Coming off their inaugural season with a winless record, the Marysville Getchell Chargers have a lot to prove this season. With just four weeks until the season begins, the Chargers are already hard at work to do so.

With a second-year program, one unexpected advantage the Chargers will have this season is experience. The Chargers only graduated two seniors last year, and with future college prospects like offensive and defensive lineman Alfredo Diaz and defensive back and receiver Zander Seymeer, the team will have a little strut in their step this time around.

"We have just returned from camp at Eastern Washington University where we got a chance to take on some other schools in some live action games," said head coach Davis Lura. "The team looked good, we are starting to execute better and we already have more installed in the offensive and defensive scheme than we did all of last year. We are miles ahead of where we were this time last year."

Now the team is dedicated to building strength and speed by spending much of their summer in the weight room. The squad members lift weights five days a week as well as spending an hour four days a week on the field. The Chargers are also going to participate in the seven-on-seven passing tournament at Lakewood High School on Saturday, July 28. With a Spread and Wildcat offense, this tournament will go a long way in determining the Chargers' competitiveness this season.

"We all knew last season would be tough, the players and the fans. But the team had a lot of pride in knowing they were the first," said Lura. "The kids work hard and always have a good mentality. Our fans have given us a lot of support, and we've received only positive comments of how impressed they were. This is a multi-year process."

The Chargers schedule has not yet been published, but with the realignment of the Wesco League conferences and divisions, the highlight of the season is sure to be the match-up with new conference cross town rival, the Marysville-Pilchuck Tomahawks. When posted, the game schedules for Getchell, M-P and Arlington High School can be found at www.wescoathletics.com.