If 2009 was a year of unfulfilled potential for the St. Michael's High School football team, then the 2010 season is most definitely about redeeming last fall's lost promise.

The Horsemen stormed out to a 6-1 start in 2009 and seemed primed to make on run at the program's fifth Class AAA state title.

However, a 2-3 skid to end the season, capped by a 35-28 loss to Raton in the AAA quarterfinals, brought
St. Michael's high hopes crashing down.

The bitter taste left from the way that last season ended has given the Horsemen no shortage of motivation entering this season — which they begin Saturday when they play host to Bloomfield in a nondistrict game at Brother Abdon Field.

In short, the Horsemen feel they have something to prove after failing to make it to the AAA semifinals last year for the first time since 2002.

"In the back of all of our minds we're thinking about that quarterfinal with Raton, and even back to the district game with Raton (a 36-35 overtime loss), and the game with (Las Vegas) Robertson (a 26-0 loss)," said St. Michael's senior Russell Disch, who was the team's leading rusher last year with over 1,300 yards.

"We all know that we have the potential to do great things, and it just hurts knowing that we could have done big things."

St. Michael's head coach Joey Fernandez agrees that last year's late-season collapse has unmistakably fueled the team's competitive juices going into this fall.

"I think the biggest thing is the kids realize that they've got to work hard and not overlook anybody," Fernandez said. "They're hungrier this year. Going into the season, they have set the goal of winning a state championship."

The Horsemen return much of the key personnel from last year's squad, including a 15-member senior class that features skill-position standouts Disch, fellow running back Michael Lamb, and quarterback Michael Wiegel.

The leadership from the team's upperclassmen is one of the keys to success for the Horsemen this fall.

"The one thing that we have been stressing and trying to instill in these guys this year is that it is leadership that is going to take us all the way," he said. "We have the size, speed and ability that you need to win a state championship, but it's going to be leadership that decides whether we win a state championship or not."

Another factor that will determine whether the Horsemen will attain their lofty goals is the play of the offensive and defensive lines, which are jointly anchored by senior Tommy Vigil.

"It all lies on our defensive and offensive lines," Disch said. "When they are clicking on all cylinders, then we are scoring points and stopping teams on defense. If the lines are playing well then we usually play well as team."

The Horsemen will face a fresh set of challenges this year, as they move to the newly formed District 5AAA from the football-heavy District 2AAA. The district includes Albuquerque Academy, Albuquerque Hope Christian, Santa Fe Indian School and Pojoaque.

"It's kind of a weird football division," Fernadnez said. "It's kind of hard to say right now how it's going to play out. I expect that us and Academy will probably be the favorites. I haven't seen Indian School or Hope Christian recently, so I'm not too sure on them right now. And Pojoaque was an improved team last year so I expect them to be a factor in district."

In addition to contending with 5AAA foes, St. Michael's has kept fierce former 2AAA rivals Robertson and Raton on its non-district schedule this year.

The match-up with Raton on Nov. 6 — which will be the regular-season finale — will give St. Michael's an opportunity to avenge its two losses to the Tigers in 2009 and could affect the AAA playoff picture.

"Raton and Robertson are the only AAA teams on our non-district schedule, the rest are AAAA teams," Fernandez said. "So those two games will show us whether we're a top-three team, or a top-six team (in the AAA playoff seedings). ... Raton will be a big game coming into the playoffs."

It will be just one of the many proving grounds that St. Michael's will have to pass through if it is to reach its goal of returning to the top of the AAA pile.

Contact Jon Sward at jsward39@gmail.com.