensively.

A major challenge that confonted the Hi-Liners during the summer was filling their coaching staff and then fitting those coaches into responsibilities, after Dave Corwin and Brad Sufficool left the staff following the 2011 season.  Roehrich will now be functioning as both the offensive and defensive co-ordinator, a role he prepared for during the summer search.  He says he was fortunate to find quality coaches to fill the staff.

After graduating quarterback Ben Sorenson, there were a few different possibilities available to fill the role.  Roehrich says that senior Austin Svenningson is the likely starter, and the team has edited the position down two quarterbacks, perhaps a third if the need became pressing. 

Valley City opens play at Carrington on August 24th, and will finish the non-conference season with the home opener against Dickinson Trinity August 31st.