Santo coach Devon Mann went into the 2023 season knowing it would be a learning process for a young and inexperienced roster. 

So when the Wildcats finished 3-7 and missed the playoffs for the time since 2013, he accepted the experience for what it was — a bump in the road on the way to better days ahead.

With 16 lettermen back from that squad, including eight starters on both side of the ball, Mann remains steadfast in that conviction. And with a talented group of call-ups from a 7-3 junior varsity squad providing depth that was missing a year ago, he’s expecting those better days sooner rather than later.