Grants Pass head coach Brad Page doesn’t have to look too far for inspiration or confidence in his team’s potential for the coming football season.

A year before his arrival to coach at his alma mater, the Cavemen toiled through a 1-8 campaign but returned the bulk of that roster — allowing for a quick turnaround and a 6-4 run during his debut season in 2022.

So while Grants Pass may have gone 2-8 last season, the senior class was relatively small and there’s a bit of a deja vu feeling going around the team camp this year.

“It doesn’t hurt for everyone to kind of feel the taste of a losing season,” said Page. “To have that and know the difference and contrast from having a winning season the year before, I think they’re all pretty naturally motivated.”

“I imagine people would sleep on us, and rightfully so with our record last year,” he added, “but I think we feel pretty confident about what we’re going to do.”

There’s also a more natural feel for the game plan and what is expected out of the players with another full season and offseason in the books.

“I think having this group of seniors who have been here with me since they were sophomores helps a lot,” said Page. “We have a big group and we had kind of a better idea of what we wanted to do this offseason and be more purpose-driven, and I think that has really paid off so far.”

“I think things have gotten to a point where players are leading better and they’re pretty bought-in,” he added, “and we have a ton of depth and we’re just kind of playing football and building a good team. It’s a lot different than last year when we were really young with a small senior class. There’s been a lot of growth and so we’re a lot more prepared this year.”

Paving the way for a better season will be a solid foothold in the trenches that will be anchored by three-year starter Connor Johnston at tight end and on the defensive line. Complementing the 6-foot-2, 250-pound Johnston will be an offensive line that features the return of seniors Ashton King (6-2, 280), Eligh Parker (6-3, 290) and Alex Lingo (5-10, 240).

Page is especially excited about the defensive line, where seniors Wyatt Peterson (6-1, 200) and Brayden Carlson (6-2, 225) will help set the tone with Johnston as GP moves to a four-man front this season.

“We have a lot of athleticism and a lot of strength down there, which I think will be cool,” said the coach.

Senior Ashton Park will be tasked with leading an inexperienced and somewhat thin linebacker crew, which was part of the reason for a switch from GP’s three-man front.

The biggest question last year remains the same this year as the Cavemen look to settle in a little more at quarterback.

Nate Bassett earned the nod coming out of last year’s offseason but will be transitioning to a receiver and defensive back role for his junior season. Sophomores Jordan Rossetta and Parker Howe have been sharing time at quarterback and Page said he is comfortable with either taking the reins at this point.

“Having each other to compete with has been really good for them, too, because they’ve been neck-and-neck,” said Page. “We had a ton of real live reps at camp this year and we competed at the University of Oregon for some 7-on-7 tournaments and we had the 7-on-7 league in July, so we’ve seen a lot of them and they just make the right reads.”

“We’ve really tried to just go through our entire offense and make it foolproof,” he added. “They know what their keys are, they know exactly what they’re looking for pre-snap and post-snap and I think that they’ve just really bought into that. I feel like we have two really good quarterbacks and I think it’s an investment, obviously, for us for the future because they’re so young. I think they’re going to be really reliable. As of right now, they’ve both earned varsity time so we likely will see both of them play.”

In varsity experience alone, Rossetta holds the advantage after showing some sparks in relief of Bassett last year. At 6-4 and 215 pounds, Rossetta is able to command the pocket and gave the passing game a boost with his ability to strike downfield.

“He’s seen what it’s like,” Page said of Rossetta in the QB battle. “That was a big transition for him in being young and playing 6A varsity football but he’s really done a good job of finding some of the stuff that he needed to work on. He has a lot of height and he’s got a strong arm and he just has a really strong work ethic.”

“Parker makes some great reads and he’s very athletic,” added the coach. “He’s probably a little bit more mobile so they have different things that they provide.”

Expecting to help take pressure off either quarterback will be a backfield that will see sophomore Treyton Powers assume the lead role but get a boost by the presence of junior Weston Berg.

“He’s a very impressive running back,” Page said of Powers. “I don’t want to get ahead of myself but he’s showing signs of being the best running back since I’ve been here. But the nice thing is he has Weston Berg, who is backing him up and going to play a significant role.”

“They hit the hole hard, they do what they’re supposed to do,” he added, “and when it’s time to make an athletic move, they can turn a play that last year would’ve been a negative 4-yard play and they turn it into an 18-yard gain.”

Tim Hart, Isaac Johnson and Hayden Chase got good experience at receiver last season, while fellow senior Jace McGowan returns to the fold after being out last season and could help at receiver or running back.

Another intriguing addition is Oregon City transfer Cameron Holland, who has a quarterback background and may fit into the mix there given his athleticism as well as at receiver and defensive back.

The Cavemen averaged just under 12 points per game last season, so boosting that efficiency has been a focus in the offseason.

“We have to just find ways to be consistent and give our guys some confidence,” said Page. “We were just trying to find ways to move the ball and be creative last year, and now we have some more talent and experience to do what we want to do.”

“We’ll try to be balanced and I think the offense will be the most explosive it’s been since I’ve been here,” he added. “I have a ton of confidence in our offense right now with the ability to put some long drives together or even just put some big plays together.”

If that comes to fruition, Page said there’s no reason why the Cavemen can’t rise up and cast their lot at one of the top spots in the South Central Football Conference.

“We don’t feel like we’re just going to go through murders’ row anymore,” he said. “We feel like we can compete with everyone and definitely come through with a winning season. I think we take a lot of pride in playing at a high level and having high expectations. All we can do is control one play at a time and one week at a time. We know everyone and what their identity is and there’s nothing insurmountable.”