Entering the 2024 season with a wealth of talent and experience on his roster, Stamford coach Wayne Hutchinson knew before the season even started that he had something special on his hands.

When his Bulldogs won 15 consecutive games before dropping a 30-28 heartbreaker to Ganado in overtime in the Class 2A Division I state championship game, his confidence in that group proved well-founded.

After graduating 20 lettermen from that roster, including nine offensive and five defensive starters, Hutchinson will take a much younger team into the 2025 campaign. But despite the relative lack of experience and heavy turnover, the veteran mentor is no less excited about this bunch of players or eager to see what they have in store as a follow-up this fall.