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Fielding a 6-Man football team is challenging enough without having unexpected departures.

Put together with the fact that all-everything players Levi Brubaker and Edison VanVleet have graduated and moved on, Noxon coach Bart Haflich also lost his top two candidates for quarterback before the season began.

Sophomore-to-be Jeriko Smith was the Devils’ signal-caller last fall and junior Braedon Marshall was expected to see time at QB as well. It turns out that both ended up transferring out.

“I had heard that Jeriko was leaving but the loss of Braedon on top of that does hurt,” Haflich said. “Jeriko advanced a long way last year but we have to move on. We’ll be working hard on this in practice figuring what we can do.”

Behind the leadership and production of Brubaker and VanVleet last fall, the Devils went 5-3 in the regular season and qualified for the State C playoffs a second straight season, before falling 51-14 to Geraldine-Highwood to end the season. Haflich rues the passing of both.

“Those are two big losses, some very big shoes to fill,” he said. “Those guys were our leaders last fall, they played both ways and didn’t come off the field, we will miss them a lot.” Both Noxon standouts were named to the Western 6-Man All-Conference team, Brubaker was honored further by being named All-State.

The Red Devils open season play this year hosting Heart Butte Sept. 6.

Since most teams begin action the weekend of Aug. 30-31, the Devils will have some extra time to prepare. “We have a little bit of time to try to get things squared away,” Haflich offered.

Although depleted somewhat, the talent cupboard is not bare in Noxon as seniors Rylan Weltz and Michael Antonich return to anchor the line, Jared Webley got lots of quality playing time last year and sophomore Cade VanVleet is one of the biggest impact players returning in the Western C ranks, both on defense and on offense as a bruising fullback.

It could be more difficult advancing on to the playoffs this fall.

“The Western C gets only three playoff spots this year,” Haflich said. “We don’t have a real good handle on where we are right now. We will find out more when we put on the pads and get after it for real.”