By CONOR NICHOLL

cnicholl@dailynews.net

Quinter High School defensive coordinator Jeff Ruckman stopped by Bulldog coach Greg Woolf's house before a weightlifting session one evening during the summer. Ruckman, like virtually any coach in a similar situation, was worried about Quinter's 2010 team, a unit that returns just three starters after winning the Eight-Man, Division I championship. Ruckman asked Woolf: What are we going to do this year?

Woolf, known for his optimism and friendly demeanor, smiled and laughed when he recounted the story.

"I am like, 'We are going to coach,' " Woolf said. "We've got to keep doing what we're doing."

Quinter will try to keep the status quo after it lost a large senior class that produced a 22-2 record the last two seasons, the best mark among area eight-man teams. That stretch included a magical run last fall. Woolf became ill with non-Hodgkins lymphoma and told the players after a Week 2 win. Because of treatment, Woolf had to give up his coaching duties and became an inspirational leader to the team and town.

After a Week 3 loss to Sharon Springs, Quinter won 10 straight for the title. The Bulldogs bring back senior lineman Brian Ochs (seven sacks), junior running back Logan Reed and senior safety Joe Simon from the '09 squad. Simon, the junior varsity quarterback for two years, will be the signal caller.

Woolf's cancer is in remission and he has resumed coaching duties. Woolf, entering his seventh year in Quinter, said he is "probably more excited" about this fall than 2009.

"Last year is done," Woolf said. "I have the opportunity to coach 13 new kids on offense and defense that did not get to start last year, so very excited about it. I am hoping that they come in extremely hungry because they know they have all of these starting positions that are open."

Quinter is ranked No. 2 in the preseason poll, but is not considered one of the favorites to win the state title. Simon, whose 112 tackles led the squad last year, smiles and calls the lowered expectations "actually kind of a good thing."

"People are not going to expect us to have much," Simon said. "So I think our goal is just really to surprise them. We are going to have a big target. Everyone is going to want to say they beat the returning state champ, but we are obviously going to work really hard to keep that same momentum and even raise the bar even higher. I think the group of kids that we have can do it. It's just that we have to get in our minds that we can. We can't think that we are out of the picture just because the senior class is gone."

This summer, Simon has worked with former Quinter quarterback Edward Machen.

Simon has spent time working on nuances of playing quarterback.

"I have worked with my offensive line and my running backs for three years, so I know them pretty well," Simon said. "I just have to pick it up a couple more paces for the varsity level."

Reed rushed for 929 yards last fall and scored a touchdown in the state championship game.

His most vivid memory came when Woolf -- "really an inspiration to a lot of us," Logan said -- told the team he had cancer. But 2009 is in the past. It's about putting a stamp on 2010.

"Right now, it is a lot of looking forward and preparing," Reed said. "I guess there is a time to look back later. It's forward now."