Summer vacation is all but over for the 121 football players returning to Chadron State College for fall camp, beginning Wednesday.

The players won’t have much time to notice the summer is dwindling, though, because in addition to practicing daily, they’ll be busy with position meetings, film sessions and preparing for college.

In all, 17 players with starting experience and 48 letter winners return for the defending three-time Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference champions. In the last three seasons, CSC has won 27 straight RMAC games and qualified for the NCAA Division II playoffs each year.

Despite that success, fifth-year head coach Bill O’Boyle knows questions about his team persist.

“The biggest thing is that we have a lot of question marks, as far as playing experience goes,” he said. “We have to replace a lot of good kids from last year and so this camp is going to be more competitive than it has been in the past. We have many guys working hard and they’re competing for positions. That’s what we’re looking forward to.”

O’Boyle said his biggest concern is whether the players return in shape.

“All the guys better be in shape,” he said. “We can’t keep kids over the summer and so that’s a big a concern for us before they come back. Honestly, because of our limited practice time, you don’t want to spend a lot of time conditioning. But, if we’re out of shape, we’ll fix it; it’s just going to be tough on the team.”

The team will end its camp with a mock game scrimmage on Saturday, Aug. 22 at 11 a.m. There will be a watermelon feed after the game.

The team and coaches are also hosting a free ice cream social on Thursday, Aug. 20 at 6:30 in the CSC Student Center Ballroom. O’Boyle said the entire community is invited to meet the team and coaches.

The Eagles, picked first in the RMAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll, are well represented on the preseason all-conference team with seven total selections including senior placekicker Travis Atter of Buffalo, Wyo., who is the RMAC Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year.

Offensive selections include senior wide receiver Brandon Harrington (Grand Island, Neb.), senior inside receiver Isaac Stockton (Colorado Springs, Colo.), senior offensive tackle Ben Puffer (Hot Springs, S.D.) and junior offensive guard Tim Hiett (Arvada, Colo.).

Senior linebacker Duke Eardley (Mountain View, Wyo.) is on the defensive unit, while Atter and sophomore kick returner Maurice Threatts (Clearwater, Fla.) are on special teams.

The offense could be potent. Nine starters, including the top four receivers and four offensive linemen, return to an offensive unit that averaged 368 yards and more than 33 points a game.

Senior receivers Brandon Harrington and Isaac Stockton each had outstanding seasons in 2008 and much is expected of them this season. The two combined for 151 receptions, 1,638 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2008. Also returning are Tyler Watson and Joel Schommer. Watson had 25 receptions for 255 yards and four touchdowns, and Schommer added 23 catches for 311 yards and four TDs.

Scottsbluff native, Garrett Treffer, who was McLain’s primary backup the past two seasons, seems poised to become the starting signal caller. In his only start last season against Minnesota-Duluth in the second round of the playoffs, he completed 23 of 35 passes for 170 yards and a touchdown.

For his career, Treffer has completed 54 of 80 passes (67.5 percent) for 436 yards and four touchdowns.

In the backfield, CSC returns all of its ball carriers. Junior John Ritzen led the Eagle runners with 592 yards and five touchdowns, but seniors Mark Haag and Aaron Cooksley, and sophomore Evan Pilkington also saw time. Haag rushed for 362 yards and Cooksley added 262. Both suffered season-ending foot injuries, but both are expected to be ready for 2009. Pilkington was a pleasant surprise last fall, rushing for 298 yards. Threatts and sophomore Brett Gumb are also expected to challenge for the starting nod.

On defense, several underclassmen are being counted on to step up. The returning starters include cornerbacks, Jed Herblan and Talmaus Ewell, and safeties, Nick Milani and Kramer Hirz. The Eagles also welcome back a pair of defensive tackles in Maverick Churchill and Ryan Holmquist. Ends Jay Meduna and Cory Beran and linebackers Eardley and Thomas Wells also return after having seen extensive time in 2008. Senior linebacker Eric Roth, a three-year starter who redshirted last season because of a leg injury, also returns.

On special teams, Threatts, Atter and punter Kevin Berg also return. Atter is the school’s all-time leading kicker and Threatts returned both a punt and a kickoff for a TD in 2008. Berg averaged 39.6 yards in last season.

The Eagles open up their 2009 season by hosting the University of Mary on Saturday, Aug. 29, at noon.