KIMBALL, NE - The Longhorns are a young team this year. With just a pair of returning starters from a season ago, a lot of freshman and sophomores will get playing time for Kimball as they enter their third season of eight-man football.

"A lot of stuff we're doing right now is fundamentals," head coach Ben Aarestad said. "Blocking, tackling, running the ball, trying to hold onto the ball, simple things like that. Things we can carry over not just weekly, but three or four years down the road."

Aarestad says there are some opportunities that come with the a young team like being able to build for the future.

"It's tough to build a team when you lose three, four or five starters every year," Aarestad said. "One of the things we do is just try to concentrate on who we have. Try to get them in the weight room, get them better in the weight room and go from there."

That means the few veterans on the team, like senior quarterback Christian Allen Van Pelt will be called upon to be leaders on the team. 

Aarestad says his quarterback is excelling in that area. 

"Christian Allen Van Pelt has been a great kid as far as he's a great leader in the weight room, a great leader out here," he said. "He's one of the guys that gives them extra help. He's leading in the school and telling these guys to get to class and to be good in class."

Senior quarterback Christian Allen Van Pelt, one of the few veterans on the team, says the group of newcomers is gelling well on the practice field.

"I think we how small of a school and how small of a team we are, we have a better chance of staying close both as players and as teammates," Van Pelt said. 

Van Pelt says his goal is to finish above .500. The last time Kimball accomplished that was in 2014 when they finished 6-3 and were still playing 11-man football. They finished at the .500 mark in 2018, finishing 4-4 in their first year in Class D1.

With only 14 players on the official roster as of Thursday, and that number continuing to change, the Longhorns are working to make sure all hands are on deck for week 1.

"[We want to] keep everyone healthy," Van Pelt said. "Making sure everyone is here, staying hydrated and try not to get anybody hurt."

Aarestad began his coaching career in Miami, Florida and has coached numerous players who have gone on to Power 5 college football. He’s even coached Olivier Vernon, who has played for Miami Dolphins, New York Giants and Cleveland Browns in the NFL.

Now in the Nebraska Panhandle to be closer to family, Aarestad says it doesn’t matter where it is, football is football and he’s happy to be back on the field.

"You know, it doesn't matter how many kids I have on the roster or the sideline, you can only play eight or you can only play 11," he said. "It's fun to be out here with the kids no matter how many are out here."

The Longhorns open the season at home versus Hitchcock County on August 28