Nashua South's Justin Fish is looking to be a huge factor on offense in his senior season. (Telegraph file photo by TOM KING)

(Editor’s Note: This is part of The Telegraph’s annual Football Preview Tab Insert Section that will be found in this weekend’s Telegraph print edition, complete with schedules, last year’s results, team photos, and much more)

NASHUA – When the Nashua High School South football team left Bedford’s Bulldog Stadium last November after bowing in the Division I semifinals, it seemed like the end of an era.

Maybe, but the Panthers feel they have enough talent to be in reload mode, not rebuild.

South graduated 17 seniors, and all of them saw time in some capacity, so it’s easy to make that rebuild assumption. Nope. South has 25 seniors on the roster this season, a lot who played in rotations or special teams, but now their time has come.

“I think this year we’ve got a lot of talent coming back for sure,” Panthers second-year head coach Josh Porter said. “They’re just going to be a little green. They’ve had to wait their turn type if deal. I think as the season goes on, we’ll be getting better and better and better.

“I’m very excited about the group of kids we have coming back.”

And that’s because they have the beef in the trenches, that’s where most of the Panthers’ experience is.

On offense, South returns left tackle Jason Vasquez, senior center Ted Smiley, and senior Brendan Queen either at right guard or tackle. Not a bad nucleus, as all are multiple-year starters.

“That’s going to make like easier for new quarterbacks, etc.,” Porter said.

And that’s the big question. Graduated QB Cody Jackson was huge for South for the last two years, and a three-year starter. Potentially a huge hole, right?

It may not be, although as Porter said, “It’s tough to replace Cody.”

Sophomore Luke Graven, Porter said, had a great off-season. The Panthers also have a transfer who has played some on the Stellos Stadium turf, C.J. Goss. This will be his third team in a year. A senior, he began his junior year at Salem, then transferred to Dracut, Mass. and was cleared to see some time in Dracut’s game at North late last season. But his Dracut coach, former Panther and UNH standout Trevor Knight, stepped down at Dracut, so Goss was on the move again.

“Those two will compete, and we’ll go from there,” Porter said. “It’s been a fun battle. … Make no mistake – these guys are good. They’re good. I’m excited for them to show out.”

Whoever wins it will have targets to throw to. While receiver Josh Tripp had moved on to UMass Amherst his brother, Jacob, is a junior and expected to be key with senior backs Justin Fish and Eric Baker. Tripp, pound-pound for pound, is 6-foot-3, 225. Meanwhile Fish is South’s only All-State returnee, “so we’re going to have to get creative when getting him the ball,” Porter said.

There’s also senior wideout Rafael Peron, who got some starts last year when Josh Tripp was hurt and did well, especially in the quarterfinal win over rival Bishop Guertin. Junior wideout Griffin Carta has also had a good preseason.

Defensively, Vasquez will be a key up front, Smiley will anchor down middle linebacker, and Fish, who played corner last year, will move to safety. Those are South’s three returning defensive starters.

Senior newcomer John Graven and Tripp will help at linebacker. Juniors Logan Rice, Nikolas Levine and Mason Ganko could see time at the defensive end spots. In the secondary, look for junior Joe Kudla to take a role. South also has 6-1 basketball player Rigo Challinger filling out a to-be-determined spot on either side of the ball.

“We think the back end (of the defense) will be very competitive and deep; we’ve got eight or nine quality guys we can rotate in,” Porter said.

How about kicking? Noah Castellano, a soccer player, will make his way to football games as both a punter and placekicker. And in special teams, Porter says he has some returners who can do damage. “Special teams is huge,” he said. “It can flip a game.”

The first month will be interesting, with Bedford, Merrimack, BG and North right off the bat. “It’s conference loaded, anything can happen in those games,” Porter said.

And he might feel the same way about his team, with a little of the unknown, but with talent.

“A very senior heavy roster,” Porter said, “but we’re going to have to get our teeth cut the first couple of weeks of Friday night lights. It’s their time.”