After finishing 2-7 last season, Falls’ football team is aiming to rise near the top in the Sea-Range Conference in 2011.

Jay Boyle enters his third year as the Broncos’ head coach with seven returning starters, several of whom started on offense and defense in 2010.

Boyle’s list of top returning players include:

• Josh Owen, a senior who started at free safety, returning at defensive back and running back.

• Jack Bragg, a senior who is a two-way returning starter on the offensive and defensive line.

• Gunnar Anderson, a junior who was a two-way starter last year at quarterback and defensive back.

• Nick Janttie, a junior who is a returning starter at linebacker also starting at running back.

• Beau Herzig, a junior who was a two-way starter on the offensive and defensive line and is moving to fullback.

• Ryan Kilbride, a junior who is a two-way starter returning on the offensive line and at linebacker.

• Josh Potter, a junior who started several games on the offensive line last year, as well as being the punter, moving to offensive end and starting at defensive end.

Five key losses from graduation include: Shawn Filipiak, a two-way starter at defensive back and offensive end; Ames Bryant, a two-way starter on the offensive and defensive line; Ethan Johns, another two-way starter on the offensive and defensive line; Alex Bruess, a two-way starter at linebacker and offensive end; and Chris Steinbach, a two-way starter at running back and linebacker.

Boyle said the Broncos have “several new players and young players with a lot of talent in key positions.”

“A lot of our depth is going to come from very young players, so staying healthy, as it usually is in football, will be a key to our success this season,” he said.

In addition to seeking to finish in the top half of teams in the Sea-Range Conference, Boyle said the Broncos have a goal of playing a first-round playoff game at home by being seeded in the top four teams in Section 7AAA.

Boyle said he is looking forward to “seeing another group of young athletes on the field taking pride in being Bronco football players, and seeing the growth that our individual players and our team is going to make over the course of the season.”

He said the teams to watch out for this season include:

• Foley, which hosts the Falls in the season opener this Friday and traditionally has a strong football program from Section 6AAA.

• Virginia, which faces the Broncos in Falls’ home opener Sept. 9 and was the top seed from 7AAA and a Section semifinalist in 2010.

• Hibbing, which has a strong group of younger players coming up that may be seeing varsity action this year.