Summer vacation is over for the Carroll College football team. The two-time defending NAIA national champions have put the pads back on this week in preparation for their first game of the season, Aug. 28 against Central Washington at Nelson Stadium.

"It's been good to get back together with everybody," offensive lineman Kyle Baker said. "I think a lot of guys have stuck together this summer and that should give us an advantage."

The Saints have spent the summer in usual fashion, lifting and running to get in shape for the season.

The returning players reported Saturday while incoming freshman come to the Hilltop on Tuesday.

Two-a-day practices and team meetings have been the rule of the day this week, and game planning for Central Washington will begin next week.

Baker said the team's entire focus has been on 2004, not 2003.

"It is not last year, it is a new year, and we have taken that attitude," he said.

He added that the Saints are not looking any further than Aug. 28 , when they play the Wildcats

"We have no other goal than to beat Central Washington," he said.

One of the new faces this fall is former Capital High standout Narles Layne. The true freshman running back said that it has been a big adjustment moving from high school to the college ranks.

"It's been a big change," Layne said. "It going from the top man on the totem pole to the bottom."

The Saints are the top men on the totem pole again this season as Frontier Conference coaches have picked them to retain their conference title and several publications have tabbed them as the preseason No. 1 team in NAIA.

Despite all the accolades, quarterback Tyler Emmert said that the Saints are not in regular-season form just yet.

"Things are going well, but we are a long way from playing a team like Central Washington," said Emmert, the NAIA player of the year last year.

Emmert will have a receiving corps that will have several new faces. Three receivers graduated from last year's team, including two-time all-American Mark Gallik. Emmert said he has spent time this summer throwing to his receivers, fine-tuning routes and offensive game plans.

Carroll has 41 new players on the roster.

"It's really fun, but it is intimidating at the same time with so many great athletes like (running backs) Tim Bowman, Ryan Grosulak, Jed Thomas and Tyler Emmert," Layne said.