VIDEO, PHOTOS: Wolverines Poised for New Season with New Coach

It'll be a whole new game on the Westwood Wolverines' football field this fall.

Coming off an 8-4 record last season, the team is now under the leadership of , who is coming out of five years as the offensive coordinator at Weston High School to fill the shoes of .

But Mantie's been working hard with the team to get ready for the new season.

"Holliston's the biggest competitor until someone knocks them off the block," Mantie said. "They've been the team to beat for the last couple of years. I know that Medway's going to have a real good team this year, Hopkinton the same thing. The way the set up is you have to win four football games, they're going to be hard games for us."

Captains Glenn Parsons and Ryan Neville are some key players to watch this year, he said, with Ryan Demoranis also coming in as a two-way starter, as is Brandon Rodenbush.

"Those guys are certainly going to be in full," Mantie said.

And while he's not looking too far ahead toward November, Thanksgiving Day's big game against Holliston is certainly on Mantie's mind. last year, and it's something Mantie is hoping to turn around in the coming season.

"Thanksgiving, one of the questions I was first asked was, 'Are we going to beat Hollistion?'" he said. "We're sure as hell going to try."

But it won't be easy. Mantie pointed out a number of players who won't be returning this season, from to Costa Toubekis, among other key players who either graduated or transferred out.

"Those guys are going to be tough to replace," Mantie said.

Meanwhile, the Tri-Valley League will be split into two divisions this year; Westwood is among the Large Divsion, along with Hollistion, Medfield, Hopkinton and Medway. But having two separate divisions in the TVL is something Mantie's prepared for.

"That's what I'm used to at Weston, that's the way we rean things there," he said. "It makes those games even that much more important, that much more fun to play."

The Wolverines kick off their regular season on the road on Friday, Sept. 9 at 6:30 p.m. against Bedford High School.

The Westwood Wolverines 2011 Roster:

Jr.

Sr.

#15

*Captain