PHOTOS BY FARRAH MAFFAI Junior quarterback Scott Anacker, above, is back to lead the Redbirds’ offense this season, while Victor Alfieri, right, looks to be one of the featured backs for Allentown this fall.

When the Allentown High School football team takes the field tomorrow night against Nottingham, it will give local fans their first glimpse of what should be an improved Redbirds team.

Head coach Greg LaCava’s team lost only eight players to graduation, including two who were hurt for most of last year. That leaves a solid group of returning starters, all of whom are looking to get Allentown back to the .500 mark after a 2-8 season last year.

While the Redbirds lost mostly skilled position players, like running backs Ryan Reiser and Matt Mordas, and wide receiver Tom Keeley, they return their entire offensive line, their quarterback and their top wide receivers.

"The experience [last year] should help a lot of those guys to progress into better football players," LaCava said.

Allentown head coach Greg LaCava

Junior quarterback Scott Anacker is back under center this season, coming off a season where LaCava said he progressed nicely, and will look to be more of a weapon in the Redbirds’ multiple I sets.

Last year the Redbirds ran a lot of counter plays to offset the size advantage they faced on a weekly basis, something they will look to do more of this season.

Allentown will feature a number of two-way players once again this season, something that will test the team’s depth against the larger Group III and IV teams on their schedule.

"It’s kind of a Catch-22 because if you’re successful on either side of the ball, it affects how you play the other way. If your offense is on the field for a sustained period of time, they still have to come back out and play defense. That becomes an issue for us late in the game."

Following tomorrow’s home opener against Nottingham, the Redbirds will travel to West Windsor South on Sept. 19, before returning home to face Princeton Sept. 25.

Allentown faces a daunting schedule once again, but with a number of players with a year’s experience under their belts, look for the Redbirds to be an improved team on both sides of the ball.