Back for his second season since returning as head coach of the Barrington High School football team, Sandy Gorham is smart enough to understand that to try and turn a last-place team into a championship contender is not going to happen overnight.

Barrington Pop Warner teams celebrate wins.

“This is still a work in progress,” said the likable Eagles’ boss, who admits that Lady Luck, who completely turned the other cheek last year, will have to be a little more forgiving this time around. “Injuries to key players really killed us last year.”

The 2016 edition of Eagles football will be just as challenging. Playing in the state’s toughest division (Division I) doesn’t help matters either.

“We’re very young,” said Coach Gorham, “but we should be more talented this year. It’s a rebuilding process.”

Despite not winning a single league game last season, the Barrington squad gave it everything they had.

“We’re proud of these kids,” said the coach. “They gained important experience. We should be better this year. I know we’ll be more competitive.”

Losing junior quarterback Liam McManus to a broken thumb last season didn’t help things. He missed six games, but showed enough promise to be a true team leader this year.

“Liam can be a real good player,” the coach predicted. “He has great potential.”

Senior tight end/defensive end David Kelley stands 6-4 and weighs in at 225, making him a legitimate threat on both sides of the ball.

“He’s probably our best player,” said Coach Gorham. “He’s probably one of the better players in Division I. He’s a top caliber player who does a lot of things well.”

Another player to keep your eye on is senior co-captain Ted Miller, a rangy 6-foot-2 wide receiver with good size, who catches the ball with authority. Senior co-captain Lucas Dillon is another key player on defense.

The Eagles’ offensive line is young with a number of underclassmen making up the unit. However, they're eager to prove they belong with the big boys in the division.

Coach Gorham is also high on several other players, including running back and senior co-captain Talah Yasin, and senior linebacker Owen Roberts. Both should give Eagle fans plenty to cheer about.

When things got tough last year, the team never gave up. Pride was a key element.

“A lot of these kids stuck it out,” the coach noted. “Last year, we lacked experience and injuries were too tough to overcome. I’ve never seen so many injuries in one year in all my years of coaching.”

The Eagles will open their season with non-league home games against Middletown on Friday, Sept. 9, at 7 p.m., and against St. Raphael Academy on Friday, Sept. 16, at 7 p.m. The regular Division I campaign will commence on Friday, Sept. 23, at 7 p.m., when Barrington visits Rogers High School at Toppa Field in Newport.

Coach Gorham remains hopeful that things can get better in 2016.

“If we can avoid injuries, we’ll continue to improve week to week,” he offered. “The kids are excited this year and anxious to get out there and give it everything they’ve got.”