Ahh, the sights and sounds of autumn.

The rustle of leaves, the back-to-school sales, the soul-chilling howl of young men calling for death and mutilation of their opponents on the gridiron. Prepare thyself, pigskin fan, football season is here.

For the four U.S. high school football teams in the United Kingdom, the 2006 season will be largely one of recovering from attrition and rebuilding teams around small cores of returning veterans.

With the first week of practice kicking off Aug. 21, coaches said they were confident in their combinations of fresh talent and experience, however, and looked forward to a Sept. 9 all-England jamboree at Lakenheath High School to gauge their 2006 teams.

A roundup of local squads:

Lakenheath LancersBy far the largest squad in England, Division I Lakenheath is looking to improve on a 1-5 record from last fall behind promoted junior varsity coach Joe Hacker.

Hacker said he plans to add some new plays but keep the team’s basic all-around formula.

Fielding around 70 players in the first week, many of them freshmen and sophomores, Hacker said, the Lancers have about 10 returning seniors but are still testing quarterbacks to find a starter.

As a lynchpin in the line, coaches said senior Kirk Sampson would bring both size and experience to the field, while veteran re-ceivers like Carl Snapp will be looked to for offensive yardage.

Hacker said the team has lost some size from last year, which will force it to rely on quickness against the bulkier D-1 teams from Germany.

In all, an undefeated season is the goal, Hacker said, “But we know it’s going to be hard.” A 3-3 season, he said, would be a realistic success.

Menwith Hill MustangsFor 2006, the Mustangs will draw on an incredible participation rate and several key upperclassmen to provide the force behind what new coach David Grana hopes will be a “balanced attack.”

Of the 50 or so boys enrolled at Menwith Hill, 25 to 30 have come out for the team, Grana said. Offensively, they will look to be mobile, with “multiple sets and an option,” he said.

Big contributions to the team will likely come from sophomore running back LaShawn Adams and multipurpose senior Andy Kaaihue, Grana said, with heavy-hitting juniors Robbie Sexton and Pete Richmond leading the line.

The squad is looking to repeat its good start to last year’s season, when it opened with three wins, Grana said, but he reserved predictions for wins and losses.

London Central BobcatsIf any team is looking at an uphill struggle in both numbers and experience in 2006, it will be London Central, where military base closures and a Navy drawdown have decimated the returning roster for the boarding school.

“As a matter of fact, we lost pretty much all of our team,” said coach Doug Eidt. Optimistically, Eidt is looking at seven total returning players, including four returning starters, and said he would be pleased to see 18 kids come out for the team.

But the squad is not without talent and standouts, Eidt said, with senior fullback Dee Marbury returning and the “solid as a rock” senior Ivan Linatock holding down both the offensive and defensive line, he said.

With no “true quarterback” leading the offense, he said, the Bobcats will look to other options to outwit opposition defenses.

Alconbury DragonsAlso facing an across-the-board loss of players, Alconbury nonetheless has maintained some of the physical prowess that last season produced its first victory in several years.

“We have eight out of 26 players back,” head coach Ron Behr said. But the returning players includes some weight on the line, including sophomore Yul McGrath and senior Doug Bagnall, both expected to contribute heavily, coaches said.

But with a number of players new to the game, Behr said, offensively the team will rely on a lot of deception.

“When they think we’re passing, we’re going to be running,” he said. That, and the fire in the Dragons’ bellies on the field.

“Come to a game and you’ll hear whether we want to win,” said defensive coordinator Rodney Lucas.

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