Haskell running back Bubba Wills ran for more than 1,000 yard last season. This year, freshman Quentin Haynes will shoulder some of the load.

Haskell Indian Nations University football coach Eric Brock has two goals he wants this year’s squad to achieve.

“I want our guys to be able to represent our school well, and I want every team that walks away from playing us to be astonished by the team they just played,” Brock said Saturday at Haskell’s inaugural fall-sports media day.

Haskell finished last season with a disappointing 2-9 record, but Brock said this year’s team, with 60 newcomers, should be much improved.

“We have a lot of young kids,” Brock said. “They’re talented, and they all have special gifts, and we got to decide how to put them in the right spots.

“Compared to last year’s team, these guys are a lot more fiery, a lot more anxious as far as getting on the field early,” Brock said. “And I think we’re ahead a lot from where we were last year.”

One familiar face at Haskell will be sophomore running back Bubba Wills. A 1,000-yard rusher last season, Wills likely won’t carry the ball quite as much this season because of the arrival of freshman running back Quentin Haynes.

“He looks real good,” Wills said. “He’s going to be a good running back. He’s young, but he’s going to take a lot of the load off of my back, that’s for sure. And that’s all right.”

Wills and Haynes have different running styles. Wills is more of a bruiser, and Haynes excels at getting to the outside, a skill that could be problematic for opposing defenses.

“Bubba is a very good downhill runner,” Brock said. “He’s never been a guy who’s going to take it 80 yards and outrun everybody, but Quentin does a great job complementing him, doing the same types of things, but he also adds the speed factor. He’s looked good in camp, very durable,” Brock said. “He’s got some good wheels, and he’s smart.”

Wills has become a mentor to Haynes, helping him learn the playbook and making sure Haynes is lined up where he should be.

Victor Ramos will be the team’s starting quarterback. Ramos red-shirted two years ago as a freshman and missed last season because of personal issues. But Brock said Ramos had made a smooth transition back to the college game.

“He’s been coming along fine,” Brock said. “It’s definetly shown, even just as far as his ability to grasp the concepts of what we’re asking. And leadership-wise he knows where everyone needs to be.”

Defensively, junior Mario Torres, a team captain, will start at middle linebacker.Torres said being a leader added more responsibility, especially with the young guys.

“I have to show them how to practice and how to take care of stuff on and off the field,” Torres said. “I’m really happy and honored that they picked me as a captain, and I’m going to do my best to show these guys how they should be.

“I want to show that we have a team that not only the Haskell community, but the Lawrence community, can be proud of.”

Haskell will open its season Thursday night at home against Missouri Southern.