Shippensburg high school football, like most schools, is in a rush to get ready for the upcoming season.

But with the leadership of the now longest-tenured head coach in the Mid Penn Colonial Division, the Greyhounds are confident they will be ready to hit the ground running when their season kicks off Friday, August 24, at home against Dover. With most area schools beginning early, the preseason practices were limited and teams could only schedule one scrimmage.

“I’ve learned a lot over the years and have been fortunate to work with some really good coaches over that time. It’s been an honor,” said Ship head coach Eric Foust, who is in his 17th season with the Greyhounds and is the most seasoned in the area after Greencastle-Antrim coach Chuck Tininnis retired after the 2017 season. “I think we had a good scrimmage last Saturday, and the guys are confident going into this week. Everyone has had to deal with the shortened schedule, so we will be ready.”

The biggest question mark is at quarterback, where Zack Manning will replace two-year starter Carter Van Scyoc, who is resuming his football career at Bloomsburg University. Manning, a sophomore, will take over under center for a team that returns a good bit of experience on the offensive side. He was chosen over Nick Gustafson, who will move to tight end and give the Greyhounds versatility on both sides of the ball.

“Zach had a really good scrimmage, and he has a good head on his shoulders and confidence in the huddle,” Foust said. “This will give Gustafson a chance to play tight end, and I think he’s excited to play defense as well.”

The offense will be led by running back Adam Houser, who returns for his senior season after being a contributor for Shippensburg since his freshman year. Kyler Brown and Alex Sharrow will join Houser in the backfield.

Foust said, “It feels like I’ve been coaching Adam forever. I think we have a good understanding of each other, and it’s going to be important for him to lead by example.”

Houser’s younger brother, Isaiah (a sophomore), is also expected to get some playing time at wide receiver, as well as junior Christian Melendez. The offensive line is expected to be a strength for the Greyhounds as it will return four starters. Seniors Trey Lynch and Wyatt Craig, as well as juniors Colton Musser and Noah Foust, will return to the offensive line. Junior Karter Craig will jump in as the fifth lineman.

“Last year, we had to replace almost our entire line, and those guys had their hands full,” Foust said. “They are bigger and stronger this year, and it should be a good group for us.”

On the defensive side of the ball, Ship will also feature plenty of faces that have contributed in past seasons.

“We have some guys coming back that will do good things for us,” said Foust. “Ethan Stouffer and Nick Weltz are coming back at linebacker, and Colby Tracy was an all-conference player for us on the defensive line.”

Adam Houser and Sharrow are expected to be the main cogs in the secondary for the Hounds, who are hoping to improve on their 6-5 record from last season.

“It’s funny. I’ve read a lot about how last year was disappointing, but we still had a winning record and made the playoffs, so I wouldn’t call that disappointing,” Foust said. “We did lose to some teams we shouldn’t have lost to, and I don’t think 6-5 is a standard we want to keep. We certainly want to improve.”

And while Shippensburg will go into the season with inexperience under center, it believes its confident signal caller and an experienced, talented supporting cast will lead to an improvement and another trip to the postseason.