The 2014 high school football season kicks off this Friday, Aug. 29, beginning what head coach Jim Fairfield said he expects to be a highly successful run for the local team.

For those interested in attending the game, the Falcons will square off against the Coronado Dons at the high school field beginning at 7 p.m.

This will be the Falcons’ first game on their new field, which actually completed renovations earlier this week.

As of last week, the Falcons continued their pre-season practices at Four Peaks Park, eager to step foot on the new turf.

“The ball bounces differently [on artificial turf] and there is a little bit of difference in play but, for the most part, it’s still football,” Fairfield said.

“It’s still blocking, tackling and catching the ball. They guys are chomping at the bit to get on that field. I mean, it’s right there, they see it, they just can’t get to it yet.”

The Falcons managed to get in some time on the new turf this week in preparation for Friday’s game.

No matter what field they’re on, though, Fairfield said that the Falcons aim to improve on last year’s efforts and make a solid run on a state crown.

“Last season, some parts were difficult, in that we had a lot of little injuries that kept kids out,” he added.

“We’re looking to keep that from being a factor this year. If we can stay healthy, we should be fine. Last year we had a pretty good team, it just didn’t come together like it should have at the end.”

Fairfield said that, while offense was strong in 2013, defense struggled making their stops.

“Our emphasis from last year has been defense, which we’ve really been focusing on,” Fairfield said.

“We were young last year, with most of the guys being first year varsity. You need a few upperclassmen to cultivate that kind of a group and the intensity needs to be there. This year it’s there, and our defense should be improved.”

Experience should help the Falcons out quite a bit in 2014 as more than half of the roster is comprised of seniors, the majority of which are filling key positions.

Last Wednesday, the Falcons hit the road to take part in a full-pad scrimmage event featuring contests against teams from Alhambra, Independence and Copper Canyon.

Fairfield said it gave he and his coaching staff a chance to see how well the team is actually coming along, testing what they’ve learned in practice against various opponents.

So far, Fairfield said that the team’s greatest strength is its camaraderie, as most of the guys now know each other both on and off the football field.

“We’re working on hustle, finishing blocks and finishing tackles, and they’ve all been very receptive to it. They’re working hard,” Fairfield added.

“They know that we’re going to continue the no huddle offense and they know the fast tempo of our game, so they’ve been working hard to stay in shape.”

For the 2014 season, the Falcons will have two standard captains helping lead them through the season, along with a rotating pair of captains that will be selected on a weekly basis.

Sam Stoor and Mike Doka were selected by the team as the season captains, with Quentin Donahue and Luke McDermott to join them for the Coronado game.

Fairfield said that Stoor and Doka exhibit solid leadership skills, good work ethics, and hard work on the field. For that, he said that the team respects them.

Looking ahead, Fairfield said that the Falcons have a number of goals for 2014, broken all the way down to a level of allowing no more than 10 points per game, scoring at least 23 points per game, earning a certain number of shutouts and more.

“Our main goal is always to win the state championship,” Fairfield continued.

“To get there, we have to finish all of those smaller goals.”

The Falcons will begin that quest this Friday evening at the season opener. The schedule is the same as last season, the only difference being where the games are being hosted.

“Eight of the 10 teams we played last year went to the state playoffs,” Fairfield said.

“It’s a tough schedule, but it will help get us ready.

“The fans should come out this Friday, check out the new field and enjoy the action.”