After establishing itself as a genuine state football power in the 1980s and 90s, the Troy Colts went through a dark period on the gridiron for the first half of the New Millennium, missing the playoffs for seven years straight between 2000 and 2006.

Longtime Colts head coach Gary Griffith and his troops roared back with a vengeance in 2007, making a run all the way into the Division 1 final four, sparking a return to the postseason for three straight seasons.

Then last year, TEAM GRIFF hit a snag, going 5-4 and failed to qualify for the playoffs.

Griffith, kicking off his 20^th campaign heading the Colts program, is pretty certain that 2010 was merely a minor road block and not a rehashing of the team's swoon at the start of the last decade.

"Things around here are real good," he said. "We've learned from last year and are very excited to get this season started and put what we learned to work for us on the field. Everyone is looking forward to opening up the schedule next week. We're all eager to get out there and go to work."

Junior starting quarterback Justin Losey and his brawny offensive line are a pair of the biggest reasons Troy will be an improved ball club this fall. Losey has a valuable year of experience under his belt engineering the Colts offense and is much more comfortable in the pocket and in his role as the team's field general.

The Colts 0-Line is a major strength because of its experience and size.  Greg Webber, Connor Hayden, Jeremy Middleton, Tommy Richardson and Jarrett Bochniak combine to make a formidable group, and will provide Losey top-of-the-line protection in the pocket and Troy running backs cavernous lanes to exploit. Webber, only a junior and whose nicknamed "Moose," due to his tenacious demeanor on the battle field, is a definite college prospect for the Class of 2013

Senior captain Matt Oppenlander will be the team's No. 1 ball carrier this year, while sleek slot receivers like Joe Leonard and Davion Rice and energetic ends Chris Michael and Tyler Horne will be Losey's go-to guys in the passing game.

Jay Satkovich and Bochniak, both senior captains, are set to fuel the defense from their positions at linebacker, with, Middelton, Anthony Sciortino, Taye Kim and Brian Johnson penciled in to start on the defensive line. Satkovich was a starter on the offense line as a junior.

Horne and Losey will hold down the team's safety spots, while Rice and Derek Verbruggen will start opposite each other at cornerback.

One possible X-Factor this year for Troy could be the special teams unit. A very pleasant surprise throughout this preseason has been placekicker Sean Murphy, a heavy-footed field goal specialist that could end up being one of the most consistent legs in the area. Murphy is stepping into the Colts lineup in place of Luke Blankenship, a two-year all-league pick gone due to graduation.

In his fourth year at the helm in 1994, Gary Griffith led Troy to the school's only state championship in football. Through his first nine years as a head coach, Griffith collected 80 victories. Since 2007, Coach Griff and the Colts have won 27 games.

Troy's 2011 campaign opens up on August 26 against Romeo, a team the Colts upset on opening night last season.

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