By RANDY GONZALES

rgonzales@dailynews.net

There are a lot of question marks surrounding this year's Victoria prep football team.

Last fall, the Knights made the playoffs and finished 10-2. But Victoria lost a host of key players off that squad, and will be looking to fill holes in 2010.

Over the last four years, Victoria has gone 43-6, the second-most wins among eight-man teams in the state. The Knights also have won two state titles since 2004.

But Victoria returns just three starters on both sides of the ball, and coach Doug Oberle said it could be into the season before he has some positions figured out. Case in point, the secondary lost every starter from last year.

"Defensively, we've still got some question marks," Oberle said.

"I foresee a couple of positions, we get to games, see where we're at. Week 3, Week 4 before we decide.

"I haven't quite had it like this in the past," he added.

On defense, the Knights return senior nose tackle Dylan Kuhn, senior defensive end Steven Hotaling and senior linebacker Kameron Dinkel, who had more than 100 tackles last year.

The same three players start on offense. Kuhn will be the center with Hotaling also on the line. Dinkel will start at fullback, but also will see action at tailback and tight end. Last year, Dinkel finished with 898 total yards of offense.

"We've got to find ways to get him the ball," Oberle said of Dinkel.

Senior Cody Scheck will take over at quarterback, while junior Brennan Smith will start at tailback.

At other positions, players were battling it out for starting spots.

"Competition is a good thing," Oberle said, "see who comes out."

Oberle said the players want to uphold the tradition the program has established.

"Each year, it has to be re-established," he said.

With few returning veterans, the coaches are working in new players this year.

"We're doing the same things we've always done," Oberle said. "Sometimes, you've got to take a step back. You can't go forward if you haven't established what you've learned."