Most fall sports at Dartmouth High School are set to begin tryouts and preseason training on August 24. In advance of a new season, Dartmouth Week spoke to coaches about what to expect. Here’s what they had to say:

Football

Following the first day of football tryouts on August 18, Head Coach Rick White had just under three weeks to mold his team after losing 25 graduating seniors. In preseason training, he'll keep an eye out for athletes with leadership potential.

"It’s just getting everyone on the same page between now and the first game,” White said. “We don’t have a lot of time.”

This season, he expects to see accomplishments from defensive tackle Kyle Sullivan, quarterback and defensive back Nate Ellis, wide receiver and cornerback Dane Ashton, and Ben Aaronson. White noted that Ellis comes with plenty of varsity experience, and should be ready to fill the shoes left by 2016 graduate and former quarterback Cole Jacobsen.

He hopes to have a solid lineup to not only repeat last season’s historic Old Colony League win, but also advance further in the postseason after falling to North Attleboro in the Div. 2 South semifinals.

Boys soccer

Head Coach Josh Silva knows the loss of graduated star players Ben Paine and Jordan Pacheco will leave big shoes to fill. Both played a part in earning the Indians the Old Colony League title last season and postseason advancement up to the Div. 2 South semifinals before falling to Bishop Feehan.

“We lost a couple kids that are going to be difficult to replace, but I like the young kids we have coming up,” Silva said.

He expects to see strong performances from Rafael Raposo, Dylan Senra, and Isaac Sequeira. Silva aims to develop a more finely finessed team, as opposed to the strong athletic team he had last season.

Girls soccer

Despite graduating a half dozen key starters last year, Head Coach Mark Poirier is confident he’ll have a strong team this season. With about 11 returning players, the team's defense will be strong, so Poirier will focus on improving offense and scoring.

Last season, the team advanced into the postseason, but lost in the first round of the Div. 2 South tournament to Medfield – the same team that destroyed Dartmouth’s hopes for the playoffs the year prior.

Field hockey

Head Coach Beth Arguin hopes for a better season than last year, when her team was unable to qualify for the postseason with a 4-10-2 record. Particularly challenging is the loss of her core defensive end from last season.

After losing 12 senior players to graduation, Arguin anticipates a younger team comprised of mostly juniors and sophomores. She expects big things from returning co-captains Cassidy Vaccari and Lauren Phillips (both seniors), as well as returning goalie Sarah Morin.

Her returning players are comfortable playing any position, so Arguin will focus on filling the gaps with new players during the preseason.

Golf

When tryouts begin, Head Coach Mike Frates will look for the athletes who kept up their sport over the summer and improved the most to form the core of his team. He’s counting on returning golfers Justin Debortoli, Eric and Brett Medeiros, and Bryce Souza to carry the team, he said.

“I think we’ll have some competition to see who the top eight will be,” Frates added.

Last season, the team finished with an 8-8 record, but fell in the South Sectionals in part because Frates had a young team to work with. This season, Frates hopes his returning players will carry the team further into the playoffs.