GRANITE FALLS — Carrying a small roster last year, Arlington football relied on a lot of the same guys to play all 60 minutes of regulation, picking up slack on both sides of the ball.

It worked, more or less. Arlington was a district playoff contender until the last week of the season and put together a 6-4 regular season with fewer than 30 guys on the varsity roster.

With a lot of those guys back and what looks like high retention among the incoming sophomore class, Arlington coach Greg Dailer is coming out of spring football practice with an aim to have fewer two-way starters this fall.

“I’d like to two platoon a little more,” he said, after putting a lot of players on the field in a scrimmage against Granite Falls June 11.

The Eagles rotated in three players at quarterback, which promises to be an exciting contest this summer. At quarterback, Arlington returns senior Andy Smith, who started the second half of the season for the Eagles, as well as sophomore Blake McPherson, a letter winner as a freshman last fall. But shaking things up a little is the third entrant, senior Vince Kurtzenacker, who hopes to win a hardship appeal to transfer in from Highland Christian’s pass-heavy eight-man football program. The team’s all-league quarterback Jake Parduhn lined up at running back and defensive back, which he played last season as the team transitioned to Smith.

Arlington started out hot in the scrimmage, driving 40 yards to the end zone twice in the first 15-possession offensive set. Smith took charge of the first drive, which culminated in a touchdown run by Tyler Frauenholtz. Brandon Pierce also had an end zone reception for Arlington. On the first defensive set, sophomore Bo Brummel had an interception.

Opening the second offensive series, Jeff Owen had a long rush down the left side of the field, about 35 yards, to the end zone. On a low snap, Kurtzenacker turned what could have been a fumble into a first down, picking up the ball and scrambling to the marker. He turned it into a touchdown pass shortly after, connecting with receiver Joe Cote.

Sophomore duo McPherson and receiver Max Bryson also scored on the first play of the fourth series, Bryson making the reception around the five-yard line and scrambling the width of the field before getting into the end zone.

Arlington, which found its running game late last season, was without the services of its top returning receivers and focused on the run more as the scrimmage went on.

“We have a lot of position questions, so we wanted to try guys out in different spots,” Dailer said.

Click here for more photos.