EVERETT — The Archbishop Thomas Murphy football team is taking nothing for granted.

Even though the defending Class 1A state champions return most of their key contributors, the Wildcats aren’t resting on their laurels.

Far from it.

The business-like attitude took shape during the summer when head coach Terry Ennis and his staff got together and talked football.

“We realized the areas where we need to be better than we were a year ago,” said Ennis, who is in his fourth season at Archbishop Murphy. “We haven’t been sitting around reliving the good old days. We have a sense of urgency in several areas and I sense that the kids know that this is a fresh start.”

The Wildcats graduated only five seniors from a team that defeated Royal 35-14 in the Gridiron Classic last December. One of the departures was starting quarterback Axel Wolff.

His role is expected to be filled by junior Kyle Wilkins, last season’s backup quarterback who saw limited action.

The wing-T offense Archbishop Murphy employs relies heavily on the quarterback, so Wilkins has worked hard to master the position and all its responsibilities. Most of his time has been spent on improving his footwork and learning all of the plays in the playbook.

Ennis expects a smooth transition with Wilkins.

“As the season progressed last year he was in that backup role,” Ennis said. “We have quite a bit of confidence in him … he saw a little bit of action and certainly a lot of practice time.”

One potential new wrinkle in the usually staid Wildcat offensive repertoire is a revamped air attack. Archbishop Murphy isn’t exactly known for throwing the ball.

The Wildcats passed a total of two times against Royal in the state championship game.

“Coach says we’re going to do a little more passing,” Wilkins said. “I’m getting (my) arm strength up and working on throwing the ball. That’s going to be a lot different.”

Lest anyone think that Archbishop Murphy is going to be emulating the high-flying St. Louis Rams, Wilkins noted that whatever passing the Wildcats do will be done to enhance the running game.

“We’re not going to turn to our passing to start our offense,” he said. “We’re just going to try and get it so that it’s another weapon we can use.”

Plenty of familiar faces return in the backfield including all-league running back Jevon Butler, who rushed for a Class 1A title game record of 227 yards on 26 carries with two touchdowns.

Others expected to share the offensive load include a pair of senior backs, Doug VanderWel and Ben Waiss, and sophomore standout Stan Smith.

Butler appreciates the dedication of his offensive linemen, many of whom have spent countless hours in the weight room during the offseason.

“They’re dedicated,” Butler said. “They know they have the hardest position on the field and they know that the offense, any offense in the world, would not work without the line.”

Staying healthy will be important to Archbishop Murphy’s success since there isn’t much depth behind the projected starters.

But the talent among the starters is something the Wildcats haven’t had the luxury of before, Ennis said.

“We’ve got a good nucleus of linemen, probably more so than in past years,” he said. “There is some competition for positions right now and that’s what we want. So rather than designating guys at a spot, we’re just trying to find the six, seven best blockers now.”

One of the five seniors who graduated last spring, Tony Duncan, was more or less the acknowledged leader of the offensive line. So far, no one has separated himself from the rest of the group, which is all right.

“They’re pretty much one group,” Ennis said. “No one’s standing above (the rest). But no one is lagging behind either. I’m real pleased with the group of linemen.”

The line and the rest of the team face some stiff challenges in the preseason. Archbishop Murphy opens with Evergreen, a 3A playoff team, and then takes on Tacoma Baptist, the only team to hand the Wildcats a loss last season. Archbishop Murphy also play Omak, a traditionally strong 2A team.

Ennis crafted a tough preseason schedule to prepare his team for what will be a season of high expectations.

“The harder the schedule the better we have to be,” Wilkins said. “It will prepare us better for our season.”

The Wildcats are well aware that no one will overlook them this season, unlike last year, when they may have been underestimated.

The players appear ready and are looking forward to the challenge.

“Coach says we’re going to have step it up this year because everybody is out to get us,” Wilkins said. “We’re going to have to work a lot harder because this is a new year. We’ve got to go out there and try and do our best again.”